of God; and if, again, it was foretold under the Jewish, that kings and queens should be its nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers; it cannot be too much to affirm, that the predictions and practices of those times, coupled as they are with the positive requirements of religion and morality, positively demand that it should be so still. Sound scriptural views, I say, require this, as also does the wonderful harmony observable throughout the whole economy of the universal church, just now pointed out. Here we have an agreement as scriptural, as it is reasonable and satisfactory; and, what is perhaps still more to our purpose, as far removed from the first principles, necessary appointments, and consequences of Dissent, as light is from darkness, as heaven is from earth: leaving it quite out of the power of any sane mind to suppose, that such principles had ever any thing like part or lot in this matter.

I have shewn that revealed religion does teach that Christian kings, rulers, and governors, are bound in their public capacities and characters, as such, to disseminate and maintain the public and national profession and cultivation of Christianity: that the orders of bishops," priests, and deacons, in the ministry, are of divine appointment, and have so been recognized from the very first planting of Christianity down to the present day: that pre-composed forms of prayer have always existed, and were in public use probably from the times of the

7 My respected opponent has in one place charged me with the "unworthy attempt to conciliate those who never will be conciliated; men possessed of dignity and power," &c. (p. 100, "Rejoinder"). I will only say in reply, that I am quite sure the Christian feelings of his heart will, upon being reminded of this, suggest that it was not well done. When he knows me better, I believe he will see that it is a principle with me to flatter no man, and to offend no man, except only where a conscientious adherence to the truth may give offence.

egress, down to the present day: and that Dissenters themselves recognise them in principle, and adopt them partially in practice: that the objections brought against our appointments and usages are, as to theory, groundless; and, as far as they apply to practices,-properly named abuses, that is, departures from our system--they are ill-directed.

The manner in which I have, on my part, conducted this inquiry, will not, I trust, be deemed either desultory, rash, or disrespectful. My sole object has been to arrive at truth in principle. I have not intentionally concealed any thing from my opponent; nor have I, to the best of my knowledge, exercised any thing like mental reservation. That abuses have existed, and do still exist, among us, I have never denied; nor have I, when it was right to mention them, treated them, as my respected friend has very erroneously stated, with any thing like tenderness. I have not, indeed, gone out of my way for the purpose of accusing either this or that individual, because I was of opinion that such a course would not advance my objects. If, indeed, my opponent had taken that line of argument, it would then have been my business to consider, whether it were right, or not, to enter into controversy with him. But, as he has not done this, I conceive I have done no more than it was my duty to do, in adhering strictly to the question of principle and system: in exposing error in principle, on the one hand, and in defending a system in itself scriptural, on the other. I leave it now to those who are ingenuous enough fairly to examine, and have moral courage enough to adopt, what scriptural truth actually requires, to give such judgment on the whole as to them shall seem fair and equitable.

After what has now been said and proved, I believe I am entitled to affirm, as to the question about abuses,

that, of the means mercifully placed within our hands as men, both for our temporal and spiritual welfare, systematical Dissent-the monster which I have been combating-is the greatest possible abuse: for these reasons, First, its natural tendency is to stifle and quench the best feelings of the Christian heart, to cripple the exertions of the human intellect, to abridge its real liberty, and to diminish its legitimate range of inquiry and of usefulness. Secondly, it necessarily divides and alienates man from man under the shallow pretence of erecting an Eutopia, as chimerical as it is hopeless and impossible to realise. In this attempt it breaks the unity of the church, administers strength to infidelity, divides and fritters away in party feeling the best energies of the best, and gives force and effect to the worst, of the worst of men; and, while it professes to give new life and freedom to all, the generally visible effects of its operation are, the infliction of disabilities, in many cases of poverty; a division, and consequent diminution of national strength and national enterprise, of brotherly love, neighbourly kindness, affection, and forbearance: and substitutes for these a claim to spiritual superiority, theological rancour, endless disputes, dissensions, and a never-ending and barbarising system of separation and schism.

If other proof were wanting, I might say, Contemplate the excited state of Dissenters for the last two years. Whence did all this originate? Was it not on the part of Dissenters? Did the Established Church interfere with them in any case? I certainly know of none. They declare it is not its endowments that they want; which may fairly be granted, although, as already remarked, they are in controversy with each other on questions of this nature. No; they are pained, because we are in bondage. Our sinful connection with the

state-which, however, the scriptures will justify, and which they are, in certain cases, willing enough to adopt -is, they think, cause quite sufficient to stimulate them to try every means for our national deliverance! Then, again, they are oppressed by our hierarchy with the heavy tax of church-rates, which involves their nevertheless ample voluntary system in poverty, and their preachers in all but destitution!

In America, indeed, they can contemplate a much better state of things-liberty and life. In that glorious country Christianity is publicly and nationally rejected! The nation, as such, refuses there to serve the Lord Christ; they will not have him to rule over them: and the glorious consequence is, Socinianism dispersed throughout its population, poverty in its preachers, and spiritual destitution in hundreds of its districts, constitute its distinguishing character and badge. It appears desirable, therefore, that their republicanism in religion, at least, should be transferred to our shores, and that under its benign influences our theology, our taste, literature both sacred and profane, science, arts, manufactures, and manners, should receive their last and finishing touch!

Again, if it be said that our rich endowments, our high prizes, &c. so well calculated to allure the cupidity of men, and to make us any thing but spiritual, have so effectually roused the indignation of Dissent in this country; To what is to be ascribed an indignation, by no means less bitter, also called forth from among the Dissenters of Scotland, against the comparatively poor and unalluring Church of that country? Here, too, we have no bishops exercising their high-flying lordly authority, or revelling in ungodliness, luxury, and wealth; yet the persecution is equally fierce there; because, forsooth, Dissenters are sure that no nation, as such, ought to uphold the religion of Christ, or to allow that it should

be permanently established and honoured! And here, no doubt, as it has always been the case with the Romanists, a necessary consequence of unscriptural views -their sole object is-no matter what the means employed may be-the salvation of their less free and less enlightened neighbours!

To what, I again ask, is all this to be ascribed? Not to the men certainly; not to the persons, generally, of either English or Scotch Dissenters; for no one is ignorant, I believe, that, for energy in the prosecution of every thing else, for virtue and patriotism of every description, they are inferior to none. It is only when they act and write under the influence of that unscriptural guide, that worst of abuses, and most paralyzing of human ailments, Dissent, that all their energies are misguided, their mental powers obscured, their kindly feelings frozen and chained down, and their brotherly affections dried up and withered! And in no one is this more apparent, than in the person of my respected and venerated opponent. When unbound by the iron-hand of this earthborn monster, I will say,-and I rejoice in being able to do So, for I know that I have truth on my side-there is not a virtue to which he cannot lay the best and highest claim; not a feeling by which human nature can be raised, or human ignorance and human misery put to flight, that does not reign in all its fulness in his heart. On the subject of our Lord's divinity, his writings stand almost unrivalled: the cause was strong and good: it afforded scope for his energies, matter calculated to call forth the best and warmest of his feelings; and his success has been as great, as his course was bright and clear. It is when he writes on Dissent alone; when he labours to recommend that which is as foreign to the word of God, as it is ill-calculated to benefit man, that his strength is found to fail, and the "sun-shine" of his