that we have ourselves remarked, in one or two extensive counties, especially where clerical sportsmen are in vogue, a lively representation of the original portrait.

There is some humour in his remarks upon Bishop Hurd's declaration of the difficulty and inexpediency of enforcing the residence act.

"Another reason why it is in vain to hope for any voluntary exer. tion of the dormant authority of the bishops is, that they themselves consider their powers as oppressive, and are unwilling individually to incur an odium, the cause of which has arisen originally not from themselves, but has devolved upon most, if not all of them, from their predecessors. In some instances, the united wisdom of parlia ment has not had all the influence that could be wished. One of the most pious and learned bishops who ever adorned the bench is said to have stated it as his opinion, in his return to the privy council, that the residence act could not be further enforced without great incon⚫ venience to the clergy, and that therefore he had suspended its operation in his diocese. Surely such a fact as this is sufficient to show parliament, that something more is wanting than individual discretion, however respectable; for much as I reverence the memory of this truly great man, who was justly thought an ornament to his country, to its church, to literature, and to human nature, I cannot per suade myself that even the authority of Dr. Hurd can for a moment sanction the principle here broached. Inconvenience, sir! Is it for the convenience of the clergy that their revenues have been appointed? is the eternal salvation of millions of human beings to hang upon this weak, this miserable thread of convenience? It may be inconve nient to an officer to join his regiment or his ship; but will the waroffice or admiralty be amused with such a reason? It may be inconvenient to a gentleman to attend his duty in parliament; but a serjeant at arms will soon set his mind at ease upon the subject. And are the duties of religion, sir, of less consequence than these? is the service of God the only one that can be trifled with, and made subservient to all our baser pursuits?" P. 120.

These, and several other observations in this pamphlet, are worth attending to, and we repeat that we are convinced of the honest intentions of the author; at the same time we must remark, that we are a good deal perplexed respecting his own religious sentiments, as he more than once betrays some inconsistency upon this point. We are inclined to believe, that his views upon religion are not perfectly clear; the more particularly as, though he points out very ably many of the existing evils and abuses in the church of England, he does not appear to have dived deep enough to reach the chief cause of them, which in our opinion is the almost universal neglect of preaching the fundamental and peculiar doctrinces of christianity.* These

Vide the primary charge of the late Bishop Horsley in 1799, printed by the society for promoting Christian knowledge.

doctrines alone, by being engrafted on the heart, can produce sincere religion, and practical piety, and therefore the disuse of the custom of enforcing them in the pulpit has been alternately both cause and effect of the alarming state of our church establishment. It is true, we hear excellent morality from our pulpits, and we are constantly reminded of our duties-but can this be effectual, when the source from which we derive at once our motives and ability to perform these duties is not sufficiently pressed upon our minds?

One assertion we find in the pamphlet before us, which we have ourselves often heard, and at first rashly believed, and which we suppose the author took upon trust. The assertion to which we allude is, that a certain description of persons within the pale of the church are "purchasing advowsons and procuring presentations and curacies wherever they can be found, which are carefully filled up with persons, some educated in, others converted to, their peculiar tenets; which are, for the most part, calvinistic, and as opposite to the real principles of the church as any species of dissent." Now, we have been making inquiries upon this subject, and we can in consequence assure our readers, that it is not true that any description of persons, within our church, are acting in this manner.

We wish also to say a few words to a certain class of friends to the church, whom we have heard reasoning somewhat in the following manner. "Take care that you do not lower the church by openly stating the relaxation of her discipline, and the abuses and errors committed by some of her professional members, by so doing, you inform her enemies of her weak parts, and diminish the esteem of her friends." To these quiescent advocates of the church we answer, that her enemies need no information upon the subject, having long been fully aware of her weak side, and having made their profit of it, before she was aware of it herself. And as to her friends-all her real well wishers must perceive and lament the dangerous predicament in which she at present stands; and in proportion to their regard for her, must wish that those abuses and deficiencies which threaten her with her ruin should be laid open in order to be corrected. The manner of reasoning above described reminds us of that of a lady, who, when her husband discovered the dry rot in his floor by lifting up the carpet, exclaimed, "Cover it up! cover it up! don't look at it!" Were we to follow this sort of advice, in the parallel case respecting our national church, and to cover her symptoms of decay, we fear that the building might crumble and fall over our heads, while we were sleeping in false security.

Much is heard in the present day of that catholic species of

toleration, which would extend its palliating or justifying influence to acknowledged neglect of duty, because clothed in the clerical habit. We would oppose to it the following alternative, which we think will clearly shew the rottenness of the principle. If the people are ignorant enough to be satisfied with the negligent performance of the clerical duties, their religious state and their moral conduct (the very objects for the promotion of which pastors are appointed and paid) must be lamentably dangerous, and deplorably deficient. This side of the alternative may perhaps give short-lived peace to the church; but at the expense of the souls of the people. We much fear, that it may be the prospect of this repose so productive of present enjoyment, which biasses many towards the notion, that the people ought to be deceived into an implicit confidence in all church ministers, be their preaching and conduct what they may. If, on the other hand, the people are dissatisfied, and perceive the deficiency of their pastor; which (where that deficiency exists) they can hardly avoid doing, when the sectaries refer them to the bible and to the fathers of the church for rules whereby to estimate the clerical character; what hope remains, of preserving them to the church, but by rousing her inert energies to a vigorous spirit of amendment? Therefore, in spite of the remonstrances of those short-sighted though well-meaning friends to the church above alluded to, we have not scrupled upon the present, as well as upon former occasions, to speak openly upon the subject; and we shall continue to do so, as long as our readers will pay any attention to our humble remarks.

