grand and adorable sacrifice of the altar, in terms of reproach, which impiety cannot exceed. If this is not a complete change of religion, we may be justified in saying, that faith never existed in the world, and that schism and heresy must be regarded as unavailing sounds. END OF THE OBSERVATIONS. MY LORD, I AM again honoured by your earnest solicitations not to suffer my life to pass away, without leaving behind me some specimen of original composition for the instruction of mankind. My leisure, your Lordship observes, has been almost exclusively devoted to translation; and the force, the elegance, and the taste, with which I am said to convey the thoughts of others, serve to excite your regret, that I have bestowed so little attention on the task of retailing my own. Your Lordship remarks, that a spirit of inquiry on religious subjects is afloat in the world; and that with my store of theological and general knowledge, and with my classical attainments, I might do much good, in guiding the inquirer in his search after truth. You represent yourself as attached to the church of England, by law established, from education and from habit; but you add, that your conviction, whatever might have been its merit or its extent, has certainly been shaken by the events which have taken place during the last twentyfive years. Indeed, my Lord, your attention and your language are extremely flattering; perhaps it may be said, without any violation of decorum, that in this instance your sentiments, so advantageous to myself, are more decisive proofs of the partiality of your friendship, than of the accuracy of your judgment. By a peculiar coincidence of circumstances, your Lordship's request to have additional information on certain religious topics, and particularly on the true nature, and the real and discriminative properties of the church of Christ, has been strengthened and forwarded by an event which has taken place in my own little flock. Some time ago, a family in a neighbouring parish, consisting of a farmer, his wife, and four children, frequented my chapel for the purpose of listening to the religious instructions, which are regularly given on the Lord's day. After an attendance of some months, having acquired sufficient knowledge of the Catholic doctrine, they, apparently from a strong conviction of the truth of what they had learned, requested to be associated as members of the Catholic church, by an open profession of their faith. This circumstance could not be long concealed from the vicar of their parish; who, though he had never troubled them before, except on the subject of tithes, and had never reproached them for their habitual neglect in attending his service, now seemed to think that the horrors of popery should call forth his most ardent zeal. He accordingly collected together several small tracts, in which the Catholic religion is disfigured, and painted in the most odious colours. With this bundle of ribaldry and falsehood, he |