tempt; to consider such persons as believers is an abuse of charity, and to treat them as such is to foster them in self-deception.

The principles, moreover, on which the Corinthians were forbidden to commune with unbelievers in theory, equally forbid our communing with unbelievers in practice. There can be no Christian communion in the one case, any more than in the other. “Light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness,” are as impossible to be united here as there; and a separation from the world is as impracticable in the latter case as in the former. The reason also given for the divine precept applies in both instances. The Apostle intimates, that associations with the world, in religious matters, straiten believers, whom he wishes to be enlarged. Thus a lively animal is straitened in his efforts, by being unequally yoked with one that is tardy: and thus Christians are restrained from holy freedom, and the proper exertion of themselves in the cause of Christ, by their connexion with worldly men, who will always be throwing difficulties in the way of those pursuits in which they have no delight.

Finally: Notwithstanding what is constantly alleged of the use fulness of good men by continuing in the National Church, (and if there they must be, I wish them to be an hundred times more useful than they are,) I am persuaded it will be found that it is hereby not a little impeded. If the people of God, while they proved them. selves to be the cordial friends of civil government and good order in society, could be scripturally separated from the world, and act together like a band of men whose hearts God had touched, their usefulness would far surpass any thing that we have hitherto seen.

Infidels would not then have to reproach Christianity with being an engine of state, nor to object that the principal supporters of it were too deeply interested in its temporal advantages for their testimony to be regarded as impartial. This is the reason why the writings of a WILBERFORCE, and others who are called laymen, make so deep an impression upon the public mind, in comparison of those of dignified Clergymen. Many among the evangelical clergy, I acknowledge, have proved themselves to be very disinterested. They are far from making so much of their time and talents as they might do in other pursuits. But the Church of which

they boast, is as much a place of merchandize as the Royal Exchange. The disinterested testimony of a few people, who are united together, not by a sectarian, but a truly catholic spirit, and whose life comports with their doctrine, speaks a thousand times louder in the consciences of men, than the decrees of a council, enforced by all the authority, ecclesiastical or civil, which the greatest nation, or all the nations of the earth, can muster up. The army of the Lamb, by which he will overcome his enemies, is not described as connected with the states of the respective kingdoms of the earth; but as a select band, acting immediately under his authority. He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

REMARKS

ON

TWO SERMONS,

BY MR. W. W. HORNE, OF YARMOUTH,

ENTITLED,

"THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED."

My dear Friend,

You have sent me Two Sermons, by William Wales Horne, entitled, The Faith of the Gospel Vindicated; requesting my opinion of them. Why did you wish to impose upon me the task of reading such a performance? I suppose it was owing to your being a Norfolk man, and feeling interested in any thing that is done among the churches in that part of the kingdom. I hope this is not a fair sample of Norfolk divinity. If it be, they are low indeed! It would appear, however, that the author is a man of some consequence, at least in his own eyes as, by the motto he has chosen, he seems to consider himself as set for the defence of the gospel.

Defence implies attack. Has any body in Norfolk, then, been attacking what he calls the gospel? So it should seem; and I should almost suspect, from some passages, that the assailants were in his own congregation. He certainly appears to be out of bumour with some of them. (p. 32.) Indeed I entertain a hope, for

their sakes, that this may be the case; for it is grievous to think that a people sustaining the character of a Christian church should suffer themselves to be imposed upon by such flimsy, incoherent, and erroneous preaching, and reckon it the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Of Mr. Horne I know nothing, save from this publication. He seems disposed, however, to give his readers all the information he can respecting himself, and this even in his titlepage. From thence we learn, First, That he is not only a preacher, (which we might have gathered from his publishing" Sermons," (but a "minister of the gospel." Secondly, That he is not an ordinary minister, but one who is peculiarly qualified to repel the attacks of adversaries; "" set," ‚" like an apostle, " for the defence of the gospel." Thirdly, That he not only preaches and defends the gospel, but does all "extempore ;" that is, without writing, or studying his discourses, before he delivers them. Fourthly, That though he neither writes nor thinks himself, in order to preaching; yet such is the importance of what he delivers, that " James Murden," a short-hand writer, sits and takes down his discourses; by which means they are preserved for the benefit of posterity. Finally, On the back of the same leaf, we are given to understand, that if the public will come forward, and, by a liberal subscription, secure him in a pecuniary view, he will give them a whole volume of these sermons, containing 300 pages, all on the most "interesting and edifying subjects." Whether all this information was necessary, especially that which relates to the sermons being " delivered extempore," some persons may doubt: thus much however may be acknowledged, that if from this time we remain ignorant of Mr. Horne's extraordinary talents, and be either uninterested or unedified by his writings, it must be our own fault.

After a great deal said about faith, in which the belief of the truth is frequently confounded with the truth believed; and much declamation against error, in which we are, after all, left to guess wherein it consists, the preacher at length comes to the point which he appears to have had in view; or, (as he does not think beforehand,) to the point which was impressed upon his