ner in which we generally conduct ourselves in the investigation of religious truth.

The inquirer into the credenda, contained in the gospel, resembles the inquirer into the fundamental laws of nature, before a better philosophy had taught us the vanity of system, and inclined us to adopt the humbler process of experiment.

We begin our researches in theology with the affumption of a certain fet of religious tenets, and frequently employ the most valuable of thofe hours which we deftine to facred study, in collecting arguments in their favour, and in vain endeavours to explain them; while every text of scripture is, in its turn, perverted from its obvious meaning, in order to fupport them.

How much more reasonable, previously to investigate, with patience and critical attention, the sense of each particular text or paffage, in the natural order of the writer, and to defer the formation of opinion, until, like a principle of found philofophy, fuggefted by a numerous train of experiments, it forces itself with accumulated evidence on the yielding mind!

It is folely owing to the prepofterous method of inquiry, above defcribed, that the holy records of our faith have, very injuriously, been fuppofed to be fa loosely worded, as, in fact, to countenance oppofite opinions, and to justify the most fantastic doctrines.

But let us for a moment reflect, and let the reflection teach us wisdom, that the fame phænomena of nature, which were brought in evidence of the figments of re→ mote antiquity, were alfo applied to fupport the equally vain hypothefes of more modern times. The laws of the material world, in confequence of the introduction of a better method of investigation, are, however, now demonftrated to be confiftent, fimple, and invariable, affording a just and easy explication of every natural appearance. If a fimilar procefs be obferved, fimilar fuccefs may reasonably be expected to be our reward, when we explore the facred fources of religious truth.

That unity of fentiment, refpecting the leading truths of revelation, which is the natural refult of a fober and unbiaffed fearch, conducted under the influence of the chrif

tian graces, leads to unity of religious worship; and unity of worship, thus circumstanced, to chriftian peace.*

I close these pages with my letter to my late diocefan.,

To the right rev. the bishop of Norwich.

MY LORD,

(Copy.)

I think it proper to give you this previous information, that I propofe to refign the rectory of Homersfield and vicarage of Flixton, into your lordship's hands, upon the 29th or 30th of the prefent month (September.)

As the motives which induce me to em

brace

* In this progrefs, from the investigation of fcriptural truth to its final consequence, the establishment of chriftian peace, it appears to me to be effentially neceffary, that an open avowal of our perfuafion fhould accompany a change of fentiment in every inftance of impor tance, more especially in that confequential article, the object of religious worship. And, therefore, I cannot but highly approve the general principle, on which Mr. Lindsey's plan of a reformed liturgy is founded, as well as that particular ceremonial, which he has given to the public, and continues to conduct with fo much propriety and fuccefs.

brace this refolution, may poffibly be misconftrued, it will not, I truft, be thought impertinent, if I state them to your lordship.

In the first place, I think it neceflary to affure your lordship, that, although I esteemed it to be my duty to take an active part in the late petition of the clergy, the principles maintained in that juft remonstrance, do not, in my apprehenfion, appear to lay me under any obligation to relinquish my present ftation.

The author of the "Confeffional," my lord, had convinced me of the unlawfulness and inexpediency of requiring a fubscription to fyftematic articles of faith and doctrine, from the teachers of the gofpel in a proteftant church.

My own obfervation, in the university of Cambridge, further tended to fatisfy me with respect to the impropriety of such a requifition: and the visible neglect of the study of the fcriptures, in this age and country, feemed, in a great measure, to be derived from that restraint of the exercise of private judgment, which is the unavoidable confequence of this unedifying impofition.

With these convictions, it was impoffible for me to decline engaging with those diftinguished friends of religious liberty, who affociated for the purpose of folliciting, for themselves and their brethren of the church of England, an exemption from the obligation of declaring or fubfcribing their affent to any formulary of doctrine, which should be propofed as explanatory of the word of God.

It appeared to me, to be a fufficient reason for fuch application, that the doctrines, contained in the thirty-nine articles, being the deductions of frail and fallible men, and expreffed in unscriptural terms, were effentially differenced, in point of authority, from those holy fcriptures, to which we have profeffed an abfolute and unreserved fubmiffion, as the only rule of religious faith and practice; and that the requifition of affent to them was, eventually, fubverfive of the right of private judgment; a right, on which every proteftant church was founded, and, the exercife of which, our own church, in particular, in one of her forms of ordination, not only allows us, but injoins.