new connexions to form. And so far was conforming to the Church, from being to my temporal advantage, as was insinuated, that I could easily demonstrate to any one that it was then, and has been to the present moment, the very reverse of it, and materially so too. Nevertheless, I can truly say, that no occurrence of my life is ever remembered with any thing like such feelings of unfeigned gratitude. It is to me a subject of continual praise and thankfulness to the blessed God, that ever he opened my eyes to see the unscriptural and wicked nature of the whole system of Congregational Independency, as to both its principles and practice. And I pray that it would please God in mercy, to convince the sincere and well-disposed of the Dissenters of their errors, and guide them into the truth, that by the influence of his Holy Spirit he would enable them to shake off the trammels of party; to lay aside the prejudices with which their minds are blinded, and to examine the whole matter over fairly and fully, with the single view of acknowledging and embracing that which is according to truth, regardless of consequences. For sure I am, that the result would be as in my own case, the rejection of Dissent and schism, and union with the true Apostolic Church of Christ. If they will steadily view the "Dissenting interest" as it at present exists, they will not fail to see not only that it stands on a very unsafe foundation, but that, in what they consider a spiritual point of view, it is widely different from what it once was. They will immediately discover not only that great numbers of their Congregations, be-fooled and bewitched by their Dissenting principles, have fallen headlong into the hopeless gulf of Socinianism, and that others are verging towards it; but also that most of them are fast becoming nothing more than a kind of religio-political clubs, led on by their interested Teachers, many of whom are little else than mere political demagogues, uniting with all the Radicals, Papists, Socinians, Deists, and Infidels in the country, in their hellish

attempts to overturn its sacred and civil institutions; bedazzling the ignorant and unwary with their empty oratory and tinsel eloquence, and bewildering them with their specious arguments and ridiculous sophistry, and leading them on thus infatuated to discontent, anarchy, and crime. And though in opposition to Churchmen, they are for ever hypocritically canting about" My kingdom is not of this world," they will ever be found amongst the first and foremost in coming out of that kingdom, which they say is not of this world, into that which is, and becoming the instigators of democratic scheming, and very frequently the prominent leaders of the political meetings of the radical and other common disturbers of the peace and comfort of the country. The consequence of such worldly proceedings on the part of the Dissenting Teachers is, that they lead away many of their people with them; and that Dissenters are generally cold, formal, and worldly-minded, and that what they themselves consider true and vital godliness and spiritualmindedness, are at a very low ebb amongst them and fast declining. I would, therefore, earnestly and most affectionately exhort all those amongst the Dissenters who are sincerely anxious for the welfare of their immortal souls, and desirous of living holy, righteous, godly, and peaceable lives, to adopt the course I have done, and "come out from amongst them and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing." I can assure them, as one hoping for eternal life, that they would be amply repaid and fully satisfied with that increase of real spiritual peace and solid comfort of mind, which they would enjoy in communion with the Church. They would there find no incitements to the exercise of those deadly enemies of all true godliness; I mean spiritual pride and hypocrisy, and the uncharitable spirit of rashly judging others, which constitute indeed the greater part of a Dissenter's religion. Dissent is indeed a religion of opposition and of rash judgment; the religion of a party implying and carrying upon the

