to a particular church, though many of them now think that by virtue of communion of churches, he may preach authoritatively, and adminifter the ordinances to other churches upon extraordinary occafions. 4th, That it is not absolutely neceffary that a minister be ordained by the impofition of hands of other minifters, but only requifite that other ministers should be there present as advisers and affiftants when he is ordained by the church that is fet apart by their choice, his acceptance, mutual fasting and prayer. 5th, They generally hold more to the doctrine of Calvin than Prefbyterians do. 6th, They think it not fufficient ground to be admitted a member, if the perfon be only examined as to his doctrinal knowledge and fobriety of conversation; but they require with all fome hints, or means, or evidences of the work of Grace on their fouls, to be profeffed by them, and that not only to the minifter but to the elders alfo, who are joint rulers in the church. Though this profeffion of fome of their experiences is generally made first to the minister, either by word or writing, but the elders always hear it and are fatiffied before the person is admitted a member. 7th, These relations; which the Independents require, are not (as fome think) of the word or fcripture,

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or time, or place, or fermon, by which they were converted; for very few can tell this, but only they difcourfe and examine them a little of the way of their conviction of fin, of their being brought to know Chrift, or at least ask them what evidences they can give why they hope they are true believers, and try to fearch whether there be fincerity in the heart as much as may be found by outward profeffion; that they may, as much as in them lies, exclude hypocrites.

From

From Mr. ENOCH WATTS to the Reverend Doctor his Brother, importuning him to publish his Hymns, &c.

DEAR BROTHER,

Southampton, March, 1700.

IN your laft, you discovered an inclination to

oblige the world by fhewing it your Hymns in print; and I heartily with, as well for the fatisfaction of the public as myfelf, that you were fomething more than inclinable thereunto; I have frequently importuned you to it before now, and your invention as often furnished you with fome modest reply to the contrary, as if what I urged was only the effect of a rafh and inconfiderate fondness to a brother, but you will have other thoughts of the matter, when I firft affure you that that affection, which is infeparable from our near relationship, would have had in me a very different operation, for inftead of preffing you to publish, I fhould with my laft efforts have endeavoured the concealment of them, if my beft judgment did not direct me to believe it highly conducing to a general benefit, without the leaft particular difadvantage to yourfelf; this latter I need not have mentioned, for I am very confident, whoever has the happiness of reading your Hymns (unless he be either fot

or atheist, will have a very favourable opinion of their author, fo that at the fame time you contribute to the univerfal advantage, you will procure the esteem of men the most judicious and fenfible.

In the second place, you may please to confider, how very mean the performers in this kind of poetry appear in the pieces already extant. Some ancient ones I have seen in my time, who flourished in Hopkins and Sternhold's reign, but Mason now reduces this kind of writing to a fort of yawning indifferency, and honeft Barton chimes us afleep. There is therefore great need of a piece, vigorous and lively as yours, to quicken and revive the dying devotion of the age, to which nothing can afford fuch affiftance as poetry, contrived on purpose to 'elevate us even above ourselves. To what may we impute the prevalency of the fongs, filled with the fabulous divinity of the ancient fathers, on our paffions? Is it, think you, only owing to a natural propenfity in us to be in love with fable, and averfe to truth in her native plainness. I presume it may partly be afcribed to this, that as romance has really more need of artifice than truth to fet it off, fo it generally has fuch an abundance more, that it feldom fails of affecting us, by making new and agreeable impreffions. Yours now is the old truth, ftripped of its ragged ornaments, and appears, if we may fay fo, younger by ages

in a new and fashionable drefs, which is commonly tempting.

And as for thofe modern gentlemen, who have lately exhibited their verfion of the pfalms: all of them I have not seen I confefs, and perhaps it would not be worth while to do it, unlefs I had a mind to play the critic, which you know is not my talent; but those I have read confess to me a vast deference to yours, though they are done by perfons of mean credit. Dr. Patrick moft certainly has the report of a very learned man, and, they fay, understands the Hebrew extremely well, which indeed capacitates him for a tranflator, but he is thereby never the more enabled to verfify. Tate and Brady ftill keep near the fame pace; I know not what fober beast they ride (one that will be content to carry double) but I am fure it is no Pegafus; there is in them a mighty deficiency of that life and foul, which is neceffary to raise our fancies and kindle and fire our paffions; and fomething or other they have to alledge against the rest of adventurers; but I have been perfuaded a great while fince, that were David to fpeak English he would choose to make ufe of your ftyle. If what I have faid feems to have no weight with you, yet you cannot be ignorant what a load of fcandal lies on the Diffenters, only for their imagined

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