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are undistinguishing and illiberal enough, to comprehend them, and the pure gospel of Christ, in one general sentence

culpable as those we take upon us to condemn.-All revivals of religion have been attended with excesses; all sects and parties have had, and will have among them, men of warm imaginations and feeble intellects: and wherever persons of this description become strongly impressed with the importance of religious truth, they seldom fail to disgrace the party to which they belong. There is no remedy for such unfortunate cases, but to use our best endeavours to restrain and keep them within the bounds of moderation. This, however, is usually extremely difficult; for all such persons are more commonly wiser than ten men that can render a reason. They are blown up with self-importance, consider themselves as the peculiar favourites of Heaven, and under the immediate teachings and leadings of the Divine Spirit. While this persuasion continues, they treat the direction of Scripture as a dead letter, and in vain you attempt to reduce them to order, and the sober dictates of reason and common sense.(†)

(†) The Welsh Methodists, among whom there is doubtless much real piety and goodness, exceed most, if not all others of the present day, in their extravagancies. Regular, and for the most part exemplary in their private deportment; in their religious assemblies they resemble rather the frantic ravings and violent distortions of the ancient heathen, than the sober conduct of the disciples of Christ. Little are the well meaning ministers who encourage these irregularities, aware, how sensibly they injure the cause they would promote, and with how unamiable an aspect they represent our lovely religion. Who, unaccustomed to these wild scenes, can behold them without mingled pity and disgust? Even little children are taught to express by their vociferations and gesticulations the same emotions which agitate the rest of the body. There are a few things in this business worthy the consideration of the reflecting part of these societies. 1. How is it, if these extacies are really the production of the Holy Spirit, as would, no doubt, be contended, that the ministers themselves, are rarely, if ever, the subject of them. It is not uncommon to see them sit in their pulpits, enjoying with apparent self-complacence, the effects which their preaching has produced; but they seldom, it is believed, mingle with the throng in the expression of their extatic feelings. 2. How is it that this effect should be confined to one small spot in Christendom, and that all other parts of the Christian world should join in considering it as a delusion.We have known Christians of the most fervent and exalted piety in other countries, who were never the subjects of such high-flown extacies. If these emotions are really the operation of the Spirit of God, and the pledge of his love to his greatest favourites, why were not the excellent Watts, the pious Hervey, the seraphic Rowe favoured with them. 3. How happens it that a Welshman transported into any other country, loses all this. A Welshman, who had been a jumper in his own country, came to settle in a

of reprobation. Such a conduct is surely uncandid, and highly unbecoming the character of men who would be thought lovers of wisdom. Where we see integrity and good intention at the bottom, we should make all requisite allowance for the infirmities of men. The best and wisest are encompassed with darkness, and know but in part. One grain of piety and moral excellence, is of more worth than the highest attainments in the arts and sciences, without those moral and religious qualifications.

Others again take offence at the absurd doctrines of the several religious establishments* in christendom. They discover in them certain peculiarities which they conceive to be

situation near the writer of this note, but never after that was he so affected. His master, a serious, but sober Christian, once ventured to ask him the reason of this, to which the man replied, that in England there was nothing worth jumping for. Poor honest fellow! This remark surely contained too just a reflection on the lukewarmness and want of energy in many of our English preachers: but how is it then that the Welsh preachers do not produce these effects in congregations in England, or even in the Welsh among them. Of this, there is not we believe, a solitary instance. We have lately witnessed the truth of this remark on a remarkable occasion. A celebrated and very excellent Welsh preacher, lately addressed a most numerous, pious, and zealous congregation, on one of the most animating subjects conceivable; but we do not hear of a single effect of this kind being produced; whereas that same gentleman perhaps never addresses an ordinary Welsh congregation without it. I need not mention that I allude to the Rev. Mr. Charles, preaching to the Missonary SocietyThe result can leave us no room to doubt but this is a local entbusiasm, encouraged first by some well-meaning, but in this respect weak leader, and now perhaps not easily remedied, and that Satan has taken advantage of it to promote two of his most desired purposes, namely, to delude professors of religion into an attention to these violences to the neglect of spiritual religion; and to prevent other men from embracing religion, by a consideration of the extravagancies which attend it.-Editor.

"It is the corruption of Establishments, ten thousand times worse than the rudest dominion of tyranny, which has changed and is changing, the face of the modern world."

Mr. Erskine's Pamphlet on the Causes and Consequences of the present war, from which these words are extracted, contains a number of important political truths, but seems to me by no means satisfactory in speaking on the causes of the war. Let any man read with sober consideration the Collection of addresses transmitted by certain English clubs and Societies, to the National Convention of France-Mile's Conduct of France towards Great Britain-Gifford's Letter to the Earl of Lauderdale-D'Ivernois's

irrational. They confound the doctrine of these human institutions, which were formed in the very dawn of the reformation, while men's eyes were yet scarcely open enough to dicover truth, with genuine Christianity. Not being at the pains to examine matters to the bottom, and distinguish accurately, they suppose them to be alike, and hence contract a rooted indifference, if not an unconquerable aversion, to all religion.

