and he yet would have oppofed his patience, to the petulant whisperings, and ambiguous infinuations of the flanderer; had not a few inflexible, valuable, and moft dear friends, interdicted his further forbearance.

The Author has no apology to offer to his adverfaries, for the publication of their correspondence; let them remember, this is not his voluntary act, but the coercion of those, who by their unchristian oppreffion, made it unavoidable.

He entreats his friends will have the goodness to forgive the insertion of their letters ; and hopes, that his PRESENT PECULIAR POSI TION, will effectually plead his pardon.

For his own letters, which were written, most of them in very ill health; and all on the fpur of occafion, he intreats the ufual indulgence to fuch hafty compofitions.

The

The plan of the pamphlet, will naturally develope in its progrefs; the letters, notes, &c, fall in fucceffion, as the matter accumulates into their proper places, and are arranged accordingly.

The

The following quotations may be well worthy the attention of the friends of church and ftate, at the present moment.

46

"IT may properly be obferved, that the "Puritans in the laft century began fomewhat "like the Methodists in this. The work of re"formation, and the converfion of the people, were their pretences, and fome good was done by them, but when the people became pof"feffed of the idea THAT THEY WERE WISER 46 THAN THEIR CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL "RULERS, they foon became malcontents, and "the church was the firft facrifice made to the fpirit of reformation.

"THE OUTPORINGS OF THE SPIRIT, pro"duced a fpiritual madnefs, aod then a zeal for "the lord of hofts drew thoufands, and ten thou"fands, headed by their preachers, to fight against "AHAB, and deftroy THE PRIESTS OF BAAL, "The high places, and the altars were pulled "down in the name of the Lord, and the glo"rious work was crowned, by pouring out the "blood of the nobles, of the pricfts, and the "ki king, as an offering unto the Lord."

All that is meant by thus adverting to those times of faction and outrage, is to fhew the danger which attends the fpirit of entußafm; if it once rifes, it is well if it ftops below madness. And thould a large number be intoxicated with the fame mad fpirit, what dreadful confequences must not the rational expect.

IN.

INTRODUCTORY

REMARK S.

N the autumn of 1798, in a conversation

IN

which Mrs. Bere had with Mrs H. More, relative to the concerns of the Blagdon Sunday School, fhe informed that lady, she had heard, that Young, her School-master, held PRIVATE

SCHOOL MEETINGS.

Have you, Mrs. Bere, been at one of these private fchools, faid Mrs. More? No, madam, was the reply.

Then, faid Mrs. More, "I would have you go, and emphatically added, I do particularly defire, that do go."

you

Mrs.

Mrs. Bere promifed, that if fhe could fummon up refolution; fhe would go, but thought fhe fhould feel herself an intruder.

Some time after Mrs. More had left the country, Mrs. Bere having heard there was to be a private school that evening, fent down to inform the mafter, that the intended to attend.

At the ufual hour, Mrs. Bere and two ladies, then her visitors, went to the fchool, their appearence vifibly very much embarraffed the mafter.

Mrs. Bere thinking it HIGHLY EXPEDIENT, that Mrs. More fhould immediately be acquainted with the proceedings of that evening; addreffed to that lady, the following letter; not minutely narrating every particular occurrence; but just communicating as fhe deemed, matter fufficiently interesting, to attach her attention to the sub ject.

THE