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notion of faith is contradictory to the Scripture account of it, and could only serve to lead men, professedly holding the doctrines called Calvinistic, to establish their own righteousness upon their frames, feelings, and acts of faith. In these letters Mr. Sandeman attempts to prove, that faith is neither more nor less than a simple assent to the divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ, delivered for the offences of men, and raised again for their justification, as recorded in the New Testament. He also maintains that the word faith or belief, is constantly used by the apostles to signify what is denoted by it in common discourse, viz. a persuasion of the truth of any proposition, and that there is no difference between believing any common testimony and believing the apostolic testimony, except that which results from the testimony itself, and the divine authority on which it rests. This led the way to a controversy among those who are called Calvinists, concerning the nature of justifying faith, and those who adopted Mr. Sandeman's notion of it; and they who are denominated Sandemanians, formed themselves into church order, in strict fellowship with the, churches of Scotland, but holding no kind of communion with other churches. Mr. Sandeman died in 1772, in America.

The chief opinion and practices in which this, sect differs from other Christians, are their weekly administration of the Lord's Supper; their love-feasts,

of which every member is not only allowed, but required to partake, and which consist of their dining together at each other's houses in the interval between the morning and afternoon service; their KISS of charity used on this occasion, at the admission of a new member, and at other times when they deem it necessary and proper; their weekly collection before the Lord's Supper, for the support of the poor and defraying other expenses; mutual exhortation; abstinence from blood and things strangled; washing each other's feet, when, as a deed of mercy, it might be an expression of love; the precept concerning which, as well as other precepts, they understand literally-community of goods, so far as that every one is to consider all that he has in his possession and power liable to the calls of the poor and the church and the unlawfulness of laying up treasures upon earth, by setting them apart for any distant, future, or uncertain use. They allow of public and private diversions so far as they are not connected with cir cumstances really sinful; but apprehending a lot to be sacred, disapprove of lotteries, playing at cards, dicé, &c.

They maintain a plurality of elders, pastors, or bishops, in each church, and the necessity of the presence of two elders in every act of discipline, and at the administration of the Lord's Supper.

In the choice of these elders, want of learning and engagement in trade are no sufficient objections,

if qualified according to the instructions given to Timothy and Titus; but second marriages disqualify for the office; and they are ordained by prayer and fasting, imposition of bands, and giving the right hand of fellowship.

In their discipline they are strict and severe, and think themselves obliged to separate from the communion and worship of all such religious societies, as appear to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it. We shall only add, that in every transaction they esteem unanimity to be absolutely necessary. See Letters on Sandemanianism, by Andrew Fuller-the conclusion of which is well deserving their attention.

HUTCHINSONIANS.

HUTCHINSONIANS, the followers of John Hutchinson, born in Yorkshire, 1674, and who in the early part of life served the Duke of Somerset in the. capacity of a steward. The Hebrew Scriptures, he says, comprise a perfect system of natural philosophy, theology, and religion. In opposition to Dr. Woodward's Natural History of the Earth, Mr. Hutchin- son, in 1724, published the first part of his curious

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book, called Moses Principia. Its second part was presented to the public in 1727, which contains, as he apprehends, the principles of the Scripture philosophy, which are a plenum and the air. So high an opinion did he entertain of the Hebrew language, that he thought the Almighty must have employed it to communicate every species of knowledge, and that accordingly every species of knowledge is to be found in the Old Testament. Of his mode of philosophising, the following specimen is brought forward to the reader's attention: "The air (be supposes) exists in three conditions, fire, light, and spirit: the two latter are the finer and grosser parts of the air in motion: from the earth to the sun, the air is finer and finer till it becomes pure light near the confines of the sun, and fire in the orb of the sun, or solar focus. From the earth towards the circumference of this system, in which he includes the fixed stars, the air becomes grosser and grosser till it becomes stagnant, in which condition it is at the utmost verge of this system, from whence (in his opinion), the expression of outer darkness, and blackness of darkness, used in the New Testament, seems to be taken."

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The followers of Mr. Hutchinson are numerous, and among others the Rev. Mr. Romaine, Lord Duncan Forbes, of Culloden, and the late amiable Dr. Horne, Bishop of Norwich, who published an Abstract of Mr. Hutchinson's writings. See also the

Preface to Bishop Horne's Life, second edition, by William Jones. They have never formed themselves into any distinct church or society.

THE SHAKERS.

AN American gentleman (into whose hands the Sketch was put by a worthy relative of mine) kindly presented me with a volume, whence I have obtained certain interesting particulars respecting the Shakers. In the United States it is denominated the Shaker's Bible-because it contains a full account of their faith and practice. There is reason to believe that it is the only copy that has reached this country. The accounts of the Shakers Litherto published on this side of the water are very defective. The statement given in the Sketch is the only accurate delineation of this eccentric class of the Christian world.

The volume is closely printed, containing sir hundred and sixty pages! It is entitled, "The Testimony of Christ's SECOND APPEARING, containing a General Statement of all things pertaining to the Faith and Practice of the Church of God in this Jatter day. Published by order of the Ministry in Uhion with the Church. Second Edition, corrected