FOR THE ORTHODOX CHURCHman's magaziNE.

I

SIR,

HAVE not written to you for a long time; but although

I have not fet pen to paper, I affure you I have not been an inattentive obferver of public affairs, nor careless about what concerns the public weal. As à Lover of my Country, I have feen with infinite fatisfaction a set of innovators both in Politics and Religion oufted from power, and driven from the prefence of the king: and as a Lover of my King, I have feen with gratitude, our beloved fovereign confcientiously adhering to his Coronation Oath, and firmly maintaining those conftitutional principles which feated the defcendants of "the revered Sophia" on the throne of this realm.

The temperate yet decided refolution of the venerable SOCIETY for promoting Chriftian Knowledge, made my heart overflow with joy. That Society has long been one of our main bulwarks against the inroads of popery. It was founded just after the pitiful abdication of our last popish monarch; it has ever acted on proteftant principles; and has at all times religiously supported our proteftant princes, with unshaken consistency. Look into the catalogue of its tracts, and you will fee how the attempts of popith pretenders in the years 1715 and 1745, called forth the energies of the Society; which armed the pious proteftant in the clofet, against the subtilties of Romifh craft, with as much succefs as the English foldiers, at thofe periods, combated the combined armies of papifts and prefbyterians in the field.-The papifts and diffenters have ever made theirs a common cause. It is a well-known fact, that the emiffaries of Rome frequently affumed the shape of fectarian teachers in the days of our firft James and the Charles's. These men hoped by multiplying the miferable confufions of those times, to weary the minds of our ancestors, and to make them look for repose in the bofom of a church claiming infallibility of doctrine, and an authority without appeal in controverfies. Afterwards when James II. fent out his " Declaration for Liberty of Confcience;" it was industriously promulgated by the confederate adherents of Rome and Geneva. Upon every effort to repeal the 25th of Charles II. commonly called the Teft Adt, the papists and diffenters have cordially co-operated

with each other. Upon the la ftruggle of this kind, when Mr. Fox and his crew, a motley affemblage of men of perverted, and men of no religion, endeavoured to procure the repeal of the Teft-A&t, the Society publicly expreffed its opinion; and that in much stronger terms than those made use of in the late refolution. When lord Grenville therefore, and the furviving adherents of Mr. Fox (the Rump of Whiggifm) made their late covert attempt to fubvert the church, the Society had been guilty of ftrange inconfiftency and tergiverfation had it not again ftepped forward, and ranged with the friends of the king, and the fupporters of the throne and our pure Proteftant altar. In this free country, the Right of the Society to exprefs its opinion, is as founded as the right of lord Grenville, or the proudest lord in the land, to utter his fentiments. This is the birthright of every free-born Englishman; and what every Individual enjoys, the Society for promoting Chriftian Knowledge may furely exercife in its collective capacity; a Society formed of more than 3000 faft friends to Church and King. This Right, however, his lordship, himself a member of the Society, thought proper to question, with more teftinefs than prudence. The tone of his angry letter is very high; but it is time that his lordship fhould know, that in England, whilft it is yet a Proteftant country, the Grenvilles have no exclufive Right to liberty of thinking and of writing what they think. His lordship affumes the manner of a Principal; but he is only a fecondary perfonage. He is not a leader, he is but a partizan. It is for the family of the DRAPIERS, who are not eafily impofed upon by appearances, to lay open to people the true motives on which they act. I fhall perhaps furprize this mighty man by telling him the truth; but I wish him to know, that he had never advocated the Romish caufe, nor had he written his infuriated letter to Dr. Gafkin, had not the maiden-name of the Marchionefs of Buckingham been NUGENT. And this may furnish an additional chapter to the book intituled "Great Events from little Caufes." I am, Sir,

Yours, &c.

JONATHAN DRAPIER.

August 1, 1807.

P

Vol. XIII. Churchm. Mag. for August 1807.

ON MR. SHARP'S CREDULITY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'Í

MAGAZINE.

SIR,

IN your Magazine for June laft, Mr. Parfons has communicated fome judicious obfervations on Mr. Granville · Sharp's rule, but he has clearly misunderstood the tendency of the remark of Philo on the credulity of that gentleman. That remark applied folely to the circumftance of Mr. Sharp's reporting for true, the ridiculous ftory of a general council or affembly of the Jews having been held in Hungary, in 1650, for the purpofe of examining the fcriptures concerning Chrift. Mr. Sharp refers to the firft volume of the Phoenix, in which this bungling piece of impofture was reprinted, but he takes no notice at all of a complete refutation of it which appeared in the fecond volume of that collection. On the contrary, he fays "I never heard of any real objection to the truth of it, or that it was ever at all denied by the Jews.” ( Appendix to Tracts on the Hebrew Tongue. p. 86.) Now the fact is, that the whole account carries the ftrongeft confutation with it; and befides, the original nar rative no fooner came out but it was answered, and the foolish tale completely expofed by no lefs a man than the famous Menaffeh Ben Ifrael, then in London, negotiating with Cromwell to permit the Jews to fettle in England.

