a of any means to mislead the house upon this subject; if the act was wrong, there could be no justification; if right, let ministers come to their trial, after laying before the house all the information they possessed. Ministers had justified the expedition to Copenhagen upon grounds which they now abandon they now say they knew long ago, of the hos tile mind of Denmark. There were so many different reasons urged, that it was difficult to ascertain the true one: they had told several different stories, and had alleged, upon record, grounds, which were not only morally but physically impossible. They had said that it was after the treaty of Tilsit they had discovered the intention of forming hostile confederacy against this country; and then they said it was long before the treaty. Which was their justification? Before the battle of Friedland nothing was heard of this; that battle took place on the 14th of June; the armistice was signed on the 21st. ratified on the 24th; the conference on the Niemen took place on the 25th; and the treaty was signed on the 7th of July. How was it possible, therefore, that ministers could have information to enable them to take the King's pleasure on the 19th of July? For his own part, he believed the whole story about the secret articles at Tilsit, which ministers had put into the sacred mouth of his Majesty, was a pretence. It was, he thought, quite impossible that such intelligence should reach ministers, through Portugal or through Ireland, as had been pretended; and therefore he believed the whole to be a falsehood! As to the ground of pretence that France was hostile to this country, and therefore was determined to confederate all the powers of the North against us -an argument he was sorry to hear bandied from both sides of the house; it surely could be no ground for surprise, that after we had repeatedly contrived to league all the powers of the any justified the Danish expeditio ing the arguments of Mr. Car A division took place, w appeared for the motion 108 it 253. LIST OF THE MINO Abercromby, Hon.J. Knapp, Knox, H Lloyd, J Laing, I Lambe, Lambto Lawrend Leach, Lefevre, Macdon Madock Mahon, Markba Martin, Mathew Maule, Milbank Miller, Milton, Moore, Friday, Feb. 5. Mr. Hase, from the bank of England, presented accounts from the commissioners for reducing the national debt, stating the receipt and application of 9,700,000l. for that purpose, for the last year; together with the sum of 2,400,000l. for the next ensuing quarter. The third reading of the American treaty bill was postponed till Monday. Mr. Perceval moved, that the orders of his Majesty in council, respecting, neutral trade, be referred to the committee of ways and means. Lord H. Petty immediately rose, and observed, that as serious doubts were entertained of the legality of these orders, he considered it as the indispensable duty of ministers to have these doubts removed, by shewing to the house, in the first instance, their necessity, and then by applying for an indemnity bill against the unconstitutional exercise of them. He contended, that the orders in council violated the ministers who issued that o tend, that those which, d it only hy being more eff violations of the laws of r the municipal law of the I policy, he observed, consi protection they afforded t merce, and in the inconvenie tress which the enemy must from their operation. But related to a state of peace as in both cases their viol measure of expediency, an by the King's war preroga interests of America, he said interests of this nation, and and believed that the presen council would not interrupt t intercourse between the two Mr. Windham, Dr. Law Arthur Pigot, and Mr. Ed in condemning the orders in The Master of the Rolls with the Chancellor of the in his view of those measu question was carried without The house then went into a tee of ways and means, in w Chancellor of the Exchequer certain duties on foreign pr ported from England; and he that the resolutions would be and laid before the house.-A to Monday. MISCELLANIES, CORRESPONDENCE, &c. DIALOGUE BETWEEN A CLER GYMAN AND A QUAKER. [Continued from page 371 of Vol. II.] Clergyman. Of all people I think the Quakers have the least pretence to glory in their poverty. Quaker. Thou seemest by this to aim at being severe, but I feel it not. Our moderate wealth effect of our honest industr we are not ashamed of it. C. As well you might, if y it by your preaching. Q. I do not find that the ashamed, and yet thy income this way. C. Then you make con sons? Q. Assuredly no; thy motives and our's are not akin. C. I warrant you preach by the spirit. Q. How preachest thou? by the sheet? C. I read my sermons, to avoid incoherences. Q. Thou needest not, hadst thou the Spirit; it would help thy infirmities... C. Does the Spirit help you to your low language, and your silly repetitions? Q. If repetitions are silly, why shuttest not thou thy Common Prayer book, which aboundeth therein? And as to your language, if the Spirit were a dealer in style, why doth Paul write such bad Greek, as the learned say? But I can tell thee, we have many men amongst us, who preach in as decent language, and as free from tautologies, as any that thou canst read out of thy note-book. I could mention the different efficacy too, and the manifest disinterest edness of our preachers; but I spare thee. C. Spare me! I fear you not, Q. Why, truly, nor I thee, since thou defiest me. I have found thee no terrible adversary, which may not be the fault of the man. Thy bishop would not do better, though his pay is greater. C. It is too true, he could not: reason is thrown away upon you, and such as you.. Q. To deal freely with thee, as I am not the richer, so neither art thou the poorer, for any reason thou hast thrown away upon me. C. Where men pretend to the Spirit, it is in vain to argue with them. Q.Then why dost thou ? But especially why floutest thou the Spirit? C. I hope there is a wide difference between the Spirit of God and the spirit of enthusiasm. Q. Doubtless there is; but I would be glad to hear thee explain the difference. C. The same difference as between" a good understanding and a wild hotTM imagination. 