men endued with living faith. This brings the Article to a ftill nearer agreement to the account given hy the Apoftle..

But it may be doubted, Whether the Article fpeaks of a particular Church, or of the Church Univerfal? The title, "Of the Church," feems to have reference to the Catholic Church. But the fecond claufe of the Article mentions the particular Churches of Jerufalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Rome. Perhaps it was intended to take in both: fo to define the Universal Church, as to keep in view the feveral particular Churches of which it is compofed.

17. These things being confidered, it is easy to answer that queftion, What is the Church of England? It is that part, those members of the univerfal Church, who are inhabitants of England, The Church of England is, that body of men in England in whom there is one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, which have one baptifm, and one God and Father of all. This and this alone is the Church of England, according to the doctrine of the Apostle.

18. But the definition of a Church, laid down in the Article, includes not only this, but much more, by that remarkable addition," in which the pure word of God is preached, and the facraments be duly adminiftred:" according to this definition, thofe congregations in which the pure word of God (a ftrong expreffion!) is not preached, are no parts either of the Church of England, or the Church Catholic. As neither are thofe, in which the facraments are not duly adminiftred.

19. I will not undertake to defend the curacy of this definition. I dare not exclude from the Church Catholic all thofe congregations in which any unfcriptural Doctrines, which cannot be affirmed to be the pure word of God, are fometimes, yea frequently preached. Neither all thofe Congregations in which the facraments are not duly adminiftred. Certainly if these things are fo, the Church of Rome is not fo much as a part of the Catholic Church: seeing therein neither is the pure

word

word of God preached, nor the facraments duly adminiftred. Whoever they are that have one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all, I can eafily bear with their holding wrong opinions, yea and fuperftitious modes of worship. Nor would I on these accounts fcruple, fill to include them within the pale of the Catholic Church. Neither would I have any objection to receive them, if they defired it, as members of the Church of England.

[To be concluded in our next.]

Some Account of Mr. JOHN PRITCHARD,

[Written by Himself.]

[Continued from Vol. viii. page 624.]

AUGUST, 1776, I was fent to London-Derry. In this

Circuit we had an increase. When I went to vifit Colerain, we had not one in Society; but after preaching in the streets a few evenings we joined together about fixty fouls, got a roomi in the barracs, and continued to go there regularly from that time.

This year we loft a most valuable friend in London-Derry, viz. Mr. John Smith, who was a pattern to all that believed: who for years ftemmed the tide, and swam against the stream of corrupt cuftoms and finful examples; and who now enjoys the crown prepared for him, and fees Him whom his foul loved.

Our Circuit was large and painful to travel; having to go to Colerain on the one hand, and to the dreary county of Donegal on the other; and round by Lough-Dereg to Lifleen: to which the Papists refort from all parts of Ireland, England, and fometimes from foreign countries, to expiate their fins, as they imagine.

In

In the depth of winter I was taken very ill at Mrs. Johnson's. Great was the love, and multiplied were the favours I received from her. For all the time I was ill at her houfe fhe was to me as an affectionate mother and a tender nurse. Her example increased my defires for holinefs, and wrought in me a greater degree of zeal to promote the intereft of our Saviour wherever I came.

In this vifitation I found the truth of thofe words, "Bleffed is the man whom God fcourgeth, and teacheth out of his law." Scourging and teaching I obferved generally go together. I found it was a means of improving my grace, and an evidence that I was not a baftard, but a fon. I alfo found that it tended to wean me from the world, and to prepare me for a greater reward in my Father's kingdom.

July 1777, I returned to England, after spending four years in Ireland; and three out of the four in the North; during which time my Mother died, which left me more free to preach Christ, wherever the Lord pointed out my way. I came to Dublin and embarked for Liverpool in company with Mr. John Hampfon, Mr. Floyd, and others. But the high winds which are frequent in St. George's Channel, and which are fatal to many veffels in the paffage from Ireland to this kingdom, were near proving fo to us. For we were driven on the coaft of North-Wales in the night; but by the bleffing of God, with fome difficulty we landed at Beaumaris early in the morning; and about the third day we arrived fafe at Briftol which was the day before the Conference began.

During this meeting I experienced much felf-abafement; being conscious of my unworthiness of the connexion I was in. Every one there appeared as a bright light compared to me. However I was appointed for Brifto! that year. When I came to preach to fuch a great body of people my foul fainted within me. But the Lord ftrengthened me, and gave me to fee that nothing of confequence could be atchieved with a faint heart, nor great matters undertaken

without

without refolution. Accordingly I applied myself to reading, meditation, and prayer; and found a bleffing in fo doing,

In Auguft, 1778, being appointed for Northampton Circuit, I left the dear people of Bristol with reluctance, and came to London, the place from which I firft fet out to travel. With tears I furveyed the interval of time fince I betook myself to the highways and hedges, and changed my quiet habitation for a public one, and the filent fhades for troubled feas! Since then I have not been without fuch difficulties, as unavoidably attend us. And though I had not been wanting to count the coft, yet I have often been like the widowed dove when I thought upon the time, the place, and people among whom I drew the warmeft breath after heaven. But furely the time will come, when we fhall for ever enjoy the company of thofe moft dear to us.

After a few days I fet off for Northampton, where I foon found the preaching of the crofs but cooly received by the inhabitants in general, where Chrift is much talked of, but I fear is kept at too great a diftance. There is much faid of outward things, but little of the inward washing of regeneration, and univerfal obedience. Many fpeak great fwelling words about imputed righteoufnefs, promifing to others liberty, while they themselves are the fervants of fin. I was much distressed to fee the Antinomian Minifters and doctrines carry the multitude after them, which made me cry, "How long O Lord God, holy and true, will it be ere thou wilt come, and maintain thy own caufe !”

In the winter my horfe fell ill, and I being poor (for a Methodi ft Preacher is likely fo to be as long as he lives) and the people poor alfo, I travelled the winter and fpring quarters on foot, about twelve hundred miles. Mean time whatsoever I parted with on earth was amply made up to me in Chrift and his people. My love to them was fo great that I could wil. lingly have died to promote their welfare. Through this love VOL. IX. C

I could

I could keep nothing as my own: but freely communicated what I had to others. And thus, through perfeverance under the cross, I found the truth of thofe words, "The path of the juft is as the fhining light, that fhineth more and more to the perfect day."

[To be concluded in our next.]

A Short Account of the Death of JOHN HENRY, of Killtycohel, in Ireland.

Ο

N the 17th inftant, John Henry was attacked with the fymptoms of a Pleurify. I vifited him on the 19th and 20th, and found him ftriving to fay to God, Thy will be done.

On the 22d I visited him again, and found him in a dangerous ftate. On this I advised him to fettle his temporal affairs. But he seemed confident he fhould not die. Here I was at a full ftand.

In this frame of mind he continued till the night of the 23d, when the arrows of death funk fo deep into his mortal part, as to force him to yield to the evidence of his approaching diffolution. I was then fent for in all hafte, and having fettled his temporal affairs, endeavoured to ftrengthen him for his folemn change.

1

The reft of the night he spent in the agonies of death; now and then groaning out his foul in ardent, though fhort prayers to God. About eight the next morning, he fell into the most dreadful agony of foul I ever faw! His eyes glared with terror! His countenance looked wild and ghaftly! while the fweat poured in ftreams down his hair and face! His anguifh was fo great that he frequently attempted to force himself out of bed, and his groans were fufficient to wound a heart of flone! Thus he ftruggled in the extremity of woe, for the

fpace