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It should feem, however, notwithstanding the growing immorality of the age, and the other alarming symptoms of our nation, that the GOVERNOUR among the armies of heaven, and the inhabitants upon earth, hath still a favour to dear old England. He is loath to give us up. The wife and vigorous measures pursued by the King and his Ministers are furely tokens for good to my country. The late very fplendid victories are propitious figns. The Alts too, for excluding fufpicious foreigners, and arming the whole nation, are mafter-pieces of found policy. Hitherto affuredly the LORD hath helped us. He hath given us a patriotic King, able Minifters, fkilful Generals, brave Soldiers, unparalleled Admirals, and gallant Sailors; above all, he hath poured out a fpirit of wreftling prayer upon large numbers of religious people. Thefe are fymptoms of the most propitious kind. But, with all thefe advantages, fince God ufually works by means, how is it poffible for any country, that is not in a conftant high ftate of preparation, to refift such a mighty armed and growing republic as France? If the people in this kingdom will nor very generally come forward, and qualify themselves for refiitance, we must ultimately fall. But, if we fhould share the fate of the other nations, there will be no just reason to accuse the Government. The war was inevitable on our part. It was, moreover, ordained of God for the fubverfion of the feat of the Beast. They have been extremely vigorous in their measures, and have done what men in their fituation could do. Let the people remember, that we live in a period, when one of God's great and afflictivė providential difpenfations is coming upon the world; a

It has been noticed on a former page, that the Pope and Mahomet rofe in or about the fame year. The former is driven from his feat exactly at the end of 1260 years. And is it not a circumftance extremely re. markable, that the very fame man, in the very fame year, thould invade the empire of the latter during a ftate of profound peace, feemingly without any reafon? We know the Turk is to fall, and we have fome caule to fuppofe the period of that catastrophe will be at no great distance from the fubverfic.n of the Pope's fecular dominion. Whether the prefent invafion of Egypt is to bring about that defirable event, a little time will fhew. I fear we fhall be on the wrong fide of the queftion, if we attempt to fupport either him or the remaining popish states, and shall suffer for our intermeddling.

difpenfation predicted for fome thousands of years; and let them fecond the endeavours of their Governours, and come forward, man, woman, and child, to defend themfelves against the common enemy, as they would againft an army of bears, wolves, and tygers; and we shall be safe under the divine protection, while that protection is afforded. But, in my opinion, every remaining popifh, fecular, and fuperftitious circumftance, which is calculated to offend the MAJESTY of HEAVEN, and to oppofe the interefts of CHRIST's kingdom*, fhould be removed from the ecclehaftical part of our Conftitution, and nothing should be left undone to engage his continued favour and protection.

The Diffenters and Methodists, I have obferved, are moving heaven and earth to promote the interefts of religion in their feveral ways, and to oppose the torrent of vice and infidelity, which is overfpreading thefe happy and heaven-favoured lands. A kind of affociation has been formed among fome of the established Clergy at Manchefser, to preach a weekly lecture in each others churches; which, no doubt, will be attended with good effect. This is a laudable effort, and fhews a proper attention to the circumstances of the timest, and fhould be followed in all

What can be more inimical to the interefts of the Gospel of CHRIST In the world, than the damnable monopoly of Charch Livings to exeremely common among all the higher orders of the Clergy in this country? More than one inftance of this nature is given in the foregoing papers. To these may be added the following. A certain clerical cha after, whom I could name, is at this time in poffeffion of 700 pounds a year private fortune. He is a tippling immoral perfon, with little or no family, befides his wife. One living he has got, at a good distance, of 600 pounds a year, befides two rectories, one of 500, the other of 350 pounds a year. At the fame time, he has obtained a Prebendary of confiderable value in one of our magnificent cathedrals. Will any wife man undertake to fay, that a Clergyman of this defcription believes the Gospel of CHRIST All fuch characters are undoubted infidels in disguise, do an infinite deal of harm to the interefts of religion in the world, and, in a well ordered ftate of things, would be degraded from their pretended facred office. Such men may cry out as loudly as they please against THOMAS PAINE and his deiftical brethren-their craft is in danger!but they themselves are much more to blame, and fhall be condemned with ten-fold confufion. Toм PAINE is a faint, when compared with fuch fellows.

+ See Mr. CLOWES's excellent Sermon, preached at St. JOHN's Church at the Commencement of the Lecture.

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populous towns. We ought every one to step out of the routine of our accustomed methods of doing good, and ftrive with peculiar energy to fave our peoples fouls from death, and our beloved country from ruin. An affociation of Proteftant Diffenters, of different denominations, has alfo been formed at Bedford. About thirty minifters in that neighbourhood are already engaged to co-operate in fpreading the knowledge of the Gospel through all the towns and villages, in that vicinity, upon the moft liberal plan. The fame kind of affociations are formed alfo in London, Kent, Dorfetfhire, Surry, Suffolk, Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyfbire, Northumberland, and will probably in a little time pervade the whole of the three kingdoms. This is good news to all that with well to the caufe of religion, without regard to fects, parties, and opinions; and may convince us, that the Gospel of JESUS wants nothing but fair play, and that human establishments, and great worldly emolu ments,, are not effentially neceffary for its fupport and propagation. The Puritans were frowned on by the government from the time of the Reformation to the days of CHARLES I. and yet they encreafed to fuch a height as to overturn both Church and State. The Diffenters have been, in fome refpects, frowned on again from the Restoration to the present time, and yet they, and the Methodists, who are in the fame predicament, are much more upon the increaset, than we of the Establishment, who are foftered by

* Confult Mr. GREATHEED's Sermon at Bedford on General Union : a valuable difcourfe.

