the claim of him who gave us all, and the moving cries of human nature in diftrefs.

If then your charity only looks for an object to kindle at, and an opportunity to dilate itself, behold them both presented full in view, with every circumftance that ufually works the ftrongeft on a foul like yours! They are human creatures, tied to you by one common, one tender band of nature, so that you cannot but be hungry, till they are fupplied with food; you must be filled with apprehenfions, till their fears of perishing for want of fuftenance are removed. They are your fellow-christians, united to you in the fame body of Chrift: your heart feels for them, as they are men; and your confcience, as they are christians: you feel their diftrefs thro' Chrift your Saviour, who fuffers in their afflictions. How movingly do they work, at once, on your pity, your love, your piety! Is it poffible to raise this affection higher? Yes, when I put you in mind that they are Proteftants, you cannot but feel, as the object is brought nearer to you, and is confidered as the next adjoining member of Chrift, a more interefting warmth for it. This proceeds, not fo much from your preferring the name of a Proteftant to that of a Chriftian, as from a full conviction, that these men have proved themselves to be true Chriftians, by their inviolable adherence to the reformation, in fpight of every calamity, every terror.

From the horrible effects of a cruel perfecution (which, God be praised, you can only imagine) from confifcations, from dungeons, from racks, from fire, these your brethren fly for refuge to your arms; and it is justly a matter of doubt, whether the all-feeing eyes of God behold any thing in this world more pleafing to him than thofe arms, extended to embrace them, to feed, to clothe, to protect them, at once, from the fury of their unnatnral countrymen, from the inclemency of this untoward climate, and from

all

all the miseries of poverty and banishment together. In this lovely attitude you share the merits, without the pain, of their fidelity to Chrift; infomuch that it is not easy to say, whether we should more efteem their fuffering, or your protecting virtues! How honourable are the former! how beautiful the latter! Go on, dearly beloved in Chrift Jefus, and let these your brethren fee, that charity, divine charity, is ftronger in you, than diabolical malice in their bigotted perfecutors. Let it not be faid, that a falfe religion in any fet of men can fafter oppress, than the true one in you, can relieve.

Did thefe refugees run from a bad country, to a better; or from poverty at home, to riches abroad; we might have some reason to fufpect, either the principles for which they are harraffed, or the fincerity of their attachment to them.

But when we not only know their principles to be the fame with our own, but that of all men, they are the most national, probably because born and bred up in one of the finest countries on the globe; and that they are forced to leave all, or a great part of what they poffeffed, behind them; to what can we afcribe their removal hither, and into other parts of the world, where they are to ftruggle with a ftill harfher air, and a lefs relenting foil, excepting, to an honeft zeal for the truth, and a confcience that cannot bend to the world? A people, lefs fond of their native country, could not have made fo great a facrifice to their religion. In this light, they have a right to be confidered as confeffors, and to be both trusted and treated, by us at leaft, as fuch. It is for Chrift they fuffer; and if we are Chriftians, we muft love, we must pity, we must relieve them. You will be as well pleased, I believe, as I was, with the behaviour of a French gentlewoman, brought from Bourdeaux to Portsmouth, by a fea captain of my acquaintance, Her spirit and turn of mind will fo apt

ly

ly ferve to characterife thofe of her countrymen, that, to fave a greater expence of words for that purpofe, I fhall take the liberty to fet her before you, as the representative of the reft.

This excellent woman, having found means to turn her fortune, which was confiderable, into jewels, was in the night time conveyed on board the fhip of my friend, with all fhe was worth in a little cafket. Never was the mind of a human creature fo racked with fears and anxieties, till the ship was under fail. But the no fooner faw herself fairly difengaged from the country which she loved beft, and where she had left all her relations, than her fpirits began to rife, and discover that kind of joy, which others, after a long abfence, teftify on their approach to the place of their nativity and education. This pleafing fenfation gave figns of gradual encrease, as the drew nearer and nearer to the fituation fhe had chofen for her banishment. The moment she was landed, fhe threw herself on her face among the mud; and while, without the leaft regard either to the foulnefs of the spot, or the remarks of those who saw her, fhe kiffed the dirty ground, and grappled it with her fingers, bleffed land of liberty! fhe cried, have I at last attained my wifhes? Yes, gracious God (raising herself to her knees, and spreading her hands to heaven) I thank thee for this deliverance from a tyranny exercised on my confcience, and for placing me where thou alone art to reign over it by thy word, till I shall lay down my head in this beloved earth.

