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nals, conceive it to confift in riches, or, at least, make them effentially neceflary to it, not imagining that they cannot arrive at it, by any means exclufive of virtue; they thus purfue it, but as they had taken the wrong path, the farther they proceed, at the greater ditance they are, are ever endeavouring at what they never poffefs. It's evil tendency may be ftill farther obferved-They will admit of no alliance, that they judge incompatible with their dignity, and would prefer a man of the most abandoned principles with money, to the man of merit with a moderate fortune,

quid enim differt, barathrone Dones quidquid habes, an nunquam utare paratis?

Prejudices, though inconfiftent to reafon and the nature of things, are not eafily furmounted; we can easily difcern the foibles of others, though it is with fome difficulty we can be brought to perceive our own..

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If a woman, of whatever degree, deviates in a particular point from the path of virtue, Fame, with his loud founding trump, never fails to proclaim it around; it is with pleasure propagated in every company, and every mouth is filled with invectives; he is avoided by thofe of her own fex, and detefted by the other; for we may obferve, with very little variation of words, that he loves the treason, but he hates the traitor; while the fame practices in him are thought to polish, to refine, and much conduce to form an agreeable character.. O ye dim fighted fair, ye encouragers of vice, let virtue be no longer thought to be a meer name, but fhew it to be fomething that poffeffes, and is held valuable in the female breaft; let it be fhewn that ye abhor vice, by abhorring the perfon who purfues it, and that ye no longer think it a neceflary and polite accomplishment. Such treatment might become a confiderable barrier, (as it may be thought to be at prefent with fome females) and many, who do not immediately perceive the excellency of virtue, might be driven into its path, meerly because they would dread the confequences of the purfuit of vices.They would foon be fenfible of the happy change, and never quit that path, which yields fuch ample fatisfaction; that bafis, on which is founded all folid enjoyment; that fource, from which only we can derive happinels in this life, and which is the only means to attain it hereafter.

Now was the man of fortune to refolve at poffeffing the woman of virtue, in whatever ftate he might difcover her; and the woman of fortune to admit the folicitations of none, but those who are diftinguished for their fenfe, abilities, and upright conduct; it would be a continual incitement to all virtuous actions, as thofe who aim at happiness, may likewife aim at a competency, and enjay it fo far as it is confiftent with temperance; and a habit of virtue once acquired, is easily perfevered in, elpecially when we find it productive of the most folid and permanent pleafures, and we tafte that happiness which it is in the power of it only to beftow: it would elevate many whom fortune may have been unfavourable, and place them in a happy mediocrity, which their merits deferved; thefe talents would then be confpicuous, which were before obfcured, and they might become fhining examples worthy of imitation. Thus would the wealth of the nation be more equally diffused, for while it is in the hands of a few, the others experience nothing but tyranny and oppreffion.My Lord Bacon compares it to manure, and fays, while it lays in heaps, it does no fervice, but when it is spread about, it enriches the whole country.

to

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE.

SIR,

HE following paragraph was Tlately in the London papers, viz.

"London, Friday, Jan. 6, Sunday the act of parliament against profane curfing and fwearing was read in all the churches at the west end of the town, and notice given, that the law would, in future, be put in execution against all offenders: The penalty for each oath uttered by a gentleman is 59. and even extends down to a common foldier, who is to pay 1s. For every profane oath, or be committed to Bridewell for fourteen days." Sunday, the ift of January, was the L 2 first

first opportunity (after the appearance of the cafe mentioned in your Magazine for November) to fix the meaning of the ambiguity there referred to by the practice of the magiftrates; and perhaps it would not be a prefumption to take it for granted, that this generous attempt of the magiftrates has been prompted, partly, by the notice of that very cafe. Be it fo, however, for the fake of the following reflections, which have occurred to me upon it.

