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nt church, and preserve you from schism. you do not choose to listen to the friendly counel, we only say that you may repent of your conuct, and we wish you a good morning." I am orry, gentlemen, to intrude on your time and patience: ut pray hear me out in my own defence, and then con"No, we will stop ute me. "Let us go, doctor." and hear what Mr. has further to say. Go on, sir." You told me also, that I should" pray the stay and Gospel into the church, and that my prayers might prove the means of the conversion of the rector." Were you in earnest when you said so, or did you mean it as a joke? "I do not joke, sir, on such subjects: I was in earnest." Then, doctor, I can only express my astonishment. From what passage of Scripture, or from what principle of Christianity do you derive such a precept? I live in a town where there are two places of worship: at one of them the Gospel is preached, in the other it is not: and you say I should go to the place where it is not preached, and employ myself in praying for the minister's conversion. Till that takes place, I must lose all spiritual edification for myself and family. Why should I go to church to pray for the clergyman's conversion? May I not pray for him though I go to meeting? And have I not as good reason to hope for an answer to my prayers while I hear Christ's Gospel, as if I were On what peculiar founto continue to hear error. dation is my faith in this prayer to rest? What greater encouragement have I hope for his conversion, than that of any other sinner in England? If he were converted, he would be but a novice, both in standing and knowledge: and such the Scriptures exclude from the pastoral office. Years must

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elapse before he could be an edifying preacher. But how seldom do such instances of conversion occur? For one or two examples of wordly ministers converted by good people's prayers, might not hundreds be found, who, notwithstanding all the supplications which are offered, continue worldly still? And ought I to suspend my own edification, and the salvation of my rising family on so uncertain an event? I have a family, for whose eternal happiness I feel the most lively concern: will not their salvation be endangered if they should grow up under the preaching of a man, who is, every Sunday, polluting their minds with error by perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ? And may it not be an irreparable loss to them to be deprived, at the most important season of life, of the pure doctrines of the New Testament ? Will not their blood be required at my hands? Will Christ sustain it as a valid excuse, when I plead, that though the Gospel was preached at a dissenting meeting-house, I could not bear the thoughts of leaving the church of England; and that I daily prayed with great earnestness for the rector, who was a worldly man, that the Lord would be pleased to convert his soul ?”

Is not the spirit of the Scriptures too, full against you? When a Christian settles in a place, it is his duty to see if there be a minister of Christ under whose pastoral care he may enjoy the ordinances of the Gospel, and to him he should attach himself. If he find him of the same sentiments as to outward forms, the more satisfactory it will be,; but if he cannot, an agreement in evangelical doctrine is to determine his judgment. If there be a person in the town of the same mind as myself, as to external forms, but who does not preach

the Gospel, he is no minister of Christ at all, and I think that there is no competition between the two, and that it ought not to occupy my consideration for a moment, whether I ought to attend on such a man. An evangelical minister, and a worldly erroneous clergyman belong to two different masters. The one promotes the cause of Christ, the other promotes the cause of the devil. And ought I to advance the devil's kingdom by encouraging and countenancing his servant as if he were Christ's; and turn my back upon Christ's servant as if he did the work of the devil? I tremble, doctor, at the very thought, and while I do not wish to be wanting in respect, I must say that I look upon your counsel, though it wears the garb of piety, to be most pernicious cant, and I hope you will never venture to give it to another.

I will detain you but a moment longer while I take notice of your remaining counsel. Mr. A. of is a very worthy man; but his church is at the distance of five miles from my house. To take my large family there would be extremely inconvenient, and unreasonably expensive. If I stay over more than one service I must spend the interval at an inn. The noise and bustle of the journey, and the attraction of objects by the way are all unfavourable to spiritual improvement; and that part of the family which is necessarily left at home, is without an instructor or a guide. Were it impossible to find the Gospel nearer, I should think it proper to make many sacrifices, in order to have the privilege of hearing it. But with a family I should certainly consider it my duty to remove to another situation, where it would be within my reach. As I can enjoy the Gospel to my satisfaction at the distance of two

hundred yards from my own house, and all my family with me, and we can comfortably spend the intervals of worship in domestic improvement, I cannot see it to be my duty to travel ten miles merely to have the liturgy prefixed, and for the sake of it alone, every word of which I can read as well as the parson, to consume both time and money, which can be more profitably employed.

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I have now, gentlemen, set before you my views, and my ideas, of what is my duty. I have, as yet, taken no steps to leave the church; and if you will have the goodness, doctor, to point out where my reasoning is destitute of justness and force I shall be much obliged to you: be assured that I will listen to you with an impartial mind. No, sir, I have nothing more to say. I do not love controversy, and am very sorry to see that you have imbibed a spirit of disputation: it will be a great curse to you. It is always my way to give my advice. If the person listens to it, he receives the benefit. But if he begins to argue and object, I have no more to say, and leave him to his perverse humour. I expected that you would have received my counsel very differently. May the Lord give you a more humble and teachable spirit. Farewell." "Old neighbour, pray dont leave the church, or you will be sorry for it when it is too late."

This conversation matured my purpose into execution. I bid the rector and his church adieu; and went with my family to meeting, and have continued there ever since in the enjoyment of much pleasure and benefit from the ordinances of religion. The minister is a man of God. He minds nothing but the work of Christ, his master. His life and conversation are agreeable to the Gospel. His preaching

is evangelical, instructive, experimental, and animating. He is exceedingly earnest in seeking the conversion of sinners, and the edification of the faithful. Extemporary prayer seemed odd to me at first, as I had always been accustomed to a form; but I now - prefer it, and a form appears to me dull and flat. The purity of communion which is preserved in a dissenting society gives me great satisfaction. I could not now communicate with pleasure at church, on account of the promiscuous admission of all kinds of characters, without distinction, to the sacrament. The private meetings for religious exercises have contributed greatly to my improvement: and the acquaintance and intimate converse of some very judicious and eminent Christians have been of unspeakable service to me, and to my family. I joined in communion soon after I quitted the establishment: my wife has become a member since, and my eldest daughter is to be admitted to the Lord's supper in the beginning of next month. As for the younger children, their mother and I are endeavouring to instruct them in the principles of the Gospel, and to train up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Such, sir, is the way in which I became a dissenter: and I acknowledge that I am strongly attached to their principles, and purpose to spend my days among them, whoever may come to be clergyman of the parish church, and I wish my children to follow my example.

This, gentlemen, was my friend's account; though long, I hope it has not been tedious: it is important, as it explains not his reasons only, but the reasons of thousands for leaving the church of England, and joining the dissenters. If I should say there are hundreds of thousands among the different denomi