You, Sir, as a profeffed fupporter of that establishment of which we now boast, must feel yourself interested in this subject. You muft, moreover, be fenfible, that the fecurity which the legislature has granted to private opinion in religious matters, ought at least to prove an equal fecurity to the established opinion of the community; and that those who enjoy their own liberty in worship, ought not to be permitted either to write down, or preach down, the establishment of their country. At present, I am forry to say, that an act of indulgence granted in favour of confcientious Christians, to whom the benefit of such an act ought in all reason to be extended, is now, through abuse, become in a great degree an act of hostility against that conftitution by which it was originally granted. And I am inclined to think, that if the licentious practices that are now carrying on under the countenance of that much-abused act, shall continue increafing upon us as they have of late years, that the established church of England will be that fociety of Christians, which of all others in this country will stand most in need of protection and support.

If you as a legislator can devife any plan confiftent with true liberty, and that right of private judgment in religious matters, which must to a certain degree be

admitted, to prevent the prostitution of the Toleration Act to practices it was never defigned to countenance; if you can be inftrumental in reviving that discipline of the church, so neceffary to the effectual adminiftration of its fpiritual government; and if you can find out a way to restore to the refpectable parochial clergy that weight which their character ought to have in the scale of public estimation; you will, Sir, in a most effential degree, ferve both church and state.

The melioration of the morals of the community must depend on the joint exertions of the minister and the magistrate. What each may endeavour to do in his separate character, will be more effectually done, when both act in concert. As the object they have in view ought to be the fame, namely, the promotion of God's honour and their country's welfare, their method of promoting it ought to be regular, uniform, and confiftent. It were to be wished that the clergy had no ground for complaint on this head : but this is a fubject upon which, as a clergyman, I do not wish to enter. My only reason for introdu❤ cing it has been, to take off at least a portion of that heavy burthen, which is fo generally and unmercifully laid upon the shoulders of my brethren, as refponfible

VOL. II.

H H

for the morals of the community, by obferving, that however zealous they may be in their ministerial exertions, the state of things is fuch, that they are for the most part reduced to the neceffity of being witneffes to irregularities, and of lamenting over corrup tion, which it is no longer in their power to coun teract or prevent,

I have the honour to be,

&c. &c.

་ ་ ་

CONCLUDING LETTER.

A

SIR,

S this will probably be the last time that I fhall have the honour of a correfpondence with you, my profeffional engagements neither permitting, nor the habits of my mind difpofing me, to remain in the field of controverfy, I am defirous that every part of your late publication which challenges particular attention, should receive its answer. With this view, my purpose is to make the prefent letter fupplementary to those which have preceded it, by adding what has fince occurred in fuch points as may not already have received fufficient notice: and happy fhall I be, if any endeavours of mine, how feeble foever, may be fo fortunate as to render us, what all Chriftians fhould wish to be, of one mind, and of one judgment, on the feveral fubjects we have refpectively handled.

Your first letter (though I can readily believe, that fo far from intending it, you were not even aware of it) might be thought to have been written against the established church of this country; fince, whatever was your purpose in writing it, its effect, if it has any, must be to fupport the cause of separation from it. For when a perfon, who "avows his fincere attachment to the church of England in doctrine in conftitution, and in difcipline," admits likewise, that "they have no bad ground to ftand upon, who feparate from it; the conclufion drawn by feparatifts will be, that more is meant than meets the ear; and it is hardly poffible that improper use should not be made of it. This fubject I have thought it neceffary to enter into at large, because it conftitutes a confiderable part of the ground-work upon which your publication ftands. Some few obfervations, however, have fince occurred upon it, which feem to have no inconfiderable weight. One, which particularly recommends itself to the attention of a steady member of the church of England, as you profess you are, is to be found in the preface to the Ordination Service, in which the church of England afferts, that "it is evident unto all men, diligently reading holy fcriptures and ancient authors, that from the Apoftles' time