Upon the whole, we very much lament that the author of the pamphlet before us did not submit his manuscript before its publication to some judicious friend. By neglecting this necessary precaution, he has laid himself open to animadversions, which his reasoning and intentions do not deserve. He has thus afforded to the quiescent advocate of things as they are the opportunity of giving a plausible answer to his pamphlet without touching the real substance of his arguments; and with the usual fate of the hasty and inaccurate, has incurred the chance of injuring the cause which he meant to serve. By submitting his manuscript to correction, he might also have avoided many irritating and some unjust aspersions upon our national clergy, which render us altogether so little satisfied with his performance, that recommending it as we do to the candid perusal and charitable consideration of that respectable body, we shall now take leave of the work, and proceed to lay before our readers a few brief remarks, which the present times have called forth upon the state of the established church.

It can scarcely fail to excite considerable interest and anxiety

in the breast of any man cordially attached to it. There are indeed some circumstances which are highly gratifying. The torpor and lukewarmness which appeared to prevail some few years ago have been much diminished. A greater degree of zeal and energy appears amongst the clergy. The tone of pulpit eloquence is raised; the doctrine generally inculcated is far more scriptural and sacred; greater pains appear to be taken in the religious instruction of youth; and the number of those who attend divine service and partake of the Lord's supper has received a considerable increase. These things certainly have a favourable appearance, and when considered in connection with the laudable exertions that are made for the distribution of the scriptures and the propagation of the gospel, are calculated to keep alive the hopes of those who believe that the blessing of Divine Providence is the best safeguard of their country.

But, on a nearer examination, many things will be discovered which have a less favourable aspect. Even within the walls of the church a great discordance of sentiment may be discovered; and that, not only with respect to matters of less moment, but even with respect to the fundamental doctrines of christianity and the important duties of the ministerial office.

In every age since the first promulgation of our religion, those who have been cordially attached to it. and, by the conformity of their lives to its strict and holy precepts, have put to shame the looser manners of the world around them, have been branded with some epithet of a reproachful nature. The followers of Christ, therefore, have no reason to be surprised at experiencing such treatment from the worldly and profane. But it is to be lamented, that reproachful language and unfounded charges are not confined merely to those who are indifferent to the cause of religion. Too many who appear zealous in its defence, too many who hold a conspicuous place amongst the ministers and even the dignitaries of our church, have been unhappily so far misled in this respect, as to act in concert with the enemies of Christianity.

Amongst the terms which are now considered as conveying a dishonourable meaning, those of Evangelical Preachers and Gospel Ministers are employed to designate such as are distinguished by more than ordinary zeal in diffusing the peculiar truths of christianity, or in labouring to awaken their hearers to a serious concern for their souls. We have observed in a former number, that these titles appear to us to be most unjustly represented, as having been assumed by those to whom they are applied. We are pretty confident, that few indeed, if any, are

*

* See British Review, No. 2, p. 424.

the cases where such an assumption has been made. Nor do we by any means intend to assert, that the clergymen in question would wish to be, or to be thought, otherwise than evangelical in their tenets, and preachers of the gospel: but they have always appeared to us utterly unwilling to arrogate to themselves appellations which ought to be deserved by all who belong to their sacred order. We certainly do observe, that their hearers some times use language of this kind concerning them, and that both they and the churches in which they officiate gradually become known as affording peculiar advantages of religious instruction and consolation; but, so far from wishing to be thus distinguished, we have never seen any thing that should induce us to suppose it otherwise than their earnest desire, that every one of their brethren may be equally assiduous and useful; that from every other pulpit the great truths of christianity may be proclaimed with equal zeal and ability. And we shall always approve of their proceedings and their measures, so long as we are convinced that their object is not to be the founders of a sect or the leaders of a party, but rather faithfully and unostentatiously to discharge the duties of their office, and to contribute, as far as they are able, to the improvement of those entrusted to their charge. If indeed there be any who, not content with fulfilling their own task, invidiously bring to notice the omissions or the errors of their brethren, for such we have no design to apologize. Our object is to recommend a spirit of mutual charity and candour amongst the members of the same established communion, who, instead of turning their arms against each other, have need to join in the most strenuous exertions for the preservation of that fortress in which they are entrenched, and which is endangered, not only by the laxity of its interior discipline, but by the secret mines and open assaults of many and formidable enemies.

Let the ministers of the church of England then be at last persuaded to love as brethren; let them lay aside those bitter railings, those party epithets, those causeless jealousies by which they harass each other and weaken the common cause. Let them make allowance for those inevitable diversities of sentiment in matters of less moment which are compatible with a cordial agreement in essential truths; and rallying round the banners of the church, and walking according to the rules of discipline which it has ordained, let them endeavour to diminish schism, to confute infidelity, and to exhibit more cordiality in their connection with the common cause, than hostility in their differ

ence.

But whilst the divisions which prevail within the walls of our establishment are subjects of great concern to all who seriously