them. Befides, the minifter's engagement must either oblige him to teach for doctrines the commandments of men, the devices of dark and ignorant ages, or to practife all the arts of equivocation andhypocrify, in difpenfing the gospel of truth; the fame engagement will also oblige the honest layman, (whom you think little concerned in this imposition,) to reject with difdain that provision of doctrine which the ftate hath directed, or to receive thofe inventions as wholefome food, which may prove deadly poifon. In either cafe, he meets with a poor compenfation for the tithe of all that he poffeffes.

EUGENIUS. I have always confidered the laity, as equally interefted with the clergy, in the right knowledge and honour of the chriftian faith; and for the fake of their common advantage and improvement, have fometimes wifhed that the fhepherd might not only look well after the sheep, but that the fheep would, in their turn, direct the fame attention to their fhepherd. But I muft own, that I was not aware that the laity were fo deeply interested in the subscription of the clergy, as they now appear to be. I had omitted to recollect, that to poifon the spring was to poison the ftream; and that the living waters of the gcfpel, were, in all public and authorifed adminiftrations of them, to be drank through the unpleafant medium of human compofitions. However, by that kind of fatality which oftentimes difappoints exorbitant demands, the fubfcriptions of the clergy

have not this univerfal effect; the fignature of their names is made with fome mental refervations, or with a latitude of conftruction, that leaves them, in a great degree, at liberty; and their fermons are, pretty generally, compofed on this broad foundation.

THEOPHILUS. You feem not to be apprized of the great and additional grievances that follow the exercise of this unhallowed latitude of conftruction, which the preffing occafion of the fubfcribing party has called into exiftence. A fufpicion of notorious infincerity and prevarication is entertained of fuch of the clergy, as affume this latitude; a latitude, disallowed by the authority that impofes the fubfcription, which was, in very truth, defigned, however ill it has fucceeded, to "prevent diverfities of opinion." Nor do the evil confequences of clerical infincerity end here; the minifters of Chrift are further fufpected of difbelieving chriftianity itself; and betwen those who impose the subscription, and those who difingenuously comply with it, is divided the miferable honour of fowing, far and wide, the feeds of fcepticifm and unbelief, and producing that plentiful harveft of infidelity, which is the modern growth of other climes befide our own.

But now, my friend, after defiring your attention to the diftreffing situation of the established clergy, who have entered into ftipulations and engagements, which they find inconfiftent with the honest and conF fcientious

fcientious discharge of their duty; engagements, which draw into their vortex the fad alternative— continue in your ministry self-reproached, or expose yourself to poverty and scorn; suffer me to feel and mourn for all those who are in this unhappy situation; for, as I earnestly pray for their deliverance from this more than Egyptian bondage, so I should think nothing too much to do, or to fuffer, to render them fubftantial relief.

You will forgive me this effufion; and now permit me to turn your attention from the cafe of the clergy to my objections to such laymen's conformity to the public fervice of the church, whofe private fentiments and opinions are in no fort of agreement with the doctrines of her liturgy. In pursuing this converfation, I must defire, and am perfuaded, you will not refuse to deliver to me your own honeft and competent judgment upon this subject.

In this question, I think you are perfonally much interested; for, if I mistake not, I understand that you are become an unitarian; that is, you are now fully perfuaded that religious worship is due to the one only living and true God, and to none other.

EUGENIUS. You do no more than justice to my prefent opinion, to afcribe to me the belief in one God, and that he only is to be worshipped. My converfion to this fentiment has been the deliberate confequence of our former free and friendly intercourfe, and of the attention I was thereby excited to,

and

and have fince paid to this important fubject. I believe, that the one almighty God created the world by his power, that he governs it by his providence, and will finally judge all mankind, and apportion happiness or misery, according as they shall have done good or evil. I believe, that he alone is the object of religious worship, and alone capable of hearing our prayers.

THEOPHILUS. Your firm belief of the divine unity, being the refult of your own inquiry, I trust, you will more clearly fee the rectitude of that conduct, with which, (as it appears to me,) such a persuasion ought to be attended, by one who lives under an athanafian establishment of religion. The backwardness of great churchmen, in the work of reformation, has been already obferved upon and the conformity of certain of the clergy with the eftablifhed forms, which they cannot entirely approve, has been the subject of our joint concern.

In this ftate, therefore, of our conference, it becomes expedient to enquire, how, and by what arguments, you, who are a layman, unfhackled by fubfcription, and befet, on neither fide, by the clergyman's unhappy alternative,—how you, I say, justify your continued conformity to an athanafian form of public worship, which you cannot approve. Surely your integrity and practical love of truth are as much impeached by your voluntary compliance, as the character of any like-minded ecclefiaftic: your having

made no ftipulation for your liberty, nor deriving any honour or emolument from the church, leaves you, the more eafily, and at much less cost, to follow the dictates of your own mind.

EUGENIUS. If I cannot wholly justify, I think I can excufe my conformity; at least, I am very willing to give you my reafons. I folicit your impartial judgment also in return, and will honestly ufe every faculty I have, in forming my own.

You will, in the firft place, be pleafed to remember, that I am only an hearer of the public fervice of the church, and can, therefore, affent to fo much, and fuch parts of the prayers, as I approve; and reject fuch as I may judge to be contrary to the truth this I can do, juft in the fame manner as I may approve part of a fermon, and reject the re

mainder.

THEOPHILUS. By this plaufible fophiftry, which you practife upon yourself, I conceive that you greatly defeat the good effects which fhould follow your attendance upon public worship. It is generally true of moft men, (and as much fo of the best of men, as of others,) that to keep the mind ferioufly and devoutly occupied, while offering up their hearts to God in fuch fervice, it is necessary to avoid every diffraction which may draw off, or divide the attention. Now the athanafian doctrine of a trinity, occurs fo very frequently in the liturgy, and is alfo in many places fo grossly expreffed, that all fuch paffages

muft