market-price for a certain convenience.

But it is with regard, not to the well-disposed, but the ill-disposed, that I most strongly object to the system. Are there persons in our societies to whom all applications for voluntary contributions would be useless? I do not believe it. At least the cases are too few to merit consideration, in which example, a sense of justice, or shame, would not, in the absence of better principles, induce the regular attendant on a dissenting ministry to give more than the value of a seat-rent, especially, on a proper application. But admit such cases to exist. On what principle is their unwilling contribution extorted? Would the primitive Christians have taken such a method of raising money? Their money perish with them.-If the indispensibleness of seat-rents rests on the existence of such characters as these, there is more reason than ever to scout the practice. Let them go: they have no legal claim to the pew they occupy, or rather, in the spirit of pity and charity, let them stay: it may be God may touch their hearts, and if driven from the house of prayer, there is no knowing whether that last hope may not be destroyed by their neglecting altogether the means of grace which they must pay to enjoy.

Yes, it will be said, this is all very well, but how fares the minister on these liberal principles? I hope no dissenting minister would shrink from the consequences of an adherence to New Testament principles. But, if he does his duty, he will have no reason to fear the issue. If there should be any persons in his congregation who refuse to give any thing, let the rest, if need be, give more. It is the duty of all to see that enough is raised by means of all; and to measure that" enough," not by the size of the building, nor by

any mercenary calculations, but by the circumstances and claims of their pastor, in connexion with the circumstances of the congregation, by the love which they bear to him, and the obligations they are under to him, for his work's sake.

That the practice of seat-rents "cannot fail to be agreeable to the conscientious deacon," is only saying, in other words, that even the conscientious deacon would be glad to be discharged from the most unpleasant part of his duty. He would, like other men, have no objection to be saved any trouble, though that trouble be essentially connected with his office. And as to the un-conscientious or inactive deacon, he will be very glad to have " a fixed and stated process" to rely on for raising a stated sum, which, whether it be more or less than sufficient for the respectable maintenance of his

teacher," is all that he can be expected to furnish. Thus he is comfortably relieved, at least in his own apprehension, of any responsibility on that score. Or should the minister at last be driven to complain, it is but raising the sittings a 6d. or 1s. per head, by a vote of the trustees or of the vestry; and then all may go on as smooth as before. Precious system for facilitating the discharge of the deacon's office.

But this, Gentlemen, is a subject on which, whatever indignation we may feel, it will be wise to suppress it. Philippensis will pardon this hint. The state of things he deprecates is not quite so bad as he seems to imagine; and if it were, unless it could be shown to proceed from the principles of nonconformity, instead of originating in a departure from them, he would have no occasion to spurn, on that account, the name of a Dissenter. Such sallies of eloquence are amusing to lookerson of other denominations: they

"Chapel-en-le-Frith, 14th Dec. 1818. "BE assured, my esteemed friend and brother, that I have not read, without a lively interest, the statement your last conveyed, of your mental exercise, in regard to your frequently frustrated purpose of adopting a well-digested plan of theological reading and study. I have not been a stranger to the like feelings, in early life, and then often resolved, as you have done, that I would forego many passing ephemeral productions, for the sake of digesting approved and standard works on the various subjects of theology. This, indeed, would but have been following the advices of my greatly esteemed Tutor, who certainly knew men and things as well as most; but the popularity of some, and the curious character of other, publications, too often interfered with, and broke in upon, my plan —I well recollect having repeatedly, through such desultory reading, found my mind entirely dissipated, almost as much as if I had omitted all reading, and driven into a waste of religious impressions; so that I had to begin, as it were, de novo, and for a time to devise in what way I might regain a composed frame for close and profitable study: for, truly, more than one half of what often occupied my time, was far from meriting that honourable appellation. I consider this mode of indiscriminate reading, as a serious evil, and an

awful consumer of a minister's time; against which it would be very desirable for young men to have a well-digested directory, drawn up with care, and all due allowance for a proper indulgence of youthful curiosity, by some elderly judicious divine, whose long experience and solidity of judgment might enable him to furnish such a desideratum. For myself, however, I pretend to no such qualifications, and truly think that you greatly over-rate my abilities in this way. Nevertheless, having a fellow-feeling with you in what has caused you to open "the book of Lamentations," I shall have no objection against occasionally suggesting such helps as shall occur to my thoughts on this interesting though painful topic. I may, therefore, now and then suggest some hints as to what I deem a good (though I dare not say, the best) method of theological study, and give my judgment on what I deem able and standard authors on different points of doctrine-in which, however, I must premonish you against expecting much information that is new, as my course of theological investigation has been, through my long and painful seclusion from the great world of religious activity, much curtailed and incommoded. But, for the present, and as an earnest of future contributions, I shall content myself with stating the best help I have usually had (after humble earnest seasons of confession and prayer in secret) towards regaining a better frame of mind, and a livelier relish of sound evangelical truth, which is peculiarly desirable, and favourable to close and profitable reading. And, for the most part, this has been by setting apart some time for the careful perusal of my great favourite, Archbishop Leighton's Commentary on Peter, his occasional sermons, lectures and letters, which I have always found

replete with sound sense, holy fervour, and experimental wisdom; that have seldom failed of refreshing my own spirit, and giving me a renewed zest of pure evangelical truth. There is indeed a frequent quaintness of style, which interrupts the pleasure of reading his discourses, and which particularly increases the difficulty of reading them out intelligibly to othersbut a little patience and perseverance will overcome that, and enable you easily to grasp his matter, and, if I do not greatly mistake, enamour you with his great spiritual excellence. I have long considered him a most judicious and valuable divine, whose theological views I have seldom had reason to question, and in whose style, unless I am greatly mistaken, you will perceive much attic purity, and force of elevation. -Should you, after due experiment, see reason to acquiesce in my judgment and advice, as far as it goes, I shall be glad to know it, and may, perhaps, soon trouble you with some further hints on the general subject.-With Mrs. B.'s united respects to Mrs.

