never allow that his defence of dissenters is injudicious, or that he has injured their cause by it: even admitting, what cannot be proved, and what, if proved, would be but as a feather in the balance, that the offence taken at the free dom of Dr. Priestley's language, might operate as one reason amongst others with the legislature, to reject the application of te dissenters for the repeal of the test-laws.`

After having thus laboured to represent Dr. Priestley as having made by his writings as many unbelievers as converts; as having taken no inconsiderable pains to lessen not only the personal dignity of Christ, but his moral excellence and his qualifications as a teacher sent from God; as one whose writings have produced a very unhappy effect in lessening people's reverence for the sacred scriptures; as having injured the cause of the dissenters by his injudicious defence of it, and strengthened the church establishment by his violent attack upon it; my worthy friend thinks fit to conclude his account, with what consistency he best knows, by bearing testimony to Dr. Priestley as one of the greatest and best of men :" because, good man!" he was very inoffensive in his manners in private life, and his character unimpeachable." I also think with my friend that Dr. Priestley was one of the greatest and best of men: but for a reason somewhat different. With an acuteness of discernment, an energy of character, and a comprehension of mind peculiarly his own, inspired with an ardent love of truth, and animated by a commanding sense of duty, Dr. Priestley devoted his extraordinary powers through the course of a long life, with the most active and disinterested zeal, to the investigation of philosophical, moral and christian' truth to the latter of which, all his other pursuits were made subservient. And having succeeded beyond all his contemporaries in the object of his researches; from an earnest desire to instruct and benefit his fellow creatures, he published to the world the result of his enquiries, with a simplicity of manner, with an invincible courage, and with a force of argument, which has never been execeded, and the effect of which in exciting the attention of mankind to the most important truths surpassed all expectation. He has thus, by the blessing of divine providence, kindled a light which will never be extinguished, and has achieved a triumph which shall transmit with renown, the name of the enlightened advocate, and undaunted confessor of pure christianity to generations yet unborn. Sana posteritas.sciet.

But my good friend has not yet done with the Unitarians. He alleges against them another, and a most extraordinary charge. The followers of Mahomet," says he, (p. 81,) "I believe, entertain a higher respect and veneration for their supposed prophet, than some of the disciples of Jesus do for their Lord and Master."-They do-and it might have been added, that the papists entertain a higher veneration for the blessed Virgin, whom they call the Mother of God, and for St. Anne, the grandmother of God, and even for holy Dominick, the sainted founder of the tribunal of the Inquisition, than Unitarians do for Jesus Christ. For they worship these poor, sinful, deceased mortals; but Unitarians do not worship Christ-And what then? Shall it be said that Papists and Mahometans are more to be commended than Unitarian christians?

But the worthy author does not stop here. After the notable accusations already mentioned, as though he had proved that Unitarians themselves, thought more highly of Mahomet than they do of Christ; he launches out into a comparison of the characters of the true and of the false prophet. "But oh!" says he," how different were their characters, &c." My friend knows that the Unitarians have no more respect for Mahomet than he has. Nor do I believe that he intended to insinuate that they have. But his language is such as would naturally leave that impression upon the mind of the unreflecting reader. And the connexion of the observation is scarcely discernible upon any other supposition. It is, however, no doubt imputable, not to evil design, but to that confusion of ideas, which, I am sorry to observe, too generally pervades my friend's treatise which the principal, if not the only thing, clearly and unequivocally expressed, is a determined hostility to the Unitarian doctrine, that is, in my estimation, to the plain and express doctrine of the christian scriptures.

Hackney, June 5, 1807.

SIR,

I am, Sir, &c.

YORK ACADEMY.

T. BELSHAM.

To the Editor of the Monthly Repository..

in

Ir gives me the most sincere pleasure to see the attention of the Dissenting public excited through the medium

of your valuable Magazine, to the interests of the York Academy; for I am persuaded that nothing can be more important to the promotion of religion and virtue than the support of an establishment so faithfully and ably conducted, and which has for its leading object the instruction of our youth in those rational principles of genuine christianity, which can alone form a barrier, in this enlightened philosophic age, against the inroads of scepticism and infidelity. As an old man, Mr. Editor, may I be allowed the privilege of descanting a little more at large upon this subject?

The christian world, divided and subdivided as it has long been, into innumerable sects and parties, may yet, like the medical, be separated into two grand divisions-the emperics, and the regular practitioners. Under the former, I class all those, from whatever high antiquity they may date their origin, who attach the hope of salvation to the peculiar opinion or system of opinions which they them selves may happen to hold; and this, whether connected or unconnected with a holy life; and I think, Mr. Editor, will you with me, that the term is not inappropri agree ate. These, as might be expected, are much more mu merous, and attract to their standard a far greater crowd of adherents than their opponents; a phenomenon, for which a great variety of causes might be assigned, but I shall content myself with merely mentioning the following.

