to lower and degrade by their denial of any. present and unspeakably great benefits being annexed to the Lords Supper, may surely be regarded as a hopeful symptom, among several others, of the soundness and firmness of our religious opinions, as to all which may be said to constitute the life, the soul, and the spirit of a pure and orthodox faith. Satisfactory as this last reflection is and ought to be, it is yet much to be feared, however the late measures adopted by the Legislature may have had the effect of tranquillizing the public mind, that thousands and ten thousands in this

present evils in religion is the pride of reason, and while that turn of mind remains unchecked by a reverence for divine revelation, Socinianism and unbelief naturally flow from it. Establishments, though with toleration, are accounted shackles to our impatient reformers, and scriptural truths absurdities in the eye of those who acknowledge no teacher but their own understandings. Till it please God to infuse a spirit of modesty into our reasoners on churches and creeds, we may lament, but shall hardly remove, the licentiousness we so justly complain of."-Extract of a letter from Dr. Hurd, Bishop of Worcester, to Dr. John Erskine, in Sir H. Moncrief's life of that profound divine, and excellent man, p. 374,.

country are still toiling in secret with the most laborious malice to overthrow its two greatest and most fundamental blessings-religion and government; men to whom no sway is acceptable but anarchy-no creed but scepticism and by whom the most horrid blasphemies are advocated with that spirit of partisanship, as if there were something really meritorious in their open avowal of them*.

In this portentous and terrific state of things, when one reflects what has been, feels what is, and thinks what may be, it is a positive duty which every one† is bound to perform,

That blasphemy and sedition are to be the means by which these incendiaries wish to shift the basis of the constitution, is shown in different parts of Dean Kenney's masterly exposition of the principles and practices of pretendel Reformers in Church and State.

In descanting upon an awful crisis like the present, if any parallel can be found to it, Bishop Chandler has justly and strongly pointed out the obligation incumbent upon every one to give efficacy, countenance, and concurrence to those measures, which have for their object and end the support of the altar, the throne, and the constitution. When booksellers and hawkers sell blasphemous and seditious fare-at such a juncture, he that doth not openly appear in the cause of God, betrays him.

who values the peace and order of societywho acknowledges the sacred volume to be the charter of his salvation,-the most secure bond of comfort here, and the most certain guarantee of happiness hereafter—to contribute his endeavours, however slender, to prevent the tide of deism and blasphemy, sedition and anarchy, from gathering a force which may threaten to sweep before it the bulwarks of the constitution, both civil and ecclesiastical: it is a sacred call, upon every one who glories in the name of Christian He that doth not stand up in defence of virtue and loyalty is against them. When, in the name of every thing that is sacred, is zeal commendable, but when profligate men combine to destroy God and nature's laws? when ought that fear of God to unite their hearts, purses, and endeavours in his service, but when the wicked join hand in hand, not only that iniquity may go unpunished, but go in triumph? No person whatever is excused from giving a helping hand when the ship he is embarked in is in danger. It is the duty of all who are serious in religion therefore to redeem the time because the days are evil -therefore to employ their tongues, their pens, their leisure, their pains to keep religion in countenance, because by like means, and in the like methods, and with uncommon application, the adversaries of religion strive to work it out of fashion, and to set up atheism, infidelity,

*

and Englishman, to be quick to show these misguided zealots and apostles of impiety and confusion, with whom whatever is-is wrong, that however favourable the distresses of the times may be to the propagation of their diabolical designs, still they can never look forward with any confidence of success to the final accomplishment of their object, viz. the separation of religion from national happiness : so long as there shall exist the possibility of an appeal to the eternal and immutable standards of truth and falsehood, of right and wrong. For it is an observation founded upon fact, and confirmed by experience, that religion must form the basis of all political happiness and social order. With the rejection of God, and denial of the Saviour,

and universal libertinism in the room thereof."-Extract from a Sermon, preached to the Societies for the Reformation of Manners, by Edward Chandler, Lord Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Lond. 1724. p. 17, 18. • Μισώ πολιτην ὅτις ωφελεῖν πάτραν Βραδύς πέφυκε, μαλα δε γε βλαπτειν ταχύς Και πόρυμον αυτω, τη πόλει δ' αμηχανον.

Ran. in Aristoph. v. 1474, 1477.

political existence, properly so called, has been always found incompatible. It is the will of Providence, that no influence over the minds of men shall be of permanent duration, unconnected with religion. "In the whole world there is not a greater sign of imminent ruin, according to an observation of the celebrated Machiavel, than when God and his worship are despised *. Wherever

that is the case, the most active care, and the

* I Discorsi, Lib. 1. cap. xii. And the present times can bear ample witness how far our illustrious countryman, Sir Walter Raleigh, has spoken as a true prophet, when he predicts that the cause of religious truth will suffer much by the want of church unity. "When (says this profound and original thinker) all order, discipline, and church government shall be left to newness of opinion, and men's fancies; soon after, as many kinds of religion will spring up as there are parish churches within England. Every contentious and ignorant person clothing his fancy with the spirit of God, and his imagination with the gift of revelation; insomuch, as when the truth, which is but one, shall appear to the simple multitude no less variable than contrary to itself, the faith of men will soon die away by degrees, and all religion be held in scorn and contempt."— History of the World. Lond. 1677. B. 11. chap. 5.