Serious and practical Christianity was at its lowest ebb; vital religion, so flourishing at, and subsequent to the Reformation, until stifled by the esta blished church, under Laud and Sheldon, was scarcely known. The only thing insisted upon, seemed to be a defence of the outworks of Christianity, against the incessant attacks of avowed infidels. And what was the consequence? The writings of infidels multiplied daily, and infidelity spread rapidly among persons of every rank, not because they were reasoned into it, by force of argument; but because the state clergy held them in entire ignorance of Christ, and of the power of the Gospel.

Hear bishop Butler, a man by no means likely to exaggerate the actual state of things: he says, in the preface to his immortal work on "The Analogy of Religion, natural and revealed, to the constitution and course of nature," written in May, 1736,-"it is come, I know not how, to be taken for granted, that Christianity is not so much as a subject of inquiry; but that it is now, at length, discovered to be fictitious; and, accordingly, they treat it as if, in the present age, this was an agreed point among all people of discernment; and nothing remained but to set it up as a principal subject of mirth and ridicule; as it were, by way of reprisals for its having so long interrupted the pleasures of the world."

In proportion as Whitfield's popularity increased, did his clerical brethren in the establishment oppose and vilify him. Some of them told him that he should not preach again in their pulpits, unless he renounced that part of the preface to his sermon on regeneration, wherein he wished" that his brethren would entertain their auditors oftener with discourses

upon the new birth." The state clergy were also exceedingly angry at his free conversation with serious dissenters, who often invited him to their houses; and repeatedly told him, that if the doctrines of the new birth and of justification by faith, were preached

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powerfully in the established church, there would be few dissenters in England.

It cannot be too often repeated, nor too deeply considered, by those who wish well to the real, the best interests of religion, and of the protestant episcopal church; that, from the time Laud carried the English establishment over from its original Augustinism, or Calvinism, into ostensible Arminianism, but into real formalism, down to the revival of religion, in the reign of George the second; the established church of England languished, and other denominations multiplied upon her decline; and infidelity, also, gained ground rapidly, and spread widely throughout the whole nation.

The Anglican Church clergy, it must, be acknowledged, have, as a body, since the Reformation, maintained a high character for talent and learning; and have written ably and well, upon every subject connected with theology; from expounding and defending the internal, the essential truths of Revelation, down to the mere exterior of the visible church. And, above all, some eminently pious, evangelical men have been found within her venerable pale, in all ages. God has never been left entirely without witnesses in her, notwithstanding her secular state establishment. She has always had some children, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. But, generally speaking, the leprosy of formalism pervaded and poisoned the living waters of that church, in their springs, and in their fountains; from the era of Laud's apostacy and persecution, until nearly the middle of the eighteenth century.

Since that period the evangelical doctrines of the Anglican Church, have been faithfully promulgated by an increasing number of her clergy; notwithstanding the virulent opposition of their formal brethren, in the shape of misrepresentation and calumny; and the more substantial arguments of her formal bishops, in silencing curates, and refusing to counter

BOLINGBROKE-CALVIN.

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sign the testimonials of presentees, that have been found guilty of preaching the Gospel, and enforcing the doctrines of grace; the doctrines of the Reformation; the doctrines of the Anglican articles and homilies.

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The notorious infidel, Bolingbroke, was reading Calvin's Institutes, when Mr. Church, an established clergyman called upon him. "You have caught me," said the political patron of the English establishment, " reading John Calvin; he was, indeed, a man of great parts, profound sense, and vast learning; he handles the doctrines of grace in a very masterly manner. "Doctrines of grace!" exclaimed the learned clerk, "the doctrines of grace have set all mankind together by the ears." "I am surprised to hear you say so," answered the peer," you, who profess to believe and to preach Christianity. Those doctrines are certainly the doctrines of the Bible, and if I believe the Bible, I must believe them. And let me seriously tell you, that the greatest miracle in the world, is the subsistence of Christianity, and its continued preservation as a religion, when the preaching of it is committed to the care of such unchristian wretches as you.'

At the time of the revival of religion in England, towards the middle of the eighteenth century, the state clergy, pretty generally, conformed to the world, in the spirit of the world; following its trifling pleasures, or immersed in its secular pursuits. It was quite enough for them to "do ministerial duty," as the phrase is, on a Sunday; without attempting to improve their own minds by study, or to promote the spiritual interests of the flocks they fleeced. They were easy companions for easy men, who gave themselves no trouble about their own souls, or about God, or any thing else, but taking their pastime in this present world.

Give such men the pleasures of the earth for a season; and the honour of Christ, and the salvation of sinners are subordinate matters, which may be

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attended to at any, or at no time, as the case may be. It was a great matter for an established clerk to emerge from the low debauchery of the times; to abstain from gross swearing, unless in suitable company; and to sleep off a drunken frolic, with all due decorum. Is it to promote piety, and prevent heathenism, that a national church establishment nourishes within her bosom, swearing, drinking, hunting, horseracing, gambling, ungodly priests?

An unlucky servant spilled some soup upon the laced waistcoat of Sir Jonathan Trelawney, who returned the compliment, by pouring out a volley of oaths upon the culprit. Observing one of the company stare, he smiled, and said "I do not swear, as the bishop of but only as sir Jonathan Trelawney." "Pray, my lord," replied the gentleman, "if the baronet goes to hell, what is to become of the bishop ?"

But where such gross conduct and open profaneness were avoided, what good did the formal preaching of the state clergy effect? Mere morality, derived from man's own unassisted strength, neither comes from, nor goes to, the heart. With the whole amount of human efforts, and human attainments, all fallen, corrupt, depraved, feeble, no immortal soul can be satisfied or saved. It was preaching Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, that brought men out from the darkness and death of popery at the Reformation. And it is the only preaching that can, at any time, awaken sinners to a true sense of their eternal interests. It is this preaching which has drawn, and still continues to draw, thousands from the English established church to the worship and communion of the dissenters; and it is this preaching alone, that can ever again build up the establishment in strength.

Intermediate the complaints of bishop Stillingfleet, Dr. Owen and bishop Butler, in the years 1662, 1671 and 1736, respecting the infidelity and profligacy of England, we have similar lamentations from the archbishop of Canterbury and thirteen bishops,

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in their Declaration against the Rebellion, published in the year 1715.

These prelates affirm, that the chief hopes of the enemy to succeed in the excited rebellion, arose from discontents, fomented by those, who, too much valued by themselves and others for their pretended zeal for the Anglican Church, had joined with papists in their nefarious schemes. That members of the established church of England, amidst high professions of zeal for her interests, and fierce denunciations against all nonepiscopalians, and dissenters, should attempt to set up a popish pretender for the support of that church, is declared to be such an absurdity, as nothing but an infatuation from God, inflicted for their sins, could suffer to pass upon the nation.

The infidelity, hypocrisy, contention and hatred, charged by this episcopal declaration upon England, are confirmed by every contemporary publication, which characterizes that period. The gall and bitterness, with which the high church tories, during the reigns of William and Ann, had laboured to poison all social intercourse, and to stifle all religious liberty, had, in the natural order of things, produced a general indifference, and infidelity. The infidel writers were so numerous, and so successful in proselyting the higher classes of the community, that many well-meaning persons foreboded the speedy extinction of Revelation in England. And some years afterwards, bishop Butler told his clergy, in a diocesan charge, that "the influence of religion is more and more wearing out of the minds of men; the number of those, who avow themselves unbelievers, increase, and with their numbers, their zeal. The deplorable distinction of our age, is an avowed scorn of religion in some, and a growing disregard to it in the generality."

And no wonder; seeing that the strain of preaching in the English church establishment had been,