Your readers will now judge, whether Philo had not sufficient reason to express himself as he did upon the extraordinary credulity of Mr. Granville Sharp in this inftance.

Of the labours of that gentleman in the caufe of Orthodox Chriftianity, and genuine philanthropy, I believe, Philo entertains as high an opinion as your refpectable correspondent; but he muft excufe both Philo and myself for thinking that exuberant zeal may overfhoot the mark, and if not guid. ed by judgment and difcretion, that it runs a risk of de. feating its own purpofes, and of doing harm when the intention is perfectly pure.

I am, &c.
IOTA.

ON THE INCREASE OF METHODISM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

MAGAZINE.

SIR,

RTHODOX Churchmen obferve with regret the ac-
RTH

the evil will proceed in an increasing ratio, as long as unregarded ftray fheep are let to wander from the fold-as long as there remain uninftructed poor to thicken the ranks, and fwell the triumph of the adverse party. It is to be hoped that the intended diffufion of religious knowledge among youth, aided by the re-doubled diligence of paftors, will be found the grand corrective of fchifm. But there are some auxiliary means, or measures of prevention, which feem deferving of immediate notice. They are obvious enough, and of easy application. In our churches the inclosures, or pews, are referved for certain privileged families, who make their appearance in them, perhaps, once a month, during the latter part of the morning fervice; for it is now, more than ever, the fashion to neglect the momentous offices of confeffion and abfolution. The poorest parishioners are de barred from all this fpace; or, in other words, the most nu1 merous clafs of the inhabitants have about a fifth of the church to themselves. Now, Sir, mark the confequences. Thefe difregarded poor, and all meanly dreffed occafional vifitants, feeing this refpect of perfons-this foreftalling of places, ftray to the next church or chapel; perhaps they may stray on from Lambeth to Newington, and in their way they will, ere long, defcry four or five places of diffenting worship, and as many congregations forward to accommodate them with an equality of fituation. The ftranger is pleased and half won by this courtesy. Their finging too has its attractions; and

*

The last, not least conspicuous, is that which is mentioned in your former number, situated very near the Elephant and Castle Inn. Some time since the Speaker of this House exhibited sketches of young man's visions; and I then understood that the sect was in connection with Joanna Southcot.

however exceptionable the length, language, and tune of fome fectarian hymns may be, I am perfuaded that they delight and greatly influence the many. I have thought that our fervice might very properly begin with pfalmody, as then the devout part of the congregation would be less annoyed by the bustle of late comers, and the minds of all better prepared for devotion: and furely an interval of the fervice would be better filled up by an anthem, or additional pfalm, than it often is by the affounding flights of an organist, who knows not, or forgets, the proper ufe of this noble inftrument. Another accommodation offered by the fects is that of a Sunday evening fervice, many of their congregations are affembled for worship, while the majority of members of our church, hitherto bufy, and now releafed from their drudgery, are fpending their hours in idle diffipation, and thereby effacing any impreffions which they may have happened to receive in the former part of the Lord's day. I humbly conceive that unless remedies be fpeedily applied to this, and other modes of abufing the facred feafon fo admirably adapted to the most beneficial purpofes, divines may preach, and moralifts declaim, but nothing lefs than a most marvellous interpofition of Providence will fave us from finking in the wreck of nations.

These I submit as fome of the motives of preference which first induce the unwary to seek edification in any other place of worship rather than their parifh-church. They continue alienated from their own minifter, and most valuable neighbours, because the original motives continue to operateor if the charms of novelty and mufic lofe fomewhat of their first effect, they will be carried away from one meeting houfe to another with every blast of vain doctrine," till they light on fome amufing, or foul-harrowing preacher, who completes their conversion.

To conclude-It is faid that fome of their preachers revile our clergy. Far be it from thefe to degrade themfelves, and the honorable caufe in which they are engaged by returning "railing for railing."-And here let me enter my proteft against the employment of banter, fneer, farcafm, unauthenticated reprefentation, and acrimonious invective. We are all fallible, all miferable finners. Let us be clothed with humility; let us love as brethren; and while we meekly, yet firmly, contend for the true faith, let us temper our zeal with difcretion, and reject every unchriftian weapon in our Chriftian warfare.