nanimous maxim, " in no circumstances to despair of the commonwealth."

It must not be omitted, that the bill for the enlargement of the Toleration Act in the courfe of the prefent feffion again paffed the Houfe of Commons by a prodigious majority, and was again rejected by the Lords. The debate in the Upper House was on this occafion illumined by a ray of genius fuddenly emanating from the Earl of Chatham.

Dr. Drummond, Archbishop of York, having in a virulent fpeech ftigmatized the Diffenting Minifiers as "men of clofe ambition;" Lord Chatham faid, this was judging uncharitably, and whoever brought fuch a charge against them without proof BEFAMED." Here he paused: but, feeling the workings of a generous and indignant enthusiasm, he thus proceeded:" The Diffenting Ministers are reprefented as men of clofe ambition-they are fo, my Lords, and their ambition is to keep close to the College of Fishermen, not of Cardinals; and to the doctrine of infpired Apoftles, not to the decrees of interefted and afpiring Bishops-THEY contend for a Spiritual Creed and Spiritual Worfhip; we have a Calviniftic Creed, a Popish Liturgy, and an Arminian Clergy*. The Reforma

tion

It is well known that the English Liturgy is taken chiefly from the Catholic Mafs Book, nor does this at all detract from

tion has laid open the Scriptures to all-let not the Bishops fhut them again. Laws in fupport of ecclefiaftical power are pleaded for, which it would fhock humanity to execute. It is faid that reli

gious fects have done great mifchief when they were not kept under reftraint; but hiftory affords no proof that fects have ever been mifchievous when they were not oppreffed and perfecuted by the ruling Church."

An end was at length put to the feffion, which had now continued more than feven months, by a fpeech from the Throne, in which his Majesty expreffed to the two Houfes his high approbation of the zeal, affiduity, and perfeverance with which they had applied themselves to the very important business which had been recommended to their attention.

its great and acknowledged merit as a devotional composition. But its origin is too evidently difcernible in the authoritative Papal form of abfolution, the vain and perpetual repetition of the Gloria Patri, and the folemn invocations of the TRINITY, which, faith Luther," is a word of ftrange found, and of mere human invention- it were better to call Almighty God GOD than TRINITY." And Calvin still more explicitly declares, " I like not this prayer, O holy, bleffed, and glorious TRINITY!-it favors of barbarifm. The word TRINITY is unintelligible, profane, grounded upon no teftimony of God's word-the POPISH GOD unknown to the Prophets and Apoftles." It is remarkable that the greatest geniuses which this country has produced, BACON, MILTON, Locke, NEWTON, CLARKE, &c. have concurred in the rejection of this dogma of the popular and orthodox Creed.

This

This may be confidered as the most brilliant æra of Lord North's adminiftration. Supported by vast parliamentary majorities, and the general concurrence of the nation, he had carried into complete effect a plan of government and reform for India, the vigor of which was apparent, while experience only could prove its deficiency in wisdom. With refpect to America, every thing might be hoped from that difpofition to conciliation which was known to characterize the Nobleman who now prefided over that department. There appeared a fair profpect of permanent peace abroad; and those disturbances which had fo long prevailed at home, feemed gradually fubfiding into a tranquillity which the nation had rarely, and for very fhort intervals, known fince the commencement of the prefent reign. There yet remained at the extremity of the western horizon a dark cloud, which, however flightly noticed by the generality of perfons, feemed to the more difcerning to bode a diftant but

DREADFUL TEMPEST.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

RA