minds are much affected with thefe confiderations. We examine the constitution, we examine the practice, of that church from which we withdraw, and we see many things, of the divine authority of which no good account can be given.

We can trace them back through the dark ages to the times when Christianity began to affume a new appearance, the appearance of superstition and folly: but we can pursue them no farther. There is not a footstep of them in the New Testament. We can fee nothing there about god-fathers and god-mothers; about confirmation, as practifed in the church; about the fign of the cross in the baptifm; about worshipping towards the east; about the confecration of churches, or the absolution of the fick. We do not find, that kneeling at the LORD's Supper is required there. We read nothing there of Archdeacons, Deans, Prebendaries, Canons, and Precentors. We find, in the New Teftament, many praises, many doxologies, many devout aspirations; but not one prayer, not one afcription of glory to one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity: but, on the contrary, the most explicit

direction to pray to the Father only. We would not cenfure the piety, we would not arraign the judgment of our brethren in CHRIST. The human mind is often strangely mifled, and "to his own Mafter every man "standeth or falleth." But we have been led into fuch views and fuch conceptions on these points, that we cannot conform to practices which clearly appear to us deftitute of foundation in our only rule; which are additions to the religion of our Master; and glaring deviations from that fimplicity, which is a diftinguishing characteristic of Christianity. For that " is fimple in its worship, "in opposition to pomp, ceremony, and fuperftition;-fimple in its government, in oppofition to numerous officers later ages "have introduced;-fimple in its communion, " in oppofition to imposed terms and human "formularies."* Therefore the remonftrance of the apostle appears to us to carry with it great propriety and force: "wherefore if we "be dead with CHRIST from the rudiments of "the world, why, as though living, in the "world, are ye fubject to ordinances, after the * Sir Harry Trelawney, at his Ordination.

"commandments and doctrines of men ?" Nearly connected with this principle of conduct is another, which is, that,

2dly, We wish to be at full liberty to follow after and profess the truth. It is a true as it is a melancholy fact, that Christianity has been, in numerous inftances, corrupted: that the religion of CHRIST, as it lieth in the New Testament, and as it appeareth in the Creeds, formularies, and worship of even most proteftant countries, are very different things. It is a plain fact, that the Reformation from Popery, as established by Queen Elizabeth in the year 1559, was by no means fo pure and perfect as was the plan propofed by Wickliff about two hundred years before. And ever fince the Reformation, things remain in the same state in which they were then fixed. An enlightened laity muft worship with the iame liturgy as did their forefathers just emerging out of the darkness of Popery. An oppreffed clergy muft conform to the fame rites, and fign the fame articles, which an arbitrary Queen fixed more than two hundred years ago: Of this we have a recent instance in the profecution and deprivation of an

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aged and worthy clergyman, Mr. Stone. the remembrance of many, candid difquifitions have been written: appeals have been addreffed to common fense and common reason: petitions have been offered to Parliament: but the minifters of the Eftablished Church find themselves unable to obtain the least revision of its forms and articles.

This we think a heavy grievance. We lament, that nothing can be done with effect towards restoring Chriftianity to its original purity and fimplicity. We fee with concern, that, in fuch a state of things, the more enlightened are the understandings of men, the more must their hearts be grieved, when they fee errors which they cannot correct; and discover grofs deviations from the truth in the forms of worship, the unvaried use of which is bound down upon them by state and ecclefiaftical authority. The free study of the divine oracles is by these means difcouraged. Men are lulled afleep by the fear of difcerning error. They are invited into security by the rewards and honours annexed to the prescribed forms and faith. And no detection of error, to which the fpirit of en

quiry and the love of truth may lead them, can answer its proper and full end, and be carried into a reformation of practice; for power hath erected its barriers, and rendered the established forms and principles like the laws of the Medes and Perfians, which never. change. The mind is under a bias; the understanding is cramped; and the conduct is fettered.

To enjoy greater liberty, we diffent. We rejoice to find our minds fet at large. No standing articles restrain our enquiries. No ftanding Liturgy makes facred and perpetuates mistakes, improprieties, and errors. We can avail ourselves of further light and enquiry to bring back the profeffion of Christianity to its original fimplicity: and it is a fact, that amongst us our worship has been, in many inftances, purged from folly and fuperstition, and brought nearer to the standard of the New Testament. Errors have been reformed. Corruptions of the gospel have been laid aside. Liberty of confcience, and freedom of enquiry, have been growing amongst us. Happily free from any human restraints on our "mental powers, we can impartially use our

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