who know all my innermost designs from the first to the last of this whole affair, as much as I do myself, yet to avoid giving all possible occasion of offence to those who are fo ready to take it, I will own to you that I have hitherto declined going to Boston, though greatly folicited to it. And I have constantly confined myself within the narrow limits of this little government, where I live in the most private and inoffenfive manner, in expectation of my doom, which I count upon receiving from you, for I affure you, I have no other agent, resident, or friend left but yourself, from whom I can expect any effectual service. Perhaps if you got Mrs. Clayton to speak to the Queen, it might be the likelieft way to fucceed in obtaining the payment of his Majestie's grant: but you know who are the properest instruments, and how to recommend it in the best light. I long to hear the success of your endeavours. I pray God preserve your health, and encrease your interest and power, which as it must be agreeable to all your friends, so it is impossible that any one can with it more heartily and fincerely than, Dear Archdeacon, Your most affectionate humble Servant, My respects where they are due. I have not room for particulars, but you know them already. My wife joins with me in service to you. Adieu. LETTERS to a YOUNG GENTLEMAN intended for HOLY ORDERS. [These letters appeared originally in a Miscellany pub. lished above forty years fince, and now become very scarce. In reviving them, we are of opinion that many of our readers will be highly gratified.] H AD it LETTER I. pleased God, my dear brother, to preserve the life of our affectionate father, as the care of your edu. cation would not then have fallen upon me, so there would have been less occafion for any advice of mine, and consequently I should have felt less solicitude on your account: but Providence early depriving you of so great a comfort and blessing as the parental guidance, and the whole direction of your affairs devolving upon me; I have not only felt all the anxiety of a father for you, but studied every means in my power to promote your felicity. To this I was naturally led by a tender sense of the unspeakable obligations I owe to our dear parents; and whose solicitous affection for me shall never be forgotten, while memory holds a feat in my bosom; refolved, as I am, by God's afsistance, to act towards you, and I hope towards all others, in fuch a manner, as I know would give them pleasure, were they still with us; as I trust will give them pleasure, if peradventure the happy spirits of the deceased have any knowledge of what passes amongst us erring mortals below. means But let me add, with great truth, that though this due regard to our parents, as well as a compaffionate feeling for your orphan state, endeared you to me with more than a brother's love; yet your own behaviour has been such, as would alone have been fufficient to have interested me greatly in your welfare: friendship is now engrafted upon affection; and every winning motive thus confpires to make me anxious for your success and felicity in life. You will bear me witness, that I have not been deficient, hitherto, in using all my best endeavours for your service: I have not oinitted, in our frequent conversations together, to give you fuch directions respecting your studies, and that state of life which you have chosen, as appeared to me most necessary and advantageous. You know also very well my opinion respecting every branch of the clerical function. I have talked with you often and freely upon this head, and pointed out to you the path which will lead to the favour of God, your own peace, and to the respect of the world; at least, so far as it is defirable. 1 But as the time now draws nigh, when you are to enter into holy orders, and to affume the high and arduous character of a minifter of Jesus Christ, and an instructor of men in the things which concern their falvation; I have thought, that a few letters from me on the subject might not be unacceptable; in which though perhaps I may have nothing new to say to you, nothing more than what I have repeated many times in conversation; yet since what is written is apt to remain longer with us, at least may be preseryed always before us, I have determined to write down my fentiments to you on all the branches of the pastoral office, and to give you my opinion of the manner in which you should difcharge that office; after which I will speak of the general behaviour and deportment requifite for your function; and conclude with fome advice respecting the course of study VOL. XIV. Chm, Mag. Jan. 1808. C you you should purfue, and the books you should read; a list of which I will give you, in compliance with a request you once made to me; when, you may remember, you were complaining of the want of fome fuch information:---Now though these letters may have no great merit in them, and convey to you, as we before observed, no new flock of knowledge; yet I beg you to receive them, as a pledge of my fincere affection, and most tender friendship towards you: a friendship, my dear brother, which I pray God to continue to the end; and which I flatter myself we shall endeavour to preserve by the most harmonious concurrence, in every action and opinion. I remember, that a certain bishop * begins his letters of advice to his nephew, with remarking, that "It was much against his judgment and inclination that his nephew had made choice of divinity for his profeffion." A remark, which in itself favours strongly of a difcontented waspish spirit, but which comes furely with a peculiarly bad grace, from a man "who had arrived at the highest rank in his profession." A profeffion, which relations seem defirous to difcountenance their children from embracing; because it