"and fubmit themselves to the miniftry and direction of "the Church in many profound doctrines above their "reach. But it behoves them, (fays he, in the im mediately following fentence,) to have a diftinct "and comfortable knowlege of the effential points of faith; and not fecurely to reft in a babish fimplicity, but (fo far as God hath enabled them) "to be led on to perfection. To which purpofe "they are commanded to fearch the Scriptures, that 66 they may grow and increase in knowlege, &c, and "that they may be able both to believe with the heart, "and confefs with their mouth, and render a reason "of that hope that is in them." 1 Bp. TAYLOR's Difc. on the Lib. of Pro. Sect. 2. No. 6. Char. Miftaken anfwered, Sect. 6. p. 203. " Page 270. (99) freedom of fentiment.] The humour of raifing doubts and difputes, oppofing establishments, and difdaining to think or act in the common way is, as Bp. Gibfon obferves, well expreffed by one of the advocates for infidelity, in words to the following effect; that if the opinions of a certain friend of his were established to day, he would oppose them to morrow. This, the Bp. informs us, is reported to have been faid by a perfon (I fuppofe) of fome confequence, whose name he mentions not. Bp. GIBSON's Paft. Let. p. 7, 8. Page 271. (rr) fpiritual Conftitution.] The author of a work publifhed fome years fince under the the title of Free Thoughts on the fubject of a farther Reformation, fpeaks of our Reformers in the following terms. One no small difadvantage which "they unhappily laboured under, and which from "their time to this has been matter of juft regret "to true friends of Divine Revelation, was their "defect of knowlege in facred matters, above all in the true fenfe of Scripture, &c. If (fays he " in another place) we would form our judgments "of the abilities of our Reformers to frame for us "a fyftem of doctrines which should remain a perpetual ftandard of belief and profeffion in the English Church, and by which all our Clergy in "all future ages fhould be fummarily concluded, "we fhall, I fuppofe, fee juft reason to wish that 66 .. they had been more equal than they appear to be, "to fo weighty an undertaking. Those who are "well acquainted with their writings will fee, in a variety of inftances, evident marks of their infufficiency for such a task; and be fully convinced "of the truth of that observation of a learned and "worthy Doctor of our Church, that they were but "bad interpreters of the Scriptures." In fupport of all this derogation, which is obligingly qualified with a few introductory commonplace compliments, our author has given us a number of extracts, relative to certain religious topics, from Arch-Bishop Cranmer's Catechifm, published in 1543, and dedicated to King Edward VI. We 1 We may fee, it seems, from these extracts, how greatly difproportioned the abilities of this famous Prelate and his colleagues were to the work of Reformation, &c. To what conclufions this will lead, I need not inform the reader. But I take leave to offer a remark or two upon the occafion. In the first place, if the intellectual weakness of our Reformers was really fo great as is here represented, Proteftants to a man have reafon enough to be afhamed of themfelves. What anfwer fhall they make to any fenfible Roman-Catholic who fhould teaze them with these mortifying truths? To my thinking, as none of the exceptionable contents of the paffages cited from the Arch-Bishop's Catechifm make a part of the doctrine of our Church, they might, in reverence to bis memory, and for ber credit, have much better been fuppreffed. Had this Gentleman contented himself with observing, that the Reformers of the Church were fallible men; and confequently, that the Forms and Offices they have delivered down to us may be capable, in fome inftances, of alteration and improvement, he had spoken more agreeably to truth, though lefs adequately to his purpose. For what he has alledged has a plain tendency to fhew the neceffity rather of pulling down than repairing our spiritual building. On the whole, as he has conducted matters, I know not any one perfon upon earth under fo many obligations to him as the Pope of Rome. I fhall I fhall take this opportunity to animadvert on certain dirty afperfions in a late performance from the hand of a rigid non-conformift, and perhaps an avowed unbeliever, and perhaps both. The anonymous editor of Dr. Johnson's Life of Dr. I. Watts with Notes, facrifices to the virulence of his diposition every regard to decency, charity, and truth. It will be proper to trace this calumny to it's fource." Happy, fays the celebrated Biogra"pher, will be that reader (viz. of the works of "Dr. W.) whose mind is disposed by his verses or "his profe, to imitate him in all but his Non-con 6 formity, to copy his benevolence to man, and "his reverence to God." Is there any thing in this to put a man of candour, or a man of sense out of humour? Yet our Editor afks, "is not this ex"ception, and even the mention of this circum"stance, a ftriking proof of Dr. Johnson's bigotted "attachment to the national established mode of "worship?" It is really no proof at all. How far Dr. J. was in fact a bigot to establishments, I undertake not to determine; but the period just quoted by no means proves him to have been fo. The moft moderate Chnrchman breathing has not the better opinion of Dr. W. for his Non-conformity. I cannot think fuch an one could have " mentioned this circumstance" more tenderly, had he mentioned it at all; and with what propriety Dr. W's Biographer could have left it unmentioned, I muft leave leave it to this Gentleman to explain to us. 186 vour, nor ought it to be matter of cenfure to "his fellow-creatures. If a man in uniting with 66 any Christian community, appears to follow the "dictates of his own confcience, &c, he deferves -"the efteem of all parties, and to object to his peculiarity of religious profeffion is the mark of a little mind.” Now this is partly true, partly false, but, you fee, as far as Dr. Johnson is concerned, wholly impertinent. There is as little as poffible of cenfure, 'or of objection in the fentence above quoted from him. As to fincerity of perfuafion, no body denies the validity of it's pretenfions; but at the fame time what will make an honeft man will by no means conftitute a "true Chriftian."." Reverence to God and benevolence to man are indeed the “two grand effentials of all religion;" and, to borrow our author's term, they MAY be poffeft by Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics. Foto ..." That Dr. W. was confcientious in his Non-conformity," will be readily admitted; but furely this will not juftify the unfairnefs, or the duplicity, or 1 |