How lovely a fight was this, especially to the eyes of an Englishman! Now, altho' every French refugee does not give figns of equal transport on landing among us, and for a melancholy reafon, because he comes fript perhaps of all his worldly poffeffions, and uncertain where he shall look for the neceflaries of life; yet does he not come with the fame fentiVOL. IV. N n

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ments of religion? And as it is to be prefumed, fince he is deftitute of all fupport, and appears by his perfon, understanding, and behaviour, to have formerly lived in fome condition, that he hath made a greater facrifice to confcience, than the lady mentioned was obliged to do, ought we not to look upon him with at least equal efteem and affection? Ought not our abundance, now at this time, to be a fupply for bis want, that by the experiment of this miniftration he may glorify God for our profeffed fubjection unto the gospel of Chrift, and for our liberal diftribution unto him, and unto all men, circumftanced as he is?

It is objected, I know, by fome, that these men, having been bred prefbyterians, ought not to be too much encouraged, because they encrease the number of our diffenters, in proportion as they fettle among us; and confequently, in the fame proportion endanger the establishment, by that acceffion of ftrength, which they give to thofe who do not love it.

Too many, it is to be feared, of thefe objectors, have little christianity themselves, or they could not think of thus fhutting their hearts against fuch men as have proved themselves true chriftians. It is, and I hope ever will be, the glory of our church, that, altho' no other, fince the purity of the firft ages, hath afforded lefs pretence to deffenters, fhe hath, notwithstanding, always allowed more freedom and indulgence to those who differed from her, than other churches have done. Her only aim hath ever been, to make real christians, both in faith and practice, of all her members. Such the gladly receives to communion; and when, thro' their infirmities and prejudices, fhe cannot receive, fhe fhelters and protects them. So juft, and fo truly chriftian hath her conduct always been, and I truft, will ever be, towards the French refugees; who, in their turn, have in all respects fhewn themselves worthy of her indulgence. In the prefent scarcity of true believers, the

is ftill farther than ever, from preferring herself to the church of Chrift at large, or hardening her heart against his tried, his faithful fervants, merely on account of their scruples, howfoever trifling or groundlefs they may appear to be. He is therefore no true fon of this church, whatsoever he may pretend, or even in good earnest think, who is for fhutting the doors of charity against the oppreffed, against fuch as have given up their country, and all that was dear to them in this world, to preferve their confciences. Nor can he be a member of Chrift's church, who is not ready, as Chrift was, to help every human creature in diftress, whether agreeing, or differing with him in principles. What right can he have to talk of churches, who wants the characteristic charity of a christian, and confequently is of no church?

But to the honour of the refugees, and for the fatisfaction of fuch, as, through an honeft love to our church, regard them with fome coldness, because they do not immediately conform; it ought to be obferved, that they diffent not out of ftubbornefs or perverfity, but merely in confequence of the education they had received; that indeed they cannot immediately conform, inasmuch as they come hither wholly unacquainted with our language; and that, after they have attained to fome knowlege of that language, they feldom or never communicate with our native diffenters; but either keep up their own congregations, that they may afford their new countrymen an opportunity of ferving God in the only language they understand; or come over to the ef tablished church by hundreds every year, and by their unfeigned piety and virtue, rank themselves with the very beft members the can boaft of. But even during their ftate of feparation from our communion, are they not religious and honeft men? And if they are, fhall we not be vile diffenters ourfelves, Nn 2 from