is not productive of the greatest temporal emoluments, or the readiest road to exorbitant riches! Men, who talk and reason thus, if they have any reflection, ought to blush: but when churchmen join in the affertion, we cannot but obferve, how much like the foolish bird, they bewray their own nefts, and cause the difcerning eye to fee the object of their main attention. Believe me, my dear brother, you will find the clerical function a most unpleasing one, if you enter into it with the views of fuch men :-if you propose it as the stalking horfe to worldly and ambitious designs, I cannot tell where you could fix to meet with more chagrin, diffatisfaction, disappointment, and malevolence. But on the other hand, allow me to fay, that if you take upon you this office, as a good man ought, and a wife man will take it; and as I do from my foul believe and hope is your fincere resolution; then let me be bold to say, you will find it the most happy, as unquestionably it is the most honourable profession upon earth. The reafon is evident, why it is not commonly found the most happy;-men do not esteem it the most honourable; and confequently, inattentive to the one thing needful, they run out in pursuit of extraneous objects, and bring home nothing Bishop Clayton in his tract, entitled " Advice from a Bishop." nothing but discomfort and discontent. But do not fo, my dear brother: confider the office in which you are engaged, and the duty to which you are called: make it your fixed and steady resolution to be confcientious, active and unwearied in the proper discharge of your duty: and I will venture to affure you of an inward peace and real satisfaction, which no other method of proceeding will or can afford. It does not follow from hence that you are to be unconcerned as to the things of this world, or wholly regardless of temporal advantages. The labourer is worthy of his hire. And it is certainly confiftent with the highest elevation of piety, to take a wife and prudent precaution so to live in this world, as not to be unhappily diftracted by its pressing neceffities from a just and becoming attention to the other. And I must observe, (for methinks it is a matter of much comfort and encouragement to all pious and zealous clergymen) that I have never known or feen an instance of any fuch clergyman, in real want or distress; except where it might well be accounted for from his own imprudent and unwife conduct; for all good men are not wife and prudent men; they are often not careful enough to blend the sagacity of the ferpent with the fimplicity of the dove. I hope you will always unite them: make it your motto, "Wife and harmless;" and then while free from the uneafy folicitudes of life, you will never come under the cenfure which they incur; who loving this world more than God, are perpetually hunting after its emoluments, to the disgrace of their functions, the prejudice of religion, and the total destruction of their own private felicity. Excuse the rest till the next opportunity, and believe me always, Yours, &c. ON THE BURIAL OF DISSENTERS. J. G. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S SIR, MAGAZINE. WITHOUT gazing at the novelty, or wondering how the letter of the Basingstoke Dissenter got place in the Orthodox Churchman's Magazine, I will endeavour to shew thew your readers how little is contained in it that can illuftrate his fubject, or prove the point, which he is so anxious to prove. He is concerned, he says, for the peace of society. So am I; but I fear, we differ in our mode of pursuing it: my rule is, to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called in all lowliness and meekness," &c. " endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." Ep. iv. 1. for without unity of spirit, I never yet saw peace. I therefore follow the Apostle's injunction, and "mark them who cause divisions" contrary to primitive doctrine, and am very cautious how I few pillows under the arms of those who separate themselves, "not having the spirit," Jude 14. by making no difference between them, and others who have not deferted the church. The peace of God's church, that peace which furpasseth all knowledge, and understanding, and learning, I am sure is better secured in this way, than by shewing the fame respect, and professing the same hope for him who is within the ark of Chrift's church, and for others who throw themselves out of it. Your correspondent of Basingstoke may be really concerned for peace, as he professes he is: but certainly his brethren who insist upon the burial of their dead at church, can by no means pretend to the same Christian spirit; when we speak "unto them of peace, they make themselves ready for battle." And for what is it they contend? for that which they only sometimes demand, when caprice or fome other motive spurs them on to the contest, and which at the same time they vilify and despise. Why do they not oblige the clergyman to baptize them, or to give them the Eucharift? Then the question upon burial would be settled, and peace would be secured. I have many a time, Sir, been furprized at the conduct of those dissenters, who seem so anxious for church burial; and can account for their proceedings only upon one or other of these suppositions: either that in spite of their separation, and their expressions of contempt for the ministrations of the church, they are sometimes unaccountably compelled to own the true church of Christ, or that they do it out of love of contention, merely to try how far, for the fake of peace, the ministers of the church will indulge their unreasonable demands, -unreasonable I say, in the extreme: for what would the dissenters say to churchmen, were the latter to bring their dead to the meetinghouse, and insist on the service of the dissenters? and if refused, |