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at a loss to determine. For, as I have always understood, the schism of which such a minifter is guilty, ftrictly correfponds with that fin, against which the Apostles and first bishops fo loudly inveighed, which confisted in breaking the unity of the church by a feparation of particular congregations from the authority of their respective bishops. But exclufive of this important confideration, there is, moreover (as the fubject strikes me) fomething like two fallacies practifed upon this occafion. The proprietors of these separate places of worship, by sheltering them under the Toleration Act, prostitute an act of the legislature to a purpose for which it was never made. By fo doing, what was defigned only as an indulgence to those who diffented from the church, becomes minif

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*ST. CYPRIAN confidered that the unity of the Chriftian church was liable to be broken two ways; by herefy and fchifm. "DIABOLUS hærefes invenit et fchifmata; quibus fcinderet unitatem." CYPR. de Unit. Eccl. § 2. In allufion therefore to this diftinction, after having, with an eye to the profeffion of the fame faith, exemplified the unity of the church in the words of ST. PAUL; corpus, et unus fpiritus, una fpes vocationis veftræ, unus DOMINUS, una fides, unum baptisma, unus DEUS;" he proceeds to point out that other bond of unity, by which it was defigned that the Chriftian church fhould be held together. "Nemo fraternitatem mendacio fallat; nemo fidei veritatem perfidâ prævaricatione corrumpat; epif copatus eft unus; cujus a fingulis in folidum pars tenetur.". CYPR. de Unit. Eccl. § 4.

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terial to the actual divifion of the church itfelf. This is a fallacy practifed upon the legislature.*

But there is still another fallacy attached to these feparate places of worship, which, though it may not be defigned, ought to be guarded againft. The adoption of the liturgy of the church of England ferves as a decoy to many well-meaning Chriftians; who, from their perfect ignorance with refpect to the nature of the Christian church, and the fin of schism, conclude, that if they attend the church fervice, it matters not where it is performed, or by whom; and thus become fchifmatics, without knowing that they are fo.

It may be a pofition inadmiffible in the present day, though founded upon the bafis of truth and

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By the Act of Toleration, thofe who declare themselves dif fenters from the church of England are exempted from certain penalties, on their taking certain oaths. But in the places of worfhip here alluded to, fuch as Lady HUNTINGDON'S chapel in Bath, as it is called, and others of a fimilar kind, the parties assembled are not diffenters from the church of England; for they make use of its fervices, and have at times a clergyman of the church of England for their officiating minifter; they are therefore a fort of feparatists from the church, at the fame time that they conform to it: a fallacy which, it might be hoped, no clergyman of the church of England would countenance, because it tends to defeat an object which he, as a minifter of the establishment, ought to have at heart.

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propriety, that no clergyman of the church ought to appear, much less to officiate, in any place of public worship, separated from that establishment of which he profeffes himself a minister. The fpirit of the canons is certainly exprefs to this purpose. Seeing this fubject, therefore, in the light in which I have been taught to fee it, I beg leave to suggest it to the confideration of my brethren, whether there is not a great inconfiftency in their appearing under the character of Proteftant Diffenters on one Sunday, and under that of minifters of the established church on the next: and whether, putting all other confiderations out of the question, the fingle one of not giving offence ought not to operate with them fo far as to prevent their adopting a practice, which renders their ministry less welcome to many serious members of the church; at the fame time that it tends to ;. bring the establishment into that contempt in the minds of the common people, which may prove the prelude to its deftruction.

It is not confiftent with charity to make the actions of men the decifive interpreters of their principles; because the motives by which men are impelled, are perfectly known only to that Being to whom judgment belongeth. Whether, therefore, there may or

may not be a portion of the old Corinthian leaven mixed up with this zeal for promoting God's honour in an irregular way is a point upon which I venture not to pronounce; my object being only to confider the evil confequences derivable to the establishment from the eccentric practice of its clergy; which will be the fame, let the motives by which they have been directed be what they may.

Upon this head it will be fufficient to obferve, that if the present fchifmatical practice, adopted by fome clergy, of feparating congregations from their bishops, continue to prevail; and nothing more is deemed neceffary to the establishment of a congregation upon a church plan in any place, than money to erect a building, and popular talents to fill the feats; the office both of bifhops and patrons is in a fair way to become ufelefs. And thus the building a place for public worship, which in better times was confidered a pious undertaking, having the promotion of GOD'S honour for its chief object, degenerates into a business of mercenary speculation, and like other buildings for public refort, is estimated by the probable quantum of intereft which it will produce to the proprietor. This is one of the figns of the times, and affords a ftrong proof of our living in the latter days; when the love

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is waxed cold, and when faith is a thing rare to be found in the world.

But the evil will not ftop here; for irregularity of any kind, like a bowl rolling down a declivity, seldom ftops till it is arrived at the ne plus ultra of its course.

If the clergy of the church act thus independently of the bishop, and in breach of the establishment, it is not to be expected that laymen will feel themselves under greater reftraint. Buildings will therefore be erected, and the church service performed, by perfons not in episcopal orders. * For in fuch case, who is to draw the line between the irregularity of an authorized minister, and the licence of a prefumptuous layman? If the epifcopal authority be openly difregarded by those whofe duty it is to reverence and support it, we must not be surprised, should God in judgment fuffer an establishment to be totally diffolved,

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of the excellency of which its members seem, by their conduct, to be grown infenfible.

It is to be feared, indeed, that the custom which has long fince been adopted, even under epifcopal authority, of erecting chapels at the expence of individuals for the performance of religious worship, has in fome degree led to this total feparation from it.

*A place of worship of this fort there is now open in Bath,

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