2. Thy words sound well, but thy reasoning is naught. Is not the gospel above the best understanding? and was it not to the Greek philolosophers foolishness? They had as much sense as thou or thy bishop, and knew their own language better; but could not comprehend the incarnation and crucifixion of ChristTM the Lord, nor original sin and the resurrection. The light of the Spirit hath therefore no analogy with the natural understanding; as you yourselves contend, when you would confute or punish people for following their reason, and departing from your systems. I must tell thee too," that the spirit warmeth both the heart and the imagination; for which cause Festus reckoned Paul mad, and the first christians sought martyrdom.” And if→→→→ C. Be shorter; we see you can preach. . Q. If I do, 'tis truth without tythes, and can but half offend tliee. C. Mighty witty! I just mentioned preaching, and presently tythes' must be brought in for company. Q. Why, dost thou like them asunder? C. Fiddle faddle, what has all this to do with enthusiasm ? Q, Nothing; and wherefore didst thou begin it? I have shewn thee thy weak reasoning about enthusiasm. What sayest thou in answer? C. That the Quakers are enthusiasts. Q. And givest no reason. Is it thus thou convincest gainsayers, and edifiest thy flock? C. My flock won't come to you for edification. Q. It is well for thee that they de not. But to keep thee to the point, if I can; I tell thee, that we are no enthusiasts, and I will give thee a reason. We pretend to no more of the Spirit than influences our ac tions, and our actions are sober and rational. Hast thou found in me the speech and wild behaviour of an enthusiast? C. You have no ill knack at prating. Q. Friend, my prating costeth no man any thing. C. Though 'tis enriched with the Spirit. Q. I thank thee; thou givest a reason why it should cost nothing. The Spirit is not bought nor sold, nor are the works of the Spirit: wherefore he neither receives fees, nor claimeth dues. Simon Magus, who traded in conjuration and spells, was profanely for making a commodity of the Holy Ghost, and offered money for him, doubtless with a design to make more. Thou knowest his doom; and yet, friend, there are many Simon Magus's in the world; yea, worse than Simon Magus. There be many who raise great revenues out of the Spirit; yea, and have him not. C. Who goes from the point now? Q. I do not. I feared thou wouldest think me too much in the point. We were speaking of the Spirit. C. Which you think you have. How do you know it? Q. There is but one way. I feel him. C. But how shall I be satisfied of that? Q. The same way; thou must first feel him too. C. So say all the enthusiasts in the world. Q. Friend, are all who have the Q. How dost thou distinguish ? Q. Thou sayest well. Now by what work of ours do we appear to be enthusiasts? We are sober in society, sober in our families. We fear God, and have an awful reve`rence for his name and power, and for this we continually read the scriptures which testify of him; insomuch that, for this our love to the bible, some of thy brethren laugh us to scorn, and scoffingly say, that we are bible-mad. We fast and we pray in private, and preach and pray in our religious assemblies, and we have universal charity. We open our purses cheerfully for the support of the public; we are dutiful subjects, and meddle not in factions; we maintain all our own poor, and contribute not the less to thine; and even the clergy have part of our substance. Seest thou in this true character the marks of enthusiasm ? C. You indeed maintain a fair outside. Q. Canst thou see farther? C. I can see your ghostly hummings and hawings. Q. Is it not as easy for thee to call them sighs and groans, which cannot be uttered; whereof thou must have read, but seemest not to understand? C. Why, who can understand the use of f your silent meetings? Q. We do, and thou mayest. Friend our devotion and holy exercises are not taken out of a book, but begin first at the heart; and when the heart dictateth not, we speak not. Our godliness is not performed like a play, by rehearsal. C. This is a villanous reflection upon the Common-Prayer. Q. Thou makest it then. I am only defending the religious worship of the people called Quakers; and I have defended it. I do not revile thy church exercise: why revilest thou me ? votion that is paid to God, and warranted by the Scriptures. I find no fault with thine; only it is not meet for me, who find more fervency in my own, and more edification. And what is the end of devotion but edification? C. Yes, the glory of God. God is not glorified, where men are not edified.. Hence every man must glorify God his own way. C. What, in an erroneous way ?`.. Q. Those are words. No man errs who pleaseth God; who is, doubtless, pleased with our best endeavours to please him. Knowest thou any better rule? C. Yes, the rule of certainty. Q. This is certainty. Other certainty than this is not found amongst men, who must all answer for themselves; and therefore must all worship God as each thinks best. C. Which would introduce a tho rough anarchy in worship. Q. So there is in faces; and what harm ensueth? God made faces different; canst thou make them uniform? C. No; but minds are different from faces. The mind may be altered by reasoning. Q. Sometimes for the worse, as well as the better; and so may faces be altered by good or bad keeping. But thou mayest depend upon it, minds will always vary as infinitely as faces; and for aught I know, more, as their substance is more delicate and quick, and knoweth no particular figure and dimensions. C. There is, however, no harm in reasoning with them. Q. I concur with thee, if that reasoning be free from deceit, the next worst thing to violence, which ought never to be employed about the mind, which it can never change. C. But in case of obstinacy and disobedience, what remedy is there? Q. None. God only can judge the heart; which he only can see. Thou mayest think me obstinate: but I declare sincerely I am not; and thou in charity oughtest to believe me. If thou dost not, thou art not a good christian; and if thou wouldest punish me, thou art nó christian. I do not think that thou art obstinate, and adherest to opinions which thou dislikest; and I would not hurt a hair of thy head, no, not though I thought thee obstinate. C. This is plausibly said; but God keep me out of thy power. Q. I desire not to have thee in my power: I know the frailty of human nature, and the deceitfulness of power, which perhaps I might abuse. Wherefore I would neither have thee in mine, nor be myself subject unto thine. C. Ay, but you are only a private Q. And is not this manifest civil power? C. Yes, in its effect. Q. Then it is in effect, and in truth, and entirely civil power, which christianity is a stranger unto; and which is an enemy to christianity, when it meddleth therewith. C. How are we not all subject to the laws of the church? Q. To the laws of Christ, if thou |