Some there are again, who, seeing the pomp and pride of many of our bishops and dignified clergy, how they, in direct opposition to the whole spirit of the gospel, as well as their own holy profession, scramble for emolument, and heap together from two to half a score lucrative pieces of preferment, while several thousands of their brethren are destitute of the ordinary comforts of life, without further examination, naturally suppose that religion is all priest-craft and self-interest,

Account of the late Revolution in Geneva-with Bowles's Real Grounds of the present war with France. This little pamphlet is sufficiently satisfactory. Lord Mornington's speech before the House of Commons to the same purpose with the above. Harper's Observations on the Dispute between the United States and France, is a decisive little work. The designs of the French are therein completely developed. Nothing can be clearer, than that they were the aggressors in the present contest. He that cannot see this, when the evidence is so plainly laid before him, must be blinded by, and given up to, party.

In addition to what has been advanced by these several authors, I beg leave here to add a declaration of Lord Auckland, Jan. 9, 1798, in the House of Lords, in reply to Lord Holland. Speaking on the causes of the war, he said, "It was a war of necessity and not of choice; for he himself at the time was sent with full powers to preserve peace, if it could be done consistently with the honour and interest of this country. He was to have met Dumourier on the subject; but, before the time appointed for that interview, a confidential officer came and informed him, that the Directory had declared war against England; thus, by this pretended negociation taking the opportunity to seize upon our shipping." -London Chronicle, Jan. 9-11, 1798.

The above several publications contain the whole merits of the cause concerning the authors of the war. And let it terminate as it may, they will convince us that it could not have been avoided on any principle of honour or safety. In expectation of subverting the government of the country, the French, encouraged by disaffected persons in this kingdom, plunged into the war. Indeed, it is, properly speaking, the war of English Jacobins. If the

honour and conscience having nothing to do in the business. be of use to state this more at large.

-It

may

It is well known then, that there are about 18,000 Clergymen in England and Wales of the established religion, and near 10,000 parishes. The Rectories 5,098; the Vicarages 3687; the Livings of other descriptions 2970; in all 11,755.

Twenty or thirty of those Livings may be a thousand a year and upwards: Four or five hundred of them 500 pounds a year and upwards: Two thousand of them 200 pounds a year and upwards: Five thousand of them under 100 pounds a year. The average value of Livings is about 140 pounds a year, reckoning them at 10,000.

As these things are not very generally understood, we will be a little more particular.

In the year 1714, when Queen Anne's Bounty began to be distributed, there were

1071 Livings not more than 10 pounds a year.

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In all 5697 Livings not more than 50 pounds a year apiece. All the 10 and 20 pound Livings have now been augmented by the above donation.

This bounty is about 13,000 pounds a year, clear of deductions, and is, therefore, equal to 65 augmentations annually, at 200 pounds a-piece.*

The whole income of the Church and two Universities is about 1,500,000 pounds a year. There are 26 Bishops, whose annual income is 72,000, or according to another account 92,000 pounds: Each Bishop, therefore, has on an average

French had not been stimulated by persons here, there had been no war. Let us not, however, murmur against men-the whole is of God. Great and good purposes are to be answered by it, in the due order of Divine Providence.

*The Clergy are indebted to Bishop Burnet for this application. The money itself arises from the first fruits and tenths of church-livings, above a certain value, which, before the time of Henry the VIIIth, used to go to the Pope of Rome.

2,770 or 3,538 pounds a year, supposing he had no other preferment. There are 28 Deaneries and Chapters, whose income is about 5000 pounds a year each, making together about 140,000 pounds.-The income of the two Universities is together about 180,000 pounds a year. The 10,000 Clergy* have together about 1,108,000 pounds a year among them, which is little more than 100 pounds a-piece. The whole body of the Clergy and their families make near 100,000 souls, that is, about an eightieth part of the nation. And reckoning the population of England and Wales at eight millions of people, every Clergyman would have a congregation of 444 persons to attend to, in the same way of calculation.

There are, moreover, 28 Cathedrals, 26 Deans, 60 Archdeacons, and 544 Prebends, Canons, &c.--Besides these, there are in all about 300 in orders belonging to the different Cathedrals, and about 800 Lay-officers, such as singing men, organists, &c. who are all paid from the Cathedral emoluments; so that there are about 1700 persons attached to the several Cathedrals who divide among them, the 140,000

* The dissenters in England and Wales are said by the late Mr. Robinson, of Cambridge, to make about a fifth part of the nation, consisting of near 1400 congregations. The Quakers are numerous, being about 50,000, but the Baptists are still more numerous than either the Quakers, or the Presbyterians, or Independents, or Moravians.

To these should be added the Methodist Preachers of the Gospel. The regular circuit Preachers in Great Britain and Ireland, in the year 1807, were about 560, and the local Preachers are supposed to amount to near 2400.

In addition to these, they have about 360 Preachers in America, besides local assistants. The number of Missionaries in the West Indies is 30, besides 50 Negro Preachers. Hence it appears, that the whole number of persons who preach the Gospel to the poor in the Methodist connection at present, is upwards of 4000; of which number 2900 are stationed in Great Britain, and the adjacent islands.

The number of persons belonging to the societies of the late Reverend John Wesley was about 118,500 in this country; 24,500 in Ireland; 157,000 in America and the West Indies: in all about 300,000. The number of poor blacks on the continent of America, belonging to the Methodist societies, and in the West Indies, make together about 28,000, who have renounced their besetting sin-polygamy; and, in the main, live as becomes the Gospel.

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