of his memoirs, in which, through the side of Methodism, he attacks the whole of evangelical piety.

In order that my readers might be able to form clear ideas of the state of my mind thro' the whole progress of my present happy change, I thought it best to insert two letters which I wrote while I was an infidel; and others written during my gradual discovery of the truths which are revealed in the scriptures. And I request my readers to take notice, that the first 22 letters were all written before I was convinced of the truth of those doctrines which are taught by the Methodists, and also by our Reformers, as appears by the Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies of the Church of England.

I have called my old acquaintances by fictitious names, because I would not publicly expose either those that are dead, or such as are still living; and I presume no one has any reason to complain; for should any of them be known by my sketches, it can only be by such as were acquainted with the originals.

In one or two instances I have, for particular reasons, made use of a fictitious vehicle to introduce real facts, reasonings, reflections, &c.

It may be necessary to inform my readers, that I am not (as some suppose) again become

a partner in the bookselling trade. It is now five years since I made over the whole of that business to Messrs. George Lackington, Allen and Co. since which time I have had no share or interest in it; and I am very sorry that they last summer published a new edition of the Memoirs of my Life; but I believe they had no intention to disoblige the Methodists, but merely published it as a matter of course, to promote their trade. And although I at that time was not pleased with its being re-published, yet I did not see the evil tendency which that work certainly has, in so strong a light as I have since.

I am, Readers,.

Your very sincere well-wisher,

J. LACKINGTON.

Alveston, Dec. 10th, 1803.

CONFESSIONS

OF

J. LACKINGTON.

SIR,

LETTER I.

"Trembling I retreat:

My prostrate soul again adores her God."

IN my Memoirs I told you that I married Miss Dorcas Turton. This girl had for some years divided her spare hours between devotion and novel reading; on Sundays she would attend the sermons of two or three of those who are called Calvinist-Methodist preachers, the intervals were often filled up by reading of novels: and after her return from the Tabernacle in the evening the novel was resumed, and perhaps not quitted until she had seen the hero and heroine happily married, which often kept her out of bed until morning. On other evenings also she would often hear a sermon at the Tabernacle, and devote the remainder of the night to reading "Tales of Love and Maids forsaken."

b

I had no sooner married this young woman than Mr. Wesley's people began to prophesy that I should soon lose all my religion. This prophecy, I must confess, was too soon fulfilled. And although she was not the sole cause of it, yet as I often was prevailed upon to hear her read those gay, frothy narratives, I, by degrees, began to lose my relish for more important subjects; and it was not long before novels, romances, and poets occupied a considerable part of our time, so that I even neglected my shop; for being so much delighted with those fairy regions, I could scarce bear the idea of business: I also sometimes neglected the preaching at the Foundery, at other times hurried home, impatient until I had again got into the realms of fiction. Some months passed away in this manner. At last I was roused from those dreams, and again I paid attention to my trade.

I observed in my Memoirs, that Mr. Denis visited me during my long illness. When I was again constantly to be found in my shop, he often called, and having little to do, and being fond of disputation, he would seat himself on the counter, and, as occasion offered, attack me, or any of my customers, on our religious opinions. He was acquainted with the various controversies which have divided the christian world, and appeared to take delight in pulling systems to pieces, without establishing any thing. He owned that he was greatly attached to alchymical and mystical authors; but he would confess that, although he believed some of their writings were dictated by the Spirit of God, yet that he did not