to relieve the distresses of our countrymen, when prisoners of war abroad, or of refugees, or destitute; or to provide support for sufferers from foreign, or hostile shores: where is there a call made for help, to alleviate temporal miseries, to recover outcasts to society, to educate the poor in useful knowledge; to relieve the widows and orphans of clergymen, whether favourable to our tenets or not; to do good in any way; in which the evangelical clergy have not stood foremost and to which they and their congregations have not contributed at least their full proportion?-not to speak of their zealous and assiduous exertions for promoting the common cause of Christianity, by missions, and by the dispersion of the word of God in every part of every land. I appeal to the lists of our public charities, and to those of the sums raised for providing relief for the distresses of multitudes in foreign nations. "I am become a fool in glorying: Ye have "compelled me."

But I must also be bold to say, that Great Britain does not contain a company of men, who more decidedly, particularly, and constantly inculcate obedience and submission to kings and all in authority, in all things lawful, without exception, on their hearers; and who are more cordially attached to the royal house of our Sovereign, and to the British constitution, than the evangelical clergy: and who pray more habitually and particularly, in their families and social meetings, for a blessing on all ranks and orders of men among us, than they do.

To comprise, in one section, the whole relating to this subject, another quotation may here be

noted, though taken from the chapter on Justifi

CATION.

Such is the consequence of preachers dwelling continually upon justification by faith alone, with< out possessing, or at least without expressing, a clear and definite idea of that important doctrine. They not only delude their unlearned congregations, and encourage vice and immorality among 'their followers, but they really delude them'selves, and fall into opinions and assertions 'totally inconsistent with the spirit of our holy ' religion. I call it delusion, because I am per'suaded that they do not mean to encourage licen'tiousness, or to advance any thing repugnant to 'the principles of the gospel. And, if they do 'this in writings, which they have deliberately and cautiously prepared for the public eye, what "must we suppose they do in their hasty compositions for the pulpit, or in their extempore effusions? I give them credit for zeal ' and good intention, but I think the manner in 'which they perform the duties of their ministry, both public and private, injudicious and mischievous in the extreme; and the dangerous ❝ tendency of their tenets and practice cannot be exposed too frequently, or with too much ear'nestness.'1

The connexion of this passage shews, that the evangelical clergy are especially intended. That which relates to our doctrine, and the practical nature and tendency of it, will be considered in its proper place; both in conceding what appears

Ref. 176, 177.

faulty and defective in some of the body, and in vindicating others (a great majority) from the charge of preaching justification in such a manner as to encourage vice and immorality. In this and other respects, as to our printed books, let them speak for themselves. The very titles, and tables of contents of our publications, (if our opponents will not deign to read any thing further of what we write,) may shew, that we honestly aim to instruct mankind, respecting every doctrine and every duty of Christianity, in regular order and proportion: however incompetent we may be deemed for the service, and however we may fail as to the performance of it. But a few hints may be needful about the hasty compositions for 'the pulpit,' and extemporaneous effusions.'

6

Dr. Campbell informs us, that it excited much surprise in his days that Hume continued to publish one edition after another of his Essays, without taking the least notice of the answer; though he had in a letter to the author, expressed ' himself in terms very different from those of contempt, concerning that work. It has excited no less surprise, that the 'Reviewer has republished Hume's doctrine, and maintained as ' profound a silence about the answer, as if none had ever been made. But there is no occasion for any surprise. They wish to produce a certain effect: and that effect is to be produced, by promulgating their own doctrines, not by noticing the an'swers. They have, perhaps, taken the hint from those perse ́vering personages, the quack doctors, who continue year after ⚫ year to advertise their nostrums, long after their pernicious effects have been detected. They persevere, because they hope that many will read, and believe, and purchase, and swallow, who never heard of the detection.'-It was really unfortunate for Hume that he had read, and, was known to have read, Dr. Campbell's answer.

'Somerville's Remarks on the Edinburgh Review.

It has been observed that the evangelical clergy in general preach frequently; and, heartily desiring to lead their congregations forward in religious knowledge, as they themselves make progress; those of them who write are reluctant to bring their old sermons again into the pulpit. Their compositions, therefore, cannot be so exactly prepared as a book ought to be for the public eye. Yet the habit of writing one, or two, or three sermons every week; a habit not uncommon among junior clergymen, nearly from their ordination; is surely calculated to give a man of competent talents more readiness, fulness, and correctness in composition, than can be acquired by those, cæteris paribus, who preach but seldom, and who not uncommonly avail themselves of other men's labours.

There are however some, who, having written for the pulpit during several years, have at length gradually been led to preach on ordinary occasions without any written preparation: often induced to it from regard to health, from the urgency of other ministerial services; or to find time for other needful occupations; such especially as teaching pupils, to aid the scantiness of a totally inadequate income; or the service of writing books, in support of their own views of divine truth, and in answer to their numerous opponents. -Even in respect of this company, by no means numerous, among the evangelical clergy, who either preach from a very few notes, or speak without any written preparation; it may fairly be said, that their sermons do not in any thing material differ from their other written publications, as their constant hearers well know.

It was the opinion of Bishop Burnet, as it has been of many others even in this country, that there was no occasion to confine the ministers of religion, all their lives, to written sermons, any more than thus to restrict other public speakers. Diligent study in the early part of life, with the habit formed by constant practice of arranging their instructions, and addresses to the heart and conscience, in regular order, by much writing; united to serious and close meditation beforehand on the subject selected for the intended sermon, may enable a competent theologian to preach with sufficient correctness to his congregation, without a written sermon, and with many advantages not otherwise attainable; and, on occasions of peculiar importance and publicity, very few among us choose to appear without a sermon fairly and fully written beforehand.

It appears to me, not only extraordinary, if indeed it be fact, but a libel on the clerical order, to suppose that a clergyman is the only person in society, whom no natural endowments, no learning, no assiduous study, no practice or habit, can possibly render capable of delivering his sentiments correctly, without having them written down in a book before him. Are the clergy, then, less capable of attaining to readiness, and accuracy, and propriety, in their profession, than lawyers, members of parliament, and other public speakers? Is the knowledge required of a preacher so much more profound and difficult, than that required of a barrister or a politician? Have not clergymen as much leisure, in early life, to acquire the preparatory endowments, and afterwards to increase