The emperic teachers not only save their disciples the painful labour of thinking for themselves, but being with out exception, professors of the knowall philosophy as opposed to that of the searchers, affect a high tone of authority, assuuning, that their system alone is efficient to conduct the way-faring pilgrim to the promised land. Thus you will observe the leaders of that immense multitude. whom no man can number," arranged beneath the dome of a majestic cathedral, (the boast and admiration of suecessive ages,) administering their nostrums enveloped in the mystery of contradictory articles, absurd confessions and dark metaphysical creeds," the which if a man do not firmly believe, he shall without doubt perish everlastingly.". You will see also that other daily-increasing party dispensing a Shibboleth of their own with no less confidence; equally incapable of being understood, but necessary nevertheless to be firmly believed, and which rests the proof of its

efficyency on the extraordinary physical effects produced by it on the animal frame of the sincere convert.

The regular practitioner on the contrary, reposes no confidence in charms and incantations, but proceeds steadily in the sober track of careful experiment; he trusts nothing to hypothesis, but patiently examines the scriptures of truth, and having faithfully endeavoured to ascertain their real meaning, presumes not to make any promises which they do not certainly authorize. Now, Mr. Editor, we, who call ourselves rational dissenters, are, if I mistake not, of this latter number, and if throughout the kingdom there is but one academy, (for I dare not venture at present to call it a college) where our youth can be educated on these principles, is it nothing to us whether it shall be firmly and effectually supported? The Emperics have their schools, their academies, and their colleges in all parts of the world :Among them there is no want of zeal to spread and perpetuate their fanciful opinions, and are ours less important because they admit of demonstration?

Mr. Editor, when the Scriptures shew me a man alive from the dead, when they point out by his example the road which I must pursue to attain the like blessedness, I comprehend their meaning-my heart is stimulated to farther attainments in holiness-my spirit is comforted-I rest upon the Rock of ages,"-and look forward with humble triumph, to glory, honour, and immortality! What is it to me that old age approaches? That I am hastening quickly towards that goal which humanity cannot pass? That my sun, sinking low in its horizon, throws daily across my path the lengthened shadows of many a departed year gone by into eternity? What is all this to me? Christ my exemplar was dead and is alive again, and lives for evermore! And shall I be indifferent whether those who are to succeed me, when they too arrive on the confines of the grave, shall enjoy a like privilege?

But our sons, Mr. Editor, subject early to far different influences and associations, will never become sincere believers in empiricism; there is then but this alternative, either we must provide Seminaries for them where they may be faithfully instructed in the simple principles of genuine christianity, or we abandon them at once without fear or restraint to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life," to that world of seducing temptations, where, aban

doned by hope, the victims of scepticism and infidelity are daily shipwrecked.

Wishing success to your very useful and important publication,

I am, Sir,

Your constant reader,

A. BEREAN.

OBSERVATIONS ON ONE OF FOSTER'S ESSAYS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Repository.
SIR,

Ir seems a little out of date to send Remarks upon a book which has now been published some time. But, the fact is, that the following observations upon the last of Mr. Foster's Essays, were written upon reading that Essay soon after the appearance of the book. Since that time they have lain by unnoticed in my desk, till accidentally meeting with them the other day, it occurred to me that they might possibly be of some little use if sent to your valuable Repository: you will of course exercise your own judgment about the insertion of them. Before I make those Few observations which it is my intention to offer, I must premise that in my opinion, the whole work bears evident marks of talent, and that much credit is due to the Author for the independence of his spirit, and the openness and candour of his disposition. The Essay to which I am now to refer, bears this remarkable title" On the aversion of Men of Taste to Evangelical Religion." On reading this title, my first object was to discover what is meant by "Men of Taste;" and I find that Mr. F. means persons whose "feelings accord with a literary or philosophical standard." In other words "Men of Taste" means literary and philosophical men, and consequently men of judgment, who are most capable of discerning the truth or falsehood of any proposition. Of such men, a remarkable fact then is here stated, that they do entertain an aversion to what is called Evangelical Religion*. Now, Sir, is not this a strong argument against it? Must it not be granted that if men of literature, philosophy and judgment, object to christianity in a particular form, this is, prima facie, evidence that that form cannot be the right one?

It is scarcely worth while to dispute about the right which they have to the -term Evangelical, who now generally assume it, although I certainly think that they have the least claim to it who take all their peculiar doctrines not from the Evangelists, but from the Epistles. Their religion would therefore with much greater propriety be called Epistolary or Epistolical religion.