tian doctrines and discipline, and that the Church has no right, founded on the authority of Christ, or his apostles, to impose rites or ceremonies on the conscience of any man; and that the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England are the remnants of popery and the filaments of antichrist. I have closed, with a scheme for the reduction of episcopacy, and the plan for a reformed Church. In doing this, I have followed the dictates of my own judgment and conscience. The principle of duty is the highest law in the soul, and he who invades this freedom in man, aims the deadliest blow at his honour and happiness.

My anxious desire is, to use my humble endeavours to promote the cause of Christ, and to defend, to the best of my ability, the simplicity of that gospel, which He himself came to establish. With this view, I have assembled a church in London, called the REFORMED ENGLISH CHURCH, and intend, with the assistance of Divine Providence, to support the pure doctrines of Christ.

I am fully aware that my conduct will give offence to those who are possessed of power and patronage; but I am ready to bear patiently the proud man's contumely, and the censure of the sycophant, whose preferment depends on the prostitution of knowledge and conscience. During the short period of my sojourn with my fellow-creatures, I will continue, by the Divine assistance, to strike at the bonds of slavish despotism, without paying court

to any individual or party. My efforts may appear trifling and inconsiderable to the eye of clerical pride; but be it remembered, that if what appears little be despised, nothing great can be obtained. All that is great was at first little, and rose to its present bulk by gradual accessions and accumulated labours.

With these remarks, I leave the following pages to my reader. Having been drawn up amidst my family and professional duties, as a tutor, I do not presume that they will obtain the approbation of all who may peruse them; for, to conclude in the words of Dr. Johnson, he that has much to do, will do something wrong, and of that wrong must suffer the consequences. If it were possible that he should always act rightly, yet, when such numbers are to judge of his conduct, the bad will censure and obstruct him by malevolence; and the good, sometimes, by mistake.

THE ORIGIN AND GRADUAL ADVANCE OF PAPAL TYRANNY IN ENGLAND.

It will be admitted, that all power, superiority, and distinction in society, must be derived, either from the positive institutions of God, or from the mutual agreement of men; whoever, therefore, exercises any authority over others, their goods, or possessions, must support his pretension by such proof as the nature of the claim requires; and such proof should be examined with the utmost jealousy, when the claims have reference to the spiritual and eternal happiness of mankind.

It is a severe circumstance which attends those who oppose received opinions, that they must not only contend against popular prejudices and notions long cherished, and against the interests and passions of great numbers of artful and combining men, but also against the weight and force of public authority. The labouring oar, too,

B

will always lie upon them. They must disprove what has no proof to support it, and bring argument upon argument, to maintain propositions which are really self-evident. A bare idea of the possibility that they may be mistaken, will be deemed equal to a full conviction that they are so ; and sometimes the clearest demonstration of their case, will be called only carnal and human reasoning, not to be used about spiritual things. Even when the irrefragable strength of their reasoning forces consent, they will have no thanks for their pains; but will be often esteemed officious and factious, and be said to disturb points already settled, if, by chance, they should escape the censure of promoting the cause of infidelity.

However, be the consequences what they may, the claims in the popish and popishly-affected clergy are so enormous, the consequences of them so fatal to real Christianity, and the arguments pretended to be brought from reason and authority for their support, so weak and contemptible, the whole design and current of the gospel being directly against them, that I shall do my utmost totally to demolish the tottering building of antichrist, and also to shew, that it has no foundation in common sense, or in the scriptures of divine truth.

It has been justly observed by Blackstone, that religious principles, which, when genuine and pure, have an evident tendency to make their professors better citizens, as well as better men, have, when

become perverted and erroneous, been usually subversive of civil government, and been made both the cloak and the instrument of every pernicious design that can be harboured in the heart of man. The unbounded authority that was exercised by the Druids in the west, under the influence of pagan superstition, and the terrible ravages committed by the Saracens in the east, to propagate the religion of Mahomet, both witness to the truth of that ancient universal observation, that in all ages, and in all countries, civil and ecclesiastical tyranny are mutually productive of each other. It is the glory of the true church of Christ, that she inculcates due obedience to lawful authority, and is, in her principles and practice, unquestionably loyal, in compliance with the divine command, "submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the

brotherhood.

Fear God. Honour the King." The faithful ministers of Christ, holy in their doctrines, and aiming to keep a conscience void of offence, are also moderate in their ambition, and entertain just notions of the ties of society, and