+ It is faid the Methodists have encreased fome thousands last year. This brings to my mind an anecdote that is related of the late Rev. GEORGE WHITEFIELD, in the reign of King GEORGE II. which is, that when a certain Bishop was complaining to the King of Mr. WHITEFIELD'S great and eccentric labours, and advifing with him what fteps were beft to be taken to put a stop to his preaching, his Majesty very fhrewdly replied, "My Lord, 1 can fee no other way but for us to make "a Bishop of him. This will ftand a good chance of stopping his wild "career." If this is the recipe for curing a Clergyman of an excess of public preaching, the following prescription, given by a valuable author about thirty years ago, would have no little effect in preventing the growth and increase of Methodism," Let the Clergy live more holily, pray more fervently, preach more heavenly, and labour more dili"gently, than the Methodist minifters appear to do: then will Chriftians "flock to the churches to hear us, as they now flock to the meetings to "hear them."

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the government, attended by the nobles and gentry of the land, and fupported by the State, at the expence of near two millions a year. When fhall it once be, that the Great Ones of the world will be capable of feeing, that oppresfion, of every kind and degree, for confcience' fake, always produces an effect directly contrary to the wishes and intentions of the oppreffor?

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The villages in England alone, befides cities and market towns, are about 30,000. All thefe call upon us for every exertion to evangelize them, and to fave the peoples fouls alive. A branch off from the Methodists is likewife fpreading itself far and wide, under the direction of Mr. ALEXANDER KILHAM. At prefent they have about feventeen circuits, twenty preachers, and upwards of perfons in fociety, and are encreafing confiderably each year. Shall we then, we, the eighteen thousand Clergymen of the Etablishment, who are under fuch fuperior obligations, many of whom are paid by the State,, at the rate of fome hundreds, and others at the rate of fome thousands a year; fhall we be all asleep, fit ftill, and purfue no peculiarly vigorous measures, each one in our own fphere, or various of us in concert, till deftruction come upon us to the uttermoft*? Is not the time nearly arrived for the fubverfion of the nations? And can any thing under heaven prevent our fharing in the common fate of Christendom, but a speedy and effectual return to evangelical principles and practices? Is not our fifter kingdom already deluged with blood? And is not the alarm of war in our own borders! Does not the murderous fword draw nearer and nearer every year? And fhall we Clergymen, who above all men in the kingdom are devoted to the most affured deftruction, be indifferent to circumftances? Let the very laudable conduct of the feveral zealous bodies of Chriftians in this nation, before mentioned,

It is related of the Rev. JOHN CARLYON, L. L. B. in the Gentleman's Mag. for Oct. 1798, that when his health would not permit him to refide upon the valuable Living of Bradwell, in Effex, he refolutely gave it up, and would not ferve it by a Curate, though entreated by the Bi Shop fo to do. There was not, however, in this cafe that close trial of confcientious integrity, that we have known in fome others; because Mr. CARLYON was a person of confiderable private fortune,

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not excite our rage and envy, but rather let it provoke the great body of us, the established Clergy, to jealousy and emulation. If ever there was a time when it was neceffary to awake out of fleep, and be alive to the interefts of the Gofpel, furely it is now. If our most reverend and right reverend the Archbishops and Bishops are indifpofed towards a meliorated state of the ecclefiaftical part of the conftitution, let them at leaft lay afide their affectation of pomp and fhew, come among their clergy and people, and let us an example of a warm and judicious zeal in preaching-not merely a refined morality-but the great and glorious truths of the everlasting Gospelt, in fuch a way as we can all understand and feel. This would have a ítrong tendency to animate and encourage the pious part of the Clergy in their minifterial labours for the good of mankind, and to discountenance and overawe the licentious and profane, thofe dreadful pefts of every neighbourhood, which has the misfortune to be curfed with their example. Such a reformation as this, is within the power of every Bishop upon the bench, whofe age and

See Bishop GIBSON on the Evil and Danger of Lukewarmness in Religion.

+Confult the Charge of Bishop HORSLEY in 1790, on the Truths of the Gospel.

For the various efforts that have long been making, and are at this moment still making, for the destruction of all the churches and governments in Christendom, fee those two very curious and interesting works, ROBISON's Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe, and BARRUEL's Memoirs of Jacobinijm.

Bishop NEWTON, in his three admirable volumes on the Prophecies, which were first published forty or fifty years ago, hath fpoken in terms nearly as ftrong as any of the foregoing concerning the danger the country is in because of our national iniquities. See vol. 2. p. 239.

Bishop HORNE alfo hath expreffed his fears to the fame purpose, at the. 162 page of his Sixteen Sermons; to which two able writers, I beg leave to recommend the reader.

"I fay

Bishop BURNET fpeaks on this fubject with great concern. it with great regret," fays he, "I have obferved the Clergy in all places through which I have travelled, Papifts, Lutherans, Calvinifts, and Diffenters; but of them all, our Clergy are the moft remifs in their labours in private, and the least severe in their lives. Unless a better spirit poffees the Clergy, arguments, and what is more, laws and authority, will not prove ftrong enough to preferve the church."

Own Times, vol. 4. p. p. 411, 430. health

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