discipline and government of the Church are hostile to it. This assumption is in the highest degree uncharitable, unjust, and impolitic.

It is uncharitable: for it attributes bad motives where there is no necessity to attribute them; and indulges in the worst construction, which the case can admit.

It is unjust for the charge is unfounded. Many are Dissenters by education, and probably can assign no stronger reason for dissent than the force of habit. You will easily discover many Churchmen of the same description. Many become Dissenters because they are remote from the Church; or, what is a very common case, because they cannot procure a seat. It is probable that many desert the Church for the reason assigned by Mr. Daubeny, (see Note, p. 114); and not a few for the reason assigned by Mr. Sikes, the plea of edification. Many leave us because they are delighted with the singing* of the Dissenters: and

* "There would be no harm, but, on the contrary, much reaonsable and pious service, if all of the congregation, who are able, would unite in singing Psalms with a well-regulated decency in the Church."-Tract by Dr. Gray, vol. vi. Tract 12, of Bartlett's Buildings' Society.

The following quotation taken from the Preface to "Select Portions of Psalms, &c." by the Rev. John Kempthorne, B. D. will not, I trust, be considered irrelevant.

"The object nearest the Editor's heart is the promotion of congregational singing of Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs ;' an important religious duty, which has been lamentably neglected in the Church of England, whilst it has been much cultivated by Christians of almost all other denominations: for singing praise to God, is as much a part of worship as confession or supplication; and they who meet in the house of God, or in families, for religious

many desert us from principle. But where is the proof that all these men are hostile? The truth is, that the peculiar constitution of the Church of England is in comparatively few instances the reason for dissent, and seldom enters into the contemplation of those who leave her communion.

It is impolitic. Good-will it cannot conciliate; and it is, from the nature of things, calculated to make enemies of those among the Dissenters, who are either perfectly neutral, or in fact friendly to the Establishment; and these form a very large

exercises, should join, provided they are able to sing with tolerable propriety, in this as well as other modes of expressing their inward devotion. Accordingly, in the primitive times it appears to have been usual for all Christian congregations to sing with one voice; and since the Reformation, the Protestant Churches in general háve been remarkable for the same practice. Choirs were not formed till the beginning of the fourth century, when the times were more corrupt; and they were. introduced as a temporary remedy for the irreverence and unskilfulness of congregations, in order to direct them till they were able to sing of themselves without such assistance. Our reformers, finding choirs established in many places, would not prohibit them; nor can they be understood to have enjoined them in parish churches. The Rubric, after the third Collect for Morning and Evening Service, barely mentions, without even recommending them; and though the same Rubric speaks of Anthems, yet it plainly uses the word in that large sense, in which it often occurs, as signifying any sacred song: such as may be used ' in all places where they sing,' as well as in choirs.

"Indeed, the practice of the Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, sufficiently shews their sentiments: for they themselves introduced metrical psalmody sung in unison by the whole congregation. In A. D. 1559, which was three years before any of Sternhold's translations were printed, after a sermon at Paul's Cross, they all sung in common a psalm in metre, as was then frequently done. The custom was brought from abroad by the exiles."

body. If you fulminate against them all one general anathema, you infallibly unite them, however discordant in themselves, against you and your cause. Every true friend of the Church would doubtless rise in her defence, if she were really in danger; but she will never gain an accession of strength by ill-founded suspicions, invectives, or intolerance toward those who have separated themselves from her. The wisdom from above, as we are taught by unerring authority, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits; without partiality and without hypocrisy. Let us shew the Dissenters, that we possess this wisdom. "Truth and love are two of the most powerful things in the world; and when they both go together they cannot easily be withstood. The golden beams of love, and the silken cords of truth, twisted together, will draw men on with a sweet violence, whether they will or no *"

Cudworth.-This passage is extracted from a sermon preached before the House of Commons, March 31, 1647, and annexed to the second edition of the Intellectual System, published by Thomas Birch, A. M. F. R. S. 1743. I shall be excused, I trust, if I introduce a longer quotation.

"Oh, divine love! the sweet harmony of souls! the music of angels! the joy of God's own heart! the very darling of his bosom! the source of true happiness! the pure quintessence of heaven! that which reconciles the jarring principles of the world, and makes them all chime together! that which melts men's hearts into one another! See how St. Paul describes it, and it cannot choose but enamour your affections towards it. Love envieth not; it is not puffed up; it doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,

10. The treatment which the episcopal patrons of the Bible Society have received from a Country Clergyman, has been already noticed. You are in no degree responsible for him or his sentiments; but I must be permitted to express my surprise, no less than my concern, that the consideration of the Society being honoured by the active support of so many Prelates did not operate to mitigate the severity of your remarks, if not altogether to prevent your expressing them *.

endureth all things. I may add, in a word, it is the best-natured thing, the best-complexioned thing in the world. Let us express this sweet harmonious affection in these jarring times; that so, if it be possible, we may tune the world into better music. Especially in matters of religion, let us strive with all meekness to instruct and convince one another. Let us endeavour to promote the Gospel of peace, the dove-like Gospel, with a dove-like spirit. This was the way by which the Gospel at first was propagated in the world. Christ did not cry, nor lift up his voice in the streets : a bruised reed he did not break, and the smoking flax he did not quench; and yet he brought forth judgment unto victory.

"He whispered the Gospel to us from Mount Sion in a still voice; and yet the sound thereof went out quickly throughout all the earth. The Gospel at first came down upon the world gently and softly, like the dew upon Gideon's fleece; and yet it quickly soaked quite through it; and doubtless this is still the most effectual way to promote it farther.

"Sweetness and ingenuity will more command men's mind, than passion, sourness, and severity; as the soft pillow sooner breaks the flint than the hardest marble. Let us αληθεύειν εν αγαπη, follow truth in love; and of the two, indeed, to be contented, rather miss of the conveying of a speculative truth, than to part with love.

"When we would convince men of any error by the strength of truth, let us withal pour the sweet balm of love upon their heads. Truth and love are two the most powerful things in the world; &c." Sermon, p. 59.

* See Dr. Wordsworth, pp. 15, 38, 40, 43, 45, 53, 61, 74, 93, 101, 143, &c.

Let it be considered, if you please, as matter of regret, that the dignitaries of the church did not foresee the evils, which, in your opinion, must arise from this "novel combination;" yet, when it had been long universally notorious, that many of the Bishops had for several years openly contributed their pecuniary assistance to the Bible Society, and had often attended its public meetings; when it had been long known to all the world, that they had not only permitted their names to appear in the list of its members, but that, by suffering themselves to be announced as its Vice-presidents, they had placed themselves at its head ;-surely it might have been expected, that a Society thus honoured and patronized should have been thought worthy of treatment more mild, and of respect more strongly marked. For you must observe, that the Bishops did not merely tolerate the institution, or contribute to it casual aid, but, by adopting and patronising its constitution and its principles, they gave to the Society the public stamp of their full and cordial authority. And who were these Bishops? Among them were to be found some of the most venerable of the whole Bench, for their age and experience, no less than for their cha

racters.

With these reflections in your mind, I should have supposed that even you, with all your apprehensions about the Bible Society, must have been led to suspect your own statement, and to conclude that your fears were either altogether groundless, or at least excessive in degree. It might, I think, have been expected, that you would have abstained