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

as,

But let us for a moment reflect, and let the reflection teach us wifdom, that the fame phænomena of nature, which were brought in evidence of the figments of remote 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 circumftanced, 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 present month (September.)

As the motives which induce me to em

brace

* In this progress, from the investigation of fcriptural truth to its final consequence, the establishment of chriftian peace, it appears to me to be effentially necessary, that an open avowal of our perfuafion should accompany a change of sentiment in every instance of importance, 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 misconstrued, 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 remonftrance, 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 fubfcription to fyftematic articles of faith and doctrine, from the teachers of the gospel in a protestant church.

My own obfervation, in the university of Cambridge, further tended to fatisfy me with refpect to the impropriety of fuch 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 proposed as explanatory of the word of God.

It appeared to me, to be a fufficient reafon for fuch application, that the doctrines, contained in the thirty-nine articles, being the deductions of frail and fallible men, and expreffed in unfcriptural terms, were effentially differenced, in point of authority, from those holy fcriptures, to which we have profeffed an abfolute and unreserved submission, 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 exercise of which, our own church, in particular, in one of her forms of ordination, not only allows us, but injoins.

It also appeared evident to me, that the inquiry, whether or no the thirty-nine articles express the genuine sense of scripture, was a question of a very different nature from that, to which the petitioners invited the attention of their brethren; that persons of the most opposite opinions, with respect to the doctrine of the articles, might unite in a declaration, that every attempt to effect an uniformity of fentiment concerning the sense of scripture, by other means than the force of argument, and rational conviction, was utterly unwarrantable, and bore too striking a resemblance to that spirit of intolerance, which forms the distinguishing character of anti-christian Rome: and, laftly, that many members of our church might be truly fenfible of the inexpediency of requiring this fubfcription; might address a competent tribunal with a view of effecting an abolition of the practice, and yet continue to hold and to accept preferment, without violating the dictates of confcience, and with great advantage to the christian cause.

My objections, my lord, to the accepting and the holding of preferment in the church