whether the church of England shall any longer have the fupport of the fiate.

We are to confider then, not merely the present effects which feparatifm may produce, but that ferious confequence which its increment threatens ; the overthrow of that church, which, by the found doctrine its inftituted forms exprefs, will as long as it ftands, be a witness to the truth, in periods the most barren of minifterial qualification; a rallying point to all truly Chriftian pastors; and an accredited voucher for the purity of their inftruction. While the kind of feparation now spreading through the kingdóm goes to the annihilation of fuch a church, it fets up nothing elfe to fucceed to it, that has an equal provifion in itself for the permanency of truth. For the fentiments now propagated by Separatifts are not fo wrought into the very texture of their fyftem, as that it may not with equal effect ferve for the propagation of contrary doctrines. Separatifm has no fixed or perpetual character: what it is at prefent, we may by attentive obfervation be able to pronounce; but no human forefight can afcertain what it will be hereafter. Though now in its numerous chapels the foundeft doctrine fhould be heard, we have no fecurity that they will not become the schools of herefy. Here if the licentious teacher get a footing, he moulds the whole fyftem of miniftration to his views; not a prayer,

C

not a pfalin, not à formulary of any kind, but, in this cafe, will become the vehicle of

error.

The tendency of all focieties to degenerate, is a circumftance which fhould be confidered in this cafe. That which is of a heavenly nature in the members of a religious fociety, does not always pass to their fucceffors; and when it does, it is feldom without fome diminution of its fpirit and vigour. But inferior qualities, and especially fuch as fituation and connection are adapted to Strengthen, are lefs volatile. So although the piety of a fectary may not defcend to his son, yet his objections against a national church may, and this inheritance of prejudice is what is to be expected in the majority of all religious communities. It is pleafing indeed to reflect, that in every divifion of the Chriftian world, there are fome who rife above the prejudices of their education, while they ftill adhere to all its better parts. There are Diffenters, for inftance, who though they cannot with a free confcience fubfcribe to fome things required by the Church of England, yet have no hottile difpofition toward her; regard her as the great bulwark of Proteftanifm: confider her eftablithment as a benefit to their country; rejoice to fee true religion flourish within her pale; reverence her pious clergy; and when they have a vote in the election of a parochial minifter, are ready to

give it to that candidate who seems likely to be useful to the members of his own communion. But this is a fuperiority of mind not to be looked. for in the majority of their communion: both in theirs, and ours, we are to expect, that the majority will be more zealous on the points in which the respective systems clash, than for the common intereft of Chriftianity; that the one will endeavour to rife, by the depreffion of the other; and that this of oppugnancy will live in their posterity, though the piety of the fathers be extinct. By this confideration, we learn to confider the prefent increafing extenfion of feparatifm under another ferious view:

Every addition it makes to the number of its fupporters, alters the proportion exifting in this Country between the monarchical and the democratic fpirit; either of which preponderating to any confiderable degree, might be productive of the most serious confequences. For it is certain, that as our church establishment is favourable to monarchy; fo is the conftitution of our diffenting congregations to democracy. The latter principle is cherished in all communities, where the power refides not in one, or a few, but is thared in certain proportions among all the members; which is the cafe in most of the religious focieties under confideration. Let it be remembered then, that if religion increafe in this way, there is that in

ereafing with it which is not religion: there is fomething fpringing up with it which is of a different nature, and which will be sure to stand, whether that better thing with which it may grow do or not. Every new licence taken out for a diffenting place of worship is a warrant for fetting up an institution, which, though it have the increase of piety only for its object, will have a civil operation it will leffen the number of thofe who approve of that political arrangement which at prefent exifts, and which provides every parish in the kingdom with a church for the performance of religious worship, and a clergyman to adminifter God's word and facraments *.

* Left these reflections on the ufe made of the Toleration A&t fhould fubject the author to the fufpicion of being unfriendly to religious liberty, he begs leave to fay, that there are few things in the English government which he contemplates with more heartfelt fatisfaction, than its having at length acquired that mild fpirit which the Act of Toleration. breathes. But he is free to own, that he derives no pleasure from feeing this act applied to a purpose for which it was never intended. It was intended to give relief to confcientious minds, and for that it does honour to the wifdom as well as humanity of the age in which it was paffed. To fee it, however, turned to another kind of purpose, that is, to make Diffenters, not merely to fatisfy those who are already such; to fee it employed as an engine againft that church, who by her legislative reprefentatives confented to this benign law; thefe abufes of the intention of the legislature he cannot view without regretting, that they were not provided against : which no doubt they would have been, by them who framed

With these remote confequences we might join fome prefent circumftances, as deductions to be made from the account, when we are told of the good done in this way. But of the latter it may be fufficient to notice only one, the debasement of the Chriftian miniftry by lay-preaching: a thing unexampled in every state in Europe except ours; and in every age here, as well as elsewhere, till the ufurpation of Cromwell; when among other foul births, this monster was produced.

It is not denied, that men below the character of literate perfons were before that anomalous period employed in the fervice of the church. It was fo for a time in our own church after the Reformation, on account of the fcarcity of perfons better qualified for the office. This, however, is no parallel cafe. Thefe men did not affume the office, but were appointed to it, and by those who were of authority in the church. Great numbers of our itinerant preachers, however, are either felf-conftituted, or which is nearly the fame, are appointed by perfons as little authorized to nomi

and paffed the act, had they been forfeeen. This regret is heightened by a fear, that the prefent wanton abuse of the Act of Toleration may provoke fuch an emendation of it, as may be attended with great danger to liberty, and little benefit to religion. Let them who cannot be contented with the relief which the law, as it now ftands, affords to confcientious minds, take warning by this hint.