I am, dear Sir,

"Your sincere friend,
"Wm. Bennet."

« Chapel-en-le-Frith, March 10, 1819. "Dear Sir, I now turn my attention to the subject of our late correspondence, in relation to theological reading, and the useful direction of ministerial studies, which appears to me, no less than to yourself, a consideration of great importance.-On this, indeed, it becomes me to suggest any hints with great diffidence and caution, who have myself so very partially enjoyed the opportunity, or at least have very imperfectly improved the privilege, of what I can easily contemplate as highly useful and desirable. But I know that you will candidly accept what is kindly in

tended.—In order to a successful prosecution of this great purpose, two things appear to me of especial importance, viz. a proper frame of mind, and a proper plan of action. Without the former, much diligence may be employed in speculative theology to little real advantage-if I may not add, to serious and sensible loss. If it be necessary to a spiritual judgment and appreciation of evangelical truth, that the minds of sinful men be made the subjects of a holy disposition, (1 Cor. ii. 14.) it seems naturally to follow, with respect to the regenerate themselves, that they must be in the best state of mind for profitably studying the sacred Scriptures, and for appreciating all human expositions of them, when their spiritual senses are in most lively exercise, ver. 15. In proportion as the heart is truly humble and alive to God, will it feel the suitableness, authority, and worth of many truths, which, in a state of levity and speculative dissipation, would not make the same salutary impression upon it: and hence we have found in the diaries of some eminent Christians and divines, a thankful acknowledgment of the great benefit derived from mingling deep devotional exercise with intense theological investigation, which I take to be the proper meaning of their having ‹ studied the word of God on their knees.'

"I feel, indeed, how nearly I am treading on the verge of Quakerism and fanaticism, and the danger of furnishing a handle to such as decry the rational sufficiency of Scripture evidence, to direct the enquiries of all that will examine it. But, while I am fully persuaded that the credibility of the Gospel is sufficiently supported by mere rational grounds of conviction, so as to justify the condemnation of all who treat it with neglect; I feel no difficulty in maintaining that a spiritual disposition of mind is of the highest

moment to a clear judgment of, and a cordial acquiescence in, some of those truths, which constitute the peculiar excellencies and moral beauties of the Gospel.

"Pardon, my dear Sir, this long, and undesigned introduction to the remark, which to yourself need only have been mentioned, that in order to pursue a course of theological reading, with the best advantage, we should be at much pains to acquire and preserve a deeply serious and spiritual frame of mind, as a guard over our intellectual excursions, and a means of establishing our hearts in the knowledge and love of the truth.This, therefore, brings me back to what I hinted in my last, in which I stated the good effect which I have often derived from recurring to the writings of Archbishop Leighton, so eminently distinguished by the holy savour of his spirit transfused into all his doctrinal discussions. For the like purpose, I have frequently turned aside from didactic theology, to indulge in select biography, such as that of Halyburton, Brainerd, Baxter, and other such apostolical characters, from whose glowing fire a spark of sacred animation has sometimes been re-kindled in my own dulness. Few writers, indeed, seem to possess a degree of sacred fervour equal to that of Baxter, in his practical and devotional pieces; for which reason these deserve to be habitually intermingled with more laborious investigations. Several others also of the Nonçons, who have written on experimental and casuistical divinity, merit, notwithstanding their antiquated style, an occasional reperusal. And to these let me subjoin a modern publication of the above class, which has afforded me a degree of gratification and mental refreshment beyond what I have derived from many others, I mean, The Select Remains of the Rev. James Bowden, late of CONG, MAG. No. 61.

Tooting,' with whom I was intimately acquainted for many years. Few ministers, I apprehend, live so much under the holy and happy influence of evangelical principles, as appears to have been the case with him; and in every part of the work the same excellence of spirit is touchingly manifest. What would I not give to possess such a frame of mind as this good man seems habitually to have enjoyed! With a desire of this, then, I would commence and close every day; towards assisting me in which I am truly thankful for so valuable a work as Scott's Exposition of the Bible, which, as a whole, I think superior to most other of our expositions. I was, indeed, not a little excited to admiration of our late brother H's patience and perseverance, by your information that he had carefully read through the whole of Poole's Synopsis Criticorum: though truly valuable, not only as a collection, but as comprising a judicious exposition of the Sacred Scriptures; yet it so much partakes of the nature of a farrago of various interpretations, as rather bewilders, than edifies the reader. In Scott I find a uniformity of judicious paraphrase, accompanied with sound criticism, and improved by well-adapted Practical Observations-the whole forming a continuity of doctrinal and experimental discourse, which is truly edifying. So that I sincerely wish this valuable work were in the possession of every one of my brethren.-I can only add the sorrow I feel for the loss of my late coadjutor and quondam fellowpupil, the Rev. W. Parry, whose talents and industry will not be easily supplied. I have not heard who is likely to succeed him. Can it possibly be ? At present I can say no more, than that I am, with Mrs. B.'s united respects to Mrs.

E

"Your sincere friend, "WM. BENNET."