For this reafon, I humbly intreat you, who, by your exalted stations, only can do it with fuccefs, to frown upon the luxurious and afpiring, to encourage the humble and diligent clergyman. The intereft of religion in this nation, is an object of the highest value in itself, and infeparable from our temporal profperity. On both accounts I hope it will be the object of your moft tender care; and, in return, may it pleafe God to make you know to your happy experience the truth of his own word, Them that honor me, I will honor; but they that deแ fpife me, fhall be lightly efteemed."

I am, &c.

A SERIOUS

A POL OG Y

FOR THE

ECCLESIASTICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

TH

HE Ecclefiaftical Characteristics is evidently a fatire upon clergymen of a certain character. It is a fatire too, which every body must fee was intended to carry in it no fmall measure of keenness and severity. This was to be expected from the nature and defign of the performance. A fatire that does not bite is good for nothing. Hence it neceffarily follows, that it is effential to this manner of writing, to provoke and give offence. The greatest fatirifts, in all ages, have made juft as many enemies to themselves, as they expofed objects of scorn and derifion to the public. It was certainly, on this account, easy to forefee what would be the effect of the pub-lication of fuch a piece, if it was executed in a tolerable manner; and therefore I hope every impartial perfon will not only acquit me of blame, but confefs I acted very prudently in not fetting my name to the work.

The event juftified this precaution. The rage and fury of many minifters in Scotland when this pamphlet was first published, is known almoft to all its readers.

Hiflory informs us, that Horace, for his admired fatires, had many private enemies in Rome; and it has been faid, that our countryman Mr. Pope, durft hardly walk the streets of London, fome years before his death, through fear of being attacked or piftoled, even when he met with the highest encouragement from the public.

The most opprobrious names were beftowed upon the concealed author, and the most dreadful threatenings ut. tered, in cafe they fhould be fo fortunate as to difcover and convict him. One gentleman in particular, who fell under the imputation of being concerned in it, has ever fince been the object of their deteftation and refentment; although I think it remains yet very uncertain, what hand he had, or whether he had any hand at all, in its compofition; a queftion which I hope the prefent production, by a comparison with his other works, will enable the fharp-fighted public to determine.

But though I had by good management provided my. felf a fhelter from the ftorm, it is not to be fuppofed but I heard it well enough rattling over my head. The truth is, I have liftened with all poffible attention to the objec tions raised against this performance; and found with much concern, that the great endeavor of its enemies has been to reprefent the general defign of it as contrary to the intereft of religion; and the fpirit and manner of it, as inconfiftent with the Chriftian temper. The common cry has been, "The author must be a man of a bad heart

-No good man could write fuch a piece." This has given me an irresistible inclination, upon notice that a new edition of it is intended, to fend into the world, at the fame time, a ferious apology for it, not only for my own vindication, but that if it hath any capacity of doing good, this happy purpose may not be defeated by the im plicit credit given to fo heavy an accufation.

In entering upon this talk, I take the liberty to affirm, that what firft induced me to write, was a deep concern for the declining intereft of religion in the church of Scotland, mixed with fome indignation at what appeared to me a ftrange abufe of church-authority in the years 1751 and 1752.* The reafons of its particular ftructure

This refers to the rebuking and depofing minifters who did not think themselves at liberty to join in the ordination of a paftor without a people. The firft was done in the cafe of Mr. Adam and the prefbytery of Linlithgow, who declined being prefent at the fettlement of Torphichen; the fecond, in the cafe of Mr. Gillespie, in the fettlement of Inverkeithing.

will be given afterwards; in the mean time, the reader may reft affured, that this defence fhall be wholly ferious, and fhall not contain a fingle propofition which, in its plain and literal meaning, the author does not believe to be true. Not fo much as attempting to borrow any affif tance from wit and ridicule, he fubmits his caufe to be tried by calm difpaffionate reafoning, and only begs the impartial attention of the reader.

To free the question from ambiguity, it will be neceffary to confider the performance diftinctly, under the three following heads. 1. The fubject of it in general; which is confeffed to be an attack upon the principles, manners, and political conduct of certain clergymen. 2. Why it is written in an affumed character and ironical ftyle. 3. What occafion was given for it by thofe to whom it was evidently applied, viz. the minifters of our own church.

I. Let us confider the subject in general, viz. attacking and exposing the characters of clergymen. While I am fpeaking upon this head, I must take it for granted, that the faults are real; that the fatire and reproofs are juft, An objection against the performance has been often made to this purpose: "Suppofing the things cenfured "to be true, what end does it ferve to publish them ?"If tenderness for the reputation of the offenders could "not prevent fuch cruel treatment, ought not a regard "for the edification of others, and the fuccefs of the gof"pel in their hand, to have difpofed a good man to throw "a veil over their infirmities? Is not religion wounded "through their fides, and occafion given to infidels to tri"umph?"

In anfwer to this, I confefs myself to have very differ ent views of things from those who speak in this manner. Nay, I believe, that though there are fome who speak as they think, yet it is much more frequently the language of those who with nothing fo much as the undisturbed indulgence of themfelves in floth, luxury, or groffer crimes. I am altogether at a lofs to know what is the argument in reafon, or the precept in Scripture, which makes it criminal to cenfure minifters when they deferve it. That their station, like that of all other perfons of

influence, or in public employment, fhould make men very tender and cautious how they take up an evil report against them, and careful never to do it but on good grounds, I readily allow; but where the character is really bad, I hold it as a firft principle, that as it is in them doubly criminal and doubly pernicious, fo it ought to be expofed with double feverity. This is fo far from being contrary to the interest of religion, even when done by a clergyman, that nothing can be more honorable to it, than to fhow that there are fome fo bold as to reprove, and fo faithful as to withstand the corruptions of others. How far fecret wickednefs fhould be concealed, or scenes of iniquity not laid open, and fo fin turned into scandal in minifters, is a matter that would require a very careful and accurate difcuffion, and admits of many exceptions: but if, in any cafe, erroneous doctrine, or degeneracy of life, is plain and visible; to render them completely odious, muft certainly be a duty. When it is not done, it provokes men to conclude the clergy all combined together, like "Demetrius and the craftsmen," and more concerned for their own power and credit, than for the interest and benefit of thofe committed to their charge.

That irreligion and infidelity has made a rapid progress among us for fome time paft, is a certain, and a melancholy truth. Well! perhaps I fhall be told, That I have contributed to ftrengthen the cause of infidelity among the quality and gentry, by giving them fuch a representa tion of the clergy. I anfwer, That gentlemen's forming a bad opinion of clergymen contributes to promote infidelity, I will by no means deny; fo far from it, I affirm that without this, all other caufes put together, would not be able to produce it in any great degree. The great, as well as the vulgar, are always more influenced in their regard for, or contempt of religion, by what they fee in the characters and behavior of men, than by any speculative reasonings whatever. This is what they themfelves make no fcruple, on many occafions, to confefs. Bifhop Burnet, in his Difcourfe of the Paftoral Care, acquaints us, that, "having had much free converfation "with many that have been fatally corrupted that way,