Sayfadaki görseller
PDF
ePub

directed folely to their good. Let them try the clergyman in whofe character they have any intereft, by what they hear from his own lips, and fee in his own actions, compared with the Bible and the common Prayer Book. Let them believe neither the nameless pamphleteer, who reports him as an enemy; nor the fectary, who may claim him for a friend. Let them neither conftrue a cafual coincidence with those who are in fault, into a proof of entire affinity; nor form their determination by a fingle circumftance, where many confiderations ought to be taken into account; and the purpose of the author, relative to the clergy called Evangelical minifters, will be unfwered.

By fuch a kind of examination, fome who bear this name must be rejected. But if there be one approved character to be found in the mafs, let it be remembered, that if he be rejected likewife, it will be to the public detriment. The times are fuch, as to demand a ferious attention to the obfervation of the Roman orator, in our treatment of fuch clergymen as are zealous in their duties: “non folum minuenda non funt auxilia quæ

"habemus; fed etiam nova, fi fieri poffit,

[ocr errors][merged small]

In the courfe of his details, the author has not limited himself to mere narration, but has intermingled obfervations on the fubjects which fell in his way. This he has done, not with any wish to perpetuate controverfy, but rather to allay it. And glad will he be to fucceed in his humble endeavour, to bring pious men on different fides to view each other with good will, as pursuing the fame worthy ends, though not agreed about the means of accomplishing them. With this defign, he had likewife a view to young clergymen, whom he wished to guard against the influence of party writers. This twofold intention, has led to a greater enlargement, on fome points, than would otherwife have been neceffary.

Defirous of leaving the reader in no doubt, as to what it is that the author really wishes to

promote, he has gone into many particulars,

and taken advantage of feveral things paffing in the religious world, in order to make that as evident as poffible. The reader may judge from the fketch of a revival in religion, what

[ocr errors]

that state of fociety is, which the author wishes to fee. From many paffages in that part of the work which is addreffed to the public at large, he may in fome degree afcertain the author's ideas of clerical excellence. What remains to make up a complete knowledge of his fentiments on this important article, will be found in the Addrefs to Young Clergymen. To those who may question the propriety of his concerning himself so much with the latter fubject, he has only to obferve, that being himself a Clergyman of the Church of England, he has the fanction of a great philofopher, for this part of his conduct. It was the opinion of Lord Bacon, that men would ferve the public good, by writing on their own profeffions; provided, they did not magnify them to excefs *."

[ocr errors]

Some of our Diffenting Brethren will probably accufe the author of being unequal; that at one time, he seems to be of the moft candid difpofition toward them; but afterward, to forget himself, and become too high a Churchman. In truth, he is the fame man, in every paffage that has any reference to them. In all fuch of their proAdvancement of Learning.

ceedings as are fimply chriftian, he is one with them. But when either they, or others, are doing that which tends to weaken the falutary force of our ecclefiaftical establishment, (whether wilfully or inadvertently), he thinks it his duty to give notice, that they are acting against the good of the whole. And to him, this feems juft what it ought to be: If there were more of the Churchman than this, in what he faid respecting Diffenters, it would in his account be bigotry; If lefs, it would be indifference to the establishment; a ftate of mind for which he by no means wishes to be commended. But he will not be thus difapproved by all, who diffent from the establishment. are among them, men who will understand him; who will perceive, that with his honest attachment to his own Church, he defires the spiritual prosperity of all other Churches; and difcerning this, they will, with the most cordial wishes for the fuccefs of his work, commend it to the divine bleffing. This he earnestly defires: for he fets a high value on the prayers of good men.

There

After all the pains he has taken, to render

this performance both useful and acceptable; to avoid error in all his statements, to cenfure nothing but what is evil, and to do even that, as inoffensively as poffible; he must confefs, that he does not fend it forth without a pensive impreffion of the weakness of human reason, and the ftrength of human paffions. Nor is it in others only, but in himself likewife, that he apprehends, fome proofs of both will be difcovered. It is highly probable, that when his performance comes to be examined by another eye, he will be found to have misunderstood, or to have incorrectly ftated fomething. When he further confiders, the little fruit that has been produced by the writings of those who have gone before him in endeavours of this kind, though poffeffing great claims to attention, he expects no general vote in favour of his publication. Yet he hopes to do fome good by it; and even ventures to make fure of the approbation of men of a ferious and philanthropic fpirit; of men, who viewing with tender concern the indifference toward God that surrounds them, are ready to take in good part any endeavour, however imperfectly executed, that is made for recalling the age to Chriftian piety.

« ÖncekiDevam »