bers, in any considerable number, manifest this truly Christian spirit. To the numerous class of Catholics, and the almost equally numerous sects of Protestants who differ from our church, they look with not less confidence for their approbation and cordial co-operation: and, thus supported, they trust, their plea for unlimited Toleration will not be offered to Parliament in vain in the succeeding session.

And since nothing which can tend to promote the acquisition of religious freedom ought to be deemed an unimportant matter, or unworthy of attention by persons of competent ability and of honest zeal for the restoration of that invaluable right, let it be considered, whether it would, or would not, be advantageous to this best of causes, if the subject were to receive a more extended discussion than has yet been given it,

in papers which are widely circulated through the country, in magazines, &c. Numerous classes of the people most liable to be prejudiced against every measure for restoring the rights of conscience, would thus find that information which they want, and would be prepared to maintain against the arts and efforts of intolerant men the justice and piety as well as the policy and humanity of repealing every law which restrains or discourages the free exercise of reason in matters of religion. Till at last what all men feel would be owned by all-that religion is every man's grand concern, and ought to be left to his free and unbiassed choice. And hence Parliaments also would feel that they have exceeded their just power when they have attempted to terrify men by any punishment, or to seduce them by any emolument held forth by the laws, as inducements to prevaricate and

to stifle the decisions of their conscience in the choice and profession of religion. And when these most salutary impressions shall have been made on the mind of the Public and of the Parliament, then and not till then, shall we behold the rights of conscience willingly restor ed to all men, and the spread of rational religion promoted by the free exercise of reason; then, and not till then, will hypocrisy and the false zeal of bigotry and fanaticism be effectually beaten down by the prevalence of the true Gospel spirit of candour, sincerity, and benevolence. But it must not be expected that this will be found an easy task, or that much can be done towards its accomplishment in a short time, and by a few short letters or essays, however forcibly they may be written. The contest will undoubtedly be long and arduous and it is much to be feared that no cogency of argu

ment will convince the bigots of intolerance that they are wrong; and not less to be feared perhaps that no degree of mildness and candour in the whole course and conduct of the intended discussion, on the part of those who maintain the cause of Universal Toleration, will prevent those calumnious misrepresentations, those bursts of rage and rancour which in similar disputes have been before experienced from the advocates of Intolerance. Under circumstances of such extreme difficulty, the writer trusts it may be allowed to a man, aged as he is, and not altogether unexperienced in debates, sometimes respecting civil affairs and sometimes respecting those also which concern religious liberty, to suggest his counsel to persons younger, and far abler than himself to bear a part in the projected controversy. What he would most earnestly represent to them is, that they must be

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temperate, or they will do more harm than good; that they must persevere, or better would it be that they should not begin; they never must forget that the weapons they have to fight with are those furnished by reason and the Gospel; and it will be their first duty so to press their antagonists in the true spirit of religion, that in the course of their dispute not a word, if possible, may escape them, which prudence would wish to recall, or benevolence would disown. The times are truly critical; perils on every side surround us; but fortunately for the friends of Toleration the danger of a revolution, so insidiously insisted on before by a late great and inconsistent minister, as the sufficient reason for our acquiescence in measures destructive

*The laws alluded to were not acquiesed in by the na tion; by the minister, at that time, they were suffered to ex