fore them one palpable inftance of this last fort, in the cafe of Theodofius. He could easily have furnished many more examples of a fimilar nature; but this would have been befides his purpose; and, as he neither expects, nor defires to be believed on his own bare affertion, he confidently refers the cautious reader to Dr. H.'s book itfelf, and requests him to compare its contents with Mr. M.'s volumes, and with the authentic documents of ancient hiftory.

$25. It is not to be denied, that expreffions of commendation of fome parts of the English ecclefiaftical inftitutions have dropped from the pen of Dr. H.;-but notwithstanding this, it appears very clear, that, whoever can digeft his reprefentation of perfons and things in general, muft foon become a weak friend, or a bitter enemy of the Church of England:-and for this reafon,—because the tendency of his performance, in the main and with very flight exceptions, is to leffen refpect for that Church, to increase diflikes, prejudices and objections; and to render its rulers odious and contemptible with the most indifcriminating indecency.

The Editor of the fecond edition of this first Volume freely owns, that this laft confideration became an additional motive in determining his mind to animadvert upon Dr. H.'s late publication. It is allowed, that, of late years, there has appeared a very manifeft and defperate defign to undermine and fubvert all refpect for regular and conftituted authorities both in Church and State: and this, under the plaufible pretence of regard for natural liberty and the right of private judgment. At fuch'a feason, he could not be induced to think that a work, so replete both with dangerous fentiment and unfair management, ought to pass unnoticed. d 2

Dr.

Dr. H. may continue to profefs respect and reverence for the Church of which he is a member; and far be it from the Editor, even in his own mind, to pass any fentence unfavourable to his fincerity: The Editor only pretends to judge of actions and their tendencies by the rules of common sense and experience; and, on these grounds, he has a full perfuafion, that whatever profeffions Dr. H. may make, if he continue to ACT as he has done of late, the enemies of the Church of England will not fail to enumerate him as one of their own party;-as one,--who only waits for favourable moments to demolish and trample upon the venerable inftitutions by which he has long been cherished and fupported, and of which he has folemnly and repeatedly declared his exprefs approbation.

§ 26. It has indeed been hinted to the Editor, that he is giving too much importance to a performance fo fuperficial and fo uncandid as that of Dr. H. -But be this as it may;-Be his reafons, when they are put together and well confidered, fatisfactory or not, he is very fincere in declaring, that though, ultimately and on the whole, he felt a confiderable preponderancy of argument in favour of the step, which he has taken in writing these animadverfions, he did not arrive at that conclufion without confiderable hesitation.-Weighty objections occurred to his mind; but they were overbalanced. It will not be neceffary to defcribe his feelings on the occafion;-the moft material will readily occur to confiderate perfons.

The greatest admirers of Dr. H. cannot be more folicitous than he has been to difcover fome explanation of that Author's conduct, that might be intelligible and probable without having recourfe to the fuppofition of more DEFECT OF

PRINCIPLE

PRINCIPLE than is implied in mere inadvertency, hafte, prejudice, ftrong attachment to party, and fuch like. If the Writer could, confcientiously, have owned that he felt himself tolerably fatisfied on this point, it might have turned the balance the other way, at leaft for the prefent, and he might have fpared himself this unpleasant task.He well knows that the common enemies of Christianity rejoice, when thofe, who fhould be its fupporters, have difputes and contentions among themselves; or, in any shape, act a part inconfiftent with their profeffion; and he would not unneceffarily, afford them occafions for triumph.-He felt alfo, that there might be fome danger of indulging feelings inconfiftent with Chriftian patience and forbearance; and, there is no petition which he offers up with more fincerity and fervency, than "Lead us not into temptation."

§ 27. As foon as it became his deliberate judgment, that these and all other objections ought to be encountered, he refolved to ufe plainnefs of fpeech fuited to the occafion, and fimply to defcribe his own fentiments without affectation or hypocrify.On fuch occafions, it is very much the practice of the world to affume a great appearance of patient coolness and apathy, which ill correfponds both with what is felt in the clofet, and with the effect intended to be produced; but the writer of these animadverfions is no admirer of this practice, nor does he fee any example of it in Scripture, nor does any particular circumftance fuggeft to him the duty or the propriety of difguifing or fuppreffing honeft indignation.-The offence is of a public nature: No fymptoms of penitence have appeared: The mischief is operating.

He

He hopes, notwithstanding, that he has felt no emotions, which have led him to break the Scripture-rule, "Be ye angry and fin not,"-and he is SURE that he has moft confcientiously confined himself to the points in queftion, and not fuffered himself to be entangled, drawn afide, or exafperated by the confideration of any extraneous matter whatever.

From Dr. H. himself he has not received the flightest personal offence: and he is, alfo, ready to acknowledge, that that author speaks much more refpectfully of Mr. M., and allows him much greater excellence of character and ability in every point of view than literary adversaries usually do, who differ fo much on any fubject in which they are much interested.

§ 28. A Writer, who, in this plain and decifive way, accuses, but not without proof, and cenfures, but not without juftice and moderation, has a right to be believed when he FURTHER declares that, though the fuppofition of inadvertency, of heat of temper, of prejudice and party, of the hope and profpect of fecurity on account of Mr. M.'s deceafe, in a word, though every fuppofition-fhort of defign,-and though all the fuppofitions, taken together as an aggregate, which he can make, appear to him completely inadequate to the explanation of the conduct of Dr. H.,-ftill, he cannot bring himself steadily to abide by the opinion of a wilful intention in that author to deceive, in the degree, which the facts imply.If this declaration fhould be thought, in any meafure, inconfiftent with other things ftated in these animadverfions, the writer has no objection that the fufpicion of contradiction fhould be explained by the puzzle which has hampered his own mind, whenever he has fuffered himself to reflect on the

motives

motives of the conduct in queftion, and by the fort of fluctuation of judgment, which is ufually experienced in fuch difagreeable and difficult circumftances.-The difagreeablenefs and the difficulty of the circumstances confift in this;-The facts are decifive; and, as far as they are concerned, they incurably and irrecoverably convict Dr. H. of pofitive and direct mifreprefentations, and would juftify much stronger language than any which has been used in this statement to the public.-Now, though the inference from the facts to the motives seems natural and even unavoidable, ftill, it is with great reluctance that the mind acquiefces in paffing fo heavy a cenfure: It looks around with anxiety for some way of escape that may be less dishonourable; and, though it does not fucceed, it always has one resource left;—namely,―to leave the motives with the Searcher of all hearts.-It is, however, not to be diffembled, that even this refource, as far as it may be fuppofed to have any tendency to mitigate the accufations against Dr. H., is but flender and inadequate; and, that it is fupported rather by the previous improbability of the existence of fuch difhonourable motives, than by any want of evidence, or by any imperfection in the reasoning which connects together actions and their principles.

§ 29. How deceitful is the human heart! And how watchful ought every one to be, who eagerly embarks in a caufe, which is connected with religion, left he should be found fubftituting human inventions in the place of the Gospel of Chrift; or, left he should mistake his own partialities and attachments for pure brotherly love and Chriftian affection! -How much is it to be wifhed, alfo, that all men were more accuftomed to turn inward the eyes