very face of it, the illiberal condemnation of all those from whom it Dissents. Opposition and excitement are the very life and soul of Dissent. It is entirely upheld by them-entirely supported by continually exciting those baser passions of the human heart, envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness." Dissenters themselves hesitate not to avow, that " "pure attachment to Dissenting principles requires to be kept up in minds of a certain class by a KEEN HATRED, and now and then a LITTLE ROUND ABUSE OF THE CHURCH."* Such indeed, are the diabolical sentiments by which Dissenting Teachers are actuated, and they ought to be quite sufficient to disgust every truly pious Dissenter, and to drive him beyond the reach of their contaminating and deadly, and may I not say damning influence? In the Church, a Christian may walk on in the fear of God, and pursue the even tenor of his way with humility and in all godly sincerity-he there finds nothing to excite or foster spiritual pride or hypocrisy. If the sole object of his highest ambition be the promotion of his spiritual and eternal interests, he may there accomplish it without pride or ostentation; and having no rival to oppose, he will there find that " pure attachment to his principles does not require to be kept up by a keen hatred, and now and then a little round abuse;" he will feel that pure attachment to his own pure principles can only be kept up by pure and holy means; and that those principles which "require" such means as 'keen hatred and round abuse' to support them, are just as fiend-like as the means themselves, or they would not "require" them, and could not be served by them. Had I been told whilst a Dissenter, that I could enjoy far more true spiritual comfort and peace of mind, and real happiness, in communion with the Church than amongst the Dissenters, I should certainly not have believed it. I thought it

Eclectic Review, 1882, p. 144.

impossible, but experience, always the best teacher, has taught me that such is really the case. The true Christian may there enjoy sterling piety and vital godliness, in a degree in which he cannot possibly enjoy them amongst Dissenters. He may, I do not deny, see abuses connected with the Church, for per fection is not of earthly growth; but being extraneous and not inherent in the Church, they can in no respect affect him in a spiritual point of view, nor in any other, except he be determined to act the part of a busy-body, or an officious meddler with matters that do not particularly concern him. Whereas the abuses of Dissent naturally spring from the system itself-are inherent in it, and inseparably connected with it, and require as their only remedy 'curationem carnificis,' the cure of the hangman-the destruction of the whole system.

It seems that Dissenters themselves are beginning to see that their system is hardly as scriptural and pure as they have been accustomed to consider it, for I am glad, that almost, if not quite twenty Dissenting Ministers have lately conformed to the Church, and become steady and consistent Ministers at her heavenly altar. And it is worthy of remark, that numbers of the sons of Dissenting Ministers and wealthy Dissenters have entered the Ministry of the Established Church, and that the wealthier and more respectable part of the Dissenting Congregations are continually leaving the "Dissenting interest," and conforming to the Church. So that I would hope that a spirit of enquiry and examination is becoming more prevalent amongst Dissenters, for I know that the result would be a determination to shake off the fetters of party, and not to be led captive by the specious reasoning and empty pretences of their ignorant or interested Teachers; who, finding it far more respectable to live by preaching the money out of the pockets of their deluded victims than by honestly working for it, are the only persons benefitted by Dissent, and they would be

C

far more honourably employed at the respective handicrafts which most of them have left, than by sowing the seeds of heresy and schism in the Church of Christ.

I know it may be said that some Clergymen have left the Church, and have become Dissenting Teachers. That a few have done so is certainly true, and that they are no loss whatever to the Church, but quite the reverse of it, is equally true. Dissenters themselves say so in these words. "We have seen so much error, dogmatism, and instability marking the career of those who have of late years quitted the National Establishment, that we have begun to tremble for any Clergyman who talks of becoming a Non-conformist. It were easy to show that recent secessions have been no essential loss to the Church, and no real gain to sober, enlightened, and scriptural Dissent." Hence it appears that Dissenters themselves consider such secessions no worthy acquisition to their own ranks, and no loss whatever to the Church; and I certainly agree with them, and do think, that if all others of the same stamp, such as Messrs. Nihill, Acaster, and Riland, would act like honest and conscientious men, and leave the communion with which they (nothing to their own credit) openly avow they do not agree, the Church would be greatly benefitted. They pretend to have great affection for the Church, and I am sure they can no better manifest it than by leaving her, for they would thus do her the greatest kindness of which they are capable, whilst they hold their present opinions, and they would at the same time ease their own consciences. But whilst they devour her loaves and fishes whilst they eat of her bread, and lift up their heel against her; they are neither more nor less than the SINONS within the citadel, and ought at once to be thrown over the ramparts into the camp of the enemy. Nothing but the great Christian forbearance of the Church prevents its being done. How must Infidels

• Supplement to the Evangelical Magazine, 1832.