The tendency of comtnon fwearing to weaken, by imperceptible degrees, the obligation, and relax the inforcements, of a judiciary oath, fhews very plainly the danger of it's connivance; and this tendency has been but too evident in the many fufpected perjuries, which have occurred in the courfe of their proceedings to the gentlemen of the long robe. The fuppreflion of this vice therefore, as it immediately redounds to the honour of God, fo it redounds, eventually, in no fmall degree to the interefts of fociety; on which account, the inftance of refolution in the magiftrates above mentioned to inforce the act, and the instance of their integrity in cutting off all hope of refuge in the ambiguity of the penal claufe, is a manifeft mark of their love of their country, as well as of their regard for the interests of morality. The parliament, undoubtedly, have had this double tendency of the vice in view, as appears by the terms of abhorrence in which they have expreffed themfelves against it in the preamble.

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cafe were patronized by the magiftrate, others, who are well difpoled, would fall into his practice, and encouragement might invite imitation," till the vice itself, through the frequency of profecution, would grow equally dangerous and shameful.

Now, Sir, if the magiftrates are generous enough to explain a difficulty in their office by the integrity of its execution, fhould not the clergy go hand in hand with them in this benevolent defign? Should not they, as they mix with the world, and poffefs frequent opportunities of informing, felect the most prudent of thefe opportunities to convict offenders ?--Religion and civil government are effentially united even in every parih, and if the profeflors of the former,duly fupported, infpire fubjection and deference to the latter, the directors of civil government in their turn add dignity and respect to the former: Therefore, if the example of a ipiritual prieft in this

Further, our national difficulties are admitted to be not irretrievable, and fince public virtue is the certain fpring of public happiness, both in a natural and providential view, the clergy will find themfelves obliged by all the ties of intereft, duty, and bonour, to preferve the fubjects of their charge from moral corruption. They will find it a much more effectual means to fecure their establishment, than the gaining any point in Trinitarian controverfies; which, how important foever in themselves, or in their genuine influence, must yet at laft derive all their ufe and excellence from the application to be made of them in real life.

It is with public communities as with private perfons; both are often permitted to be upon a forlorn hope, at the very laft extremity, when relief coines; and then the last fally faves the citadel.It must be acknowledged to be a very delicate, as well as a pathetic expedient, first, of demonftrating from what hand this deliverance iflues. and next, of impreffing the mind with an awful regard of gratitude for the author of it. And perhaps in the whole annals of English history we meet with very few crifes, in which we have had fo clear a profpect of approaching calamities as the prefent. It is a rare opportunity of obediently laying ourfelves in the way of fuccefs, and practically folliciting the indulgence of heaven. Now who fhould prefent themselves foremost in this glorious undertaking, and hold out the public example, rather than they who are fpecially commiffioned with the punifhment of wickedness and vice, and the maintenance of religion and virtue ?The former of thefe feems to be more particularly the province of the magiftrate, the latter that of the divine. A fhort trial may do fome good; but a little conftancy and perfeverance, to fhew that we are in earnett, will infallibly be attended

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to fuggeft a few virtues wanting to a reformation, and too generally complained of as wanting in the order of my profellion.

The virtue of paftoral diligence, in the infances of private exhortation; of inftruction intervoven defignedly and infenfibly into private converfation; gravity and humility of demeanour; application to useful ftudies; and exerciting both the judgment and imagination in compofitions; and to thefe ends and purposes, the retrenchment of amufements both in point of excels and duration ---Laborious virtues all! To which, indeed, the ignorance of fome, the incapacity of a few, and the attachments of others, are impediments, but are all diffolvable by application and refolution. Nay, after a bort trial, moft of thofe exercifes will lofe their difagreeableness; and the object whom these timorous foldiers have mistaken for a giant arming himself against their attempts, foon dwindles into an infant fmiling at their fears, and inviting their tendernefs. Alas, men only dream of reputation, when they expect to derive it from the fanction of a profeffion, or an establishment upon which themfelves have reflected no credit! It is not prefumption to fay, that fuch dreamers ought to be awakened into duty, and be compelled to dress the garden, the paradife, of which they are daily enjoying the fruits---but I fear I have faid too much, though I have much more to fay; and when your readers are affured that all this iffues from a heart which does more than wish that all mankind thould be faved, they will both overlook the errors and pardon the freedom of a forward monitor, their refpe&ful, &c. Dorset, Jan. 21, 1769. CLERICUS.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, of Feb. 7, 1769.

ST

T. James's, Feb. 6. The following address of the archbishop, bishops, and clergy of