courts above.(2) The times and the seasons God hath reserved in his own hand. Nations do not rise and fall by chance.

"But, is there no possibility of preventing, or avoiding, the universal subversion awaiting both us, and all the other kingdoms of Europe, which constituted parts of the ancient empire?

There seems to be one way(3) and but one, in the nature of things. And what may that be? I am sorry to say that it is one, which is by no means likely to take place. It is a thorough reformation both in theory and practice; in church and state; a general reformation in the moral and religious conduct of the inhabitants of this country. For these purposes, must not religion be reduced to gospel purity and simplicity?(4) Must not the church be totally

(2) There is some reason, from the present appearance of things, to suppose, that the 1260 prophetical years must be calculated from a period somewhat earlier than the commencement of the seventh century. The year of our Lord 538 accords with the downfall of the Pope's temporal dominion, 1798.

(3) I am led to think there is still a possibility of averting our unhappy doom, from the case of Nineveh, in Jonah; and that of Jerusalem, in Jeremiah. It were happy for us, if the possibility amounted to a probability. Our safety by no means depends upon our more frequent repetition of pharisaical forms, and superstitious ceremonies, but upon our correcting what is amiss in our morals, and un-evangelical in our doctrines and ecclesiastical constitution. Was not the last Pope dethroned at the very moment he was surrounded by his cardinals, and celebrating his exaltation to the Papal chair? Was there ever a more superstitious Pope than he? Were the ancient Jews ever more strictly and superstitiously religious, than when they crucified the Lord of Glory? or, than when their temple and nation were destroyed?

(4) Consult Hartley's Observations on Man, for a more parti cular account of the fall of Establishments in Christendom. Our ecclesiastical governors would do well to weigh seriously what he hath said upon this subject, while yet there is time. But what can we expect from men who are surrounded with worldly honours, entitled to a vast patronage of livings, and tempted with

unconnected with, and separate from, the civil constitution? Must not our bishops and clergy be reduced to the scriptural standard? Jesus Christ left sole king in his own church? and human ordinances, in

near 100,000 pounds a year, to permit things to continue as they are?. He must be almost more than man, whose virtue rises above such seductions. Tillotson, Burnet, and others, will complain all is not right; will profess they wish things to be altered; but how seldom do we find a bishop or dignified clergyman, who believes the Scriptures so firmly, as to renounce all the riches and honours of this world, and to walk according to the unadulterated gospel of the Saviour of mankind? When a man is made a D. D. does not the spirit of a D. D. usually come upon him? and when a bishop, the spirit of a bishop? Though he had been ever so eager for the removal of abuses before, does he not usually endeavour to lull conscience to rest, and even become an advocate for the continu. ance of things in their present state? To be sure, he has much to lose, and little to gain, by any change that can take place; and, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." When a man has subscribed an indefinite number of times to a set of propositions, some of which he doubts, and others of which he disbelieves, it is a thousand to one, but he goes on to the end of the chapter, and sinks at last into eternal perdition, as a base prevaricator with God and conscience. If in such a case we can be in a state of safety for eternity, religion is all a farce, and it is of little consequence, with respect to the future world, whether we be Christians, or Heathens, Jews or Mohammedans. God requireth truth in the inward parts!

The civil part of the British constitution is also capable of considerable improvement. Every thing of both kinds, however, might easily be accomplished by the endeavours of our legislature. Do not the criminal laws of the country stand in need of revisal? Let any man judge of the truth of this, when it is considered that we have upwards of 160 offences punishable with death.

The jurisprudence of the country also seems to want reform in a variety of respects. The court of chancery is enormously tedious and expensive. Do not the other departments of the law also need much reform? In Middlesex alone, in 1793, the number of bailable writs and executions for debts, from ten to twenty pounds, amounted to no less than 5,712, and the aggregate amount of the debts sued for, to 81,791 pounds. The costs of these actions, although made up and not defended at all, would amount to 68,728 pounds-And if defended, the aggregate expence to recover 81,791 pounds, must be no less than 285,920 pounds! being considerably more than three times the amount of

things sacred, give way to divine prescriptions ?Without these great moral and religious changes, can we expect to be preserved from the general wrec k of Europe? And whether these changes are likely to take place among us let any cool and impartial ob server judge. Should not our bishops and clergy see these things, and zealously attempt a reformation in the ecclesiastical constitution of the country, and among the great body of the people? Should they not universally cry aloud and not spare; and sound the trumpet in God's holy mountain? Should we not all set ourselves in good earnest to stem the torrent of iniquity, which overflows these happy lands, and threatens to involve us in one general calamity? The time is come. God hath sent forth the sword among the nations, and it is reformation or ruination. (5) With

the debts sued for and defended.—At present, the rule is to allow the same cost for forty shillings, as for 10,000 pounds.-Why are these abuses permitted to continue? Is not the case but too clear? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint: from the soal of the oo even unto the head there is no soundness among us.

(8) Porteus, Benson, Watson, Horsley, Paley, and others, in vain contend in favour of the gospel of Christ, while they them-. selves, are, by their conduct, the grand supporters of our ecclesi astical hierarchy, with all its corruptions. If they wish effectually to serve their country, and the cause of humanity, they should apply their abilities to reduce the national religion to the pure standard of the gospel. But what can we expect, when men's eyes are blinded and their hearts bribed, by worldly honours and preferments? Abundance of persons in the church of Rome have seea, and do now see the abuses and corruptions of that churchfather Paul in the last age, Geddes and Berrington in the present, but they cannot prevail on themselves to quit their stations; so some persons with us have long seen the abuses, and unevangelical traits of our own church, and yet they make themselves easy, by writing in defence of the immortal cause of christianity, while the vessel in which they themselves are embarked, will be dashed against the rocks. If one man has a right to prevaricatę and subscribe what he does not believe, why has not another? Though of sentiments in religion very different, I must say, that Lindsey, Jebb, Hammond, Disney, and others, who have sacri ficed their preferments to the peace of their own minds, are ho

out this it may be declared by the authority of the word of the Lord, that as soon as the predicted 1260 years are accomplished, we shall be swept with the besom of destruction. For thus saith the infallible

nourable men, and deserving of all praise. But can we say the same of those clergymen, who go on subscribing and swearing to various particular propositions, which they know and believe to be wrong.

Chillingsworth's conduct has had a considerable effect in recon ciling the clergy to subscribe to doctrines which they avowedly do not believe. For he declared, in a letter to Sheldon, that, "if he subscribed, he subscribed his own damnation," and yet in no long space of time, he actually did subscribe to the articles of the church again and again! I.ord! what is man!

The salvo by which he and some other clergymen get over their scruples, is, to subscribe the 39 articles as articles and terms of peace. This is a shameful evasion, and inconsistent with common honesty. At this rate, a man in Italy may subscribe Pius's creed; in Turkey the Koran of Mohammed; or in a Jewish government, the Talmud of the Rabbins.

I have been struck with a similar sentiment in Paine's Age of Reason; and here at least I agree with him, though we differ, toto cœlo, upon almost every thing where the Sacred Writings are concerned: It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to subscribe his professional belief of things which he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime. He takes up the trade of priest for the sake of gain, and to qualify himself for that trade, he begins with perjury. Can we conceive any thing more destructive of morality

than this."

This subject is considered in a very serious point of view by Burnet, only he applies it to our declaring that we are moved by the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel.

A clergyman of our church hath said-"If any one asks, what the expressions in Scripture, regenerate-born of the Spiritnew creatures, mean?-We answer, that they mean nothing! nothing to us!-nothing to be found, or sought for, in the present circumstances of christianity."-This gentleman knows that these declarations of his are extremely different from the doctrines of the church of England, and yet since he published these sentiments, he has subscribed more than once, and as far as appears, would subscribe again and again, if two or three more good preferments should fall in his way.

Oracle:" Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them.' The four empires and ten kingdoms, as they are now constituted, shall, along with the whore of Babylon, be swept from the face of the earth, and be known no more at all, in their present forms. And what shall be the issue? Afflictive as the change may be, the end shall prove glorious. "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." All people, nations, and languages, shall serve the Redeemer of mankind in the true spirit and power of his religion. "His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the

My indignation compels me to say, that a body of clergy of that description-however learned, ingenious, and worthy they may be in other respects-deserve extirpation from the face of the earth; and if there be a judgment to come, our doom shall be uncommonly severe. The Scripture declares, all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. And. what more solemn lie can there be, than subscribing our names, that we believe a number of propositions, which in our consciences we judge to be false? unless it be that other declaration, "we trust we are moved by the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel," when we do not believe there is any Holy Ghost, but laugh at every preten sion of the sort as Methodism and enthusiasm? If the Lord be a God of knowledge by whom actions are weighed, we prevaricating parsons shall have a sad account to give another day. We may keep up our heads a few years now, while in possession of two or three good livings, and the world smiles upon us, but the day of darkness is at no great distance, when nothing but integrity and conscious uprightness will stand us in any stead; and when the clergy become generally prevaricators with their solemn subscriptions, the fate of the English church is determined.