The blemishes of such a fanciful and supercilious system of godliness, are of such a nature, as to strike the observation, and disgust the understanding of persons not very much disposed to enthusiastic reveries; but its beauties are such as can only be seen by the initiated; and the advantages it may possess above the regular service of the church, towards the promotion of genuine piety, real charity, and the sound knowledge of Ghrist crucified, are such as cannot be described but only in technical terms of art, not very generally intelligible, and not to be communicated but by sympathy: and that also only to the happy

constitution is well considered, become objects of political solicitude as well as of religious note.-Methodism is, indeed, more completely systematised than is generally supposed; and its government, by the conference of its ministers annually convened, is little short of absolute.-The whole kingdom is divided into districts and circuits, answering to the episcopal dioceses and parishes, through which, aiding the exertions of local preachers, upwards of 500 travelling preachers constantly take their rounds. What an astonishing community is here! -While it is for the church to watch them, the state ought to keep an eye on them. Political circumspection seems not so incompatible with a wise religious TOLERATION."

sodality which has sensibilities capable of deing wound up to the required pitch.

"By beat of drummer methodistic,

Who thumps with fist, instead of his-stick."

HUDIBRASS,

Religious divisions indeed are so very numerous, and the alledged causes of dissent from the established church so generally unimportant, and at the same time the envy and malevolence of many sectaries so notorious, yet without any greater concord, or more effectual bond of union amongst themselves; that it has given, even to the catholics, an handle to charge the protestants in general, with unreasonable and needless schism, in having broken off from communion with the church of Rome, (the original and only true church, as they pretend,) since the separatists, even to this day, cannot agree amongst themselves.* This censure, however, is not altogether justifiable in their mouths, since even under the

*«Ego omnibus tentatis, nihil invenio in quo acquiescere possim; O me nunquam sapientem!"-Cicero Epist. ad Octav.

"I try all, but find none that afford me entire satisfaction; Alas! shall I never attain to wisdom."

iron rod of papal coercion, and the terrors of the inquisition, the catholics themselves are far from "keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace" in their own communion.*

The reformation of the church of England was a work of time and of mature deliberation. It was for the most part conducted by wise and temperate councils, and advanced by slow degrees, in the hands of many godly and learned men, who sealed their conviction of its fidelity to the gospel, and to the usages of the primitive church, by their own martyrdom. That cruel and capricious tyrant,

* The church of Rome is no more free from religious division than the churches of the protestants, or even the primitive churches have been. (1 Cor. iii. 3; xi. 18; Rom. xvi. 17.) One infallible pope hath contradicted another, and several have contradicted General Councils. MARTIN THE V. held with the council of CONSTANCE, and EUGENIUS the IV. with those of FERRARA AND FLORENCE against the former. The decrees of POPE FORMOSUS were disannulled by POPE STEPHANUS, and his by another, his successor. The DECREES AND DECRETALS differ, the CANONISTS AND GLOSSARIES are at odds, the ScноOLMEN are divided into SEcrs, and the MONKS have even become martyrs to their great controversy of the IMMÁCULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN.

Hist. of Popery, vol. ii. 23.

Henry the VIII. was merely an instrument in the hand of providence to bring it about. And in this manner temporary and partial evil is often providentially made use of by divine wisdom, which is able to give such a direction to the evil passions of bad men, that they become a source of great and permanent good. Henry robbed the pope of his supremacy and infallibility too, but it was only that he might decorate himself with these envied spoils of his vanquished enemy. He made his own fluctuating opinion the common standard of faith for all his subjects, and with great vehemence and dictatorial zeal he wrote, at different times, on both sides of the question, and bloodily persecuted both parties. With a casehardened heart, but most tender conscience, a flaming love of God, and anxious regard for souls, he sometimes burned both a catholic and a protestant at one stake, for their different modes of heretical pravity in dissenting from the faith of the head of the church.*

*See Burnet's History of the Reformation in England,

This was bringing truth through the fire with a witness. Yet it probably had the good effect of wholly purifying the genuine gold of the gospel from much dross, which still remained mixed with the precious ore in other countries, in consequence of the too rash and precipitate measures taken for the refining of it. The church of England, by having passed through so severe a scrutiny, and so long and full a discussion of its claims to original purity, has not stood in need of those subsequent amendments, which several officious friends (or rather enemies in disguise,) would at different times have obtruded upon it, by absurd and fanciful alterations of its excellent Liturgy. But the new Liturgies failed not to bring their own condemnation along with them, upon the slightest comparison with the inimitable "form of sound words" which still constitutes the service of the church.*

* The church of England, in its present state, is every way entitled to the encomium which Rogers, in his strong language has bestowed upon it :-"A church whose doctrines are derived from the clear fountains of the scripture, whose polity