thefe Republicans to the horrors of French tyranny. It is evident that, humanly speaking, arms could not have conquered them, had they steadily refifted these invaders of their ancient liberties and independence. But, contaminated in their cities and towns by the principles of Voltaire's system (a fubject paffed over by M. Mallet du Pan), which it is well known had even penetrated into the receffes of their mountains, they fubjected themselves to the punishment of blindness to the designs and artifices of their enemy, till treachery baffled their counfels, and energy became useless. Unhappy People! Could not the fimplicity of your manners, the fuperior purity of . your morals, yet but partially injured by the corrofive touch of the Destroyer-could not these protect you from the general delufion? How loudly then to you proclaim, that A STEDFAST ADHERENCE TO THE RELIGION OF CHRIST, is the "one thing needful" to our preservation!

Listen ye apoftate ftates of Germany ! Liften, and be wife in time! Ye feem "to have a space allowed you for repentance;" reject not the mercy of your God!

VOL. II.

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Far

Far be it from me to say that "OUR mountain ftands ftrong, and fhall never be moved." The ark of the Lord was a fecurity to the Jews, only fo long as they obeyed his commandments. And the Church of England will be our protection, only fo long as we feel the value of the Gofpel, believe in its doctrines, and obey its precepts. But, confidering the established Church of England as founded upon Apoftolic authority, as containing and teaching the uncorrupted doctrines of the Gofpel, and as the pureft church existing now on earth, I venture to affirm, that to this invaluable bleffing do we primarily owe the fignal marks of Divine favour, by which we are fo peculiarly diftinguished.

It

The opinion of the learned and enlightened Grotius, respecting the Church of England, as it must be allowed to be unbiaffed, will perhaps be allowed to be important. In a letter, dated 1638, to a Dutch divine concerning the Reformation, he fays, "You fee how great a progress they have made in England, in purging out pernicious doctrines; chiefly for this reafon, because they who undertook that holy work, admitted of nothing new, nothing of their own, but had their eyes wholly fixed upon another world." In 1645, he writes, "The English Liturgy was always accounted the best

by

It is not within my province, to paint the political greatness of Britain, at a moment when fo many other ftates are either blotted from existence, or are finking, with disgrace into ruin. Other Other pens muft describe the glorious contraft fhe exhibits, when compared with all the Powers on earth, in fpirit, in principle, in public faith, unfullied honour, loyalty, juftice, charity -in trade, opulence, and population-in the fplendor of her victories, fince unconnected with the powers fhe could not, cannot fave; and in the magnanimity of her conduct, amidst unprecedented provocations.

But it is ftrictly my office, to mention with exulting gratitude, that Britain's Sovereign has not liftened "to the fpirits, which already have tempted fo many of the kings of the earth to join the league

by all learned men." And in 1638, he professed it to be his firm opinion, that "the Church of England was the likelieft to ftand of any Church that day in being." See Clarke's Grotius. It is certain, that he esteemed the form of Church Government in England, as exceeding all others in the Christian world in primitive excellence, that is, in other words, Apoftolic authority. against

T 2

against the Prince of Princes 2"-that, foremost to honour his religion, protect his fervants, and give glory to his name, HER KING, and HER PEOPLE, collectively confidered, have as yet ftood firm against the affaults and artifices of Infidelity, because thefe circumstances prove the profperity of this country to accord, as ftrictly as the adverfity of other nations, with the explanatory. principle derived from thefe refearches into the Prophecies.

For, while, with the whole world, I attribute in the most decided manner the present state of this kingdom to the measures early adopted and steadily pursued by its Government, I conceive it to be the higheft panegyric that can be paffed upon any Minifter, to confider him as raised up by God at this important period, to be the faviour of his country, and look to a higher fource for the enjoyment of fuch a distinguished bleffing.

Guided by thefe opinions, I hesitate not to mention among the various causes which,

2 Rev.xvi. 13, 14.

with the bleffing of God, have protected the principles of the nation at large, from the machinations of Jacobinifm, and have produced the marked difference in our conduct in the day of trial, from the conduct of our Proteftant brethren on the continent; the Society formed for the fuppreffion of vice and immorality, by the exprefs authority of a Royal Proclamation", the establishment of Sunday Schools b at the

a The Royal Proclamation was iffued in the year 1793, and the Society formed under the immediate patronage of the King.

By Mr. Raikes of Gloucefter. Many thousand Sunday Schools have been eftablished, or in part fupported, by the fund raised by volùntary subscription for this purpose; and the number maintained and encou raged by private charity is very confiderable. This inftitution, like every other, may be abused; but its beneficial effects, under the direction of a resident clergyman, are obvious; and experience, the beft teft, has abundantly proved its general utility.

I have been informed fince the firft publication of this work, that the zeal for Sunday Schools is rapidly declining, although another reafon has been added for its increase. Our adverfaries, baffled in their attempts to make the lower claffes of our people Infidels, are in many places now ftraining every nerve to make them Fanatics. They remember the fuccefs of the Puritans n the time of Charles I. and having infufed into the fect of Methadifts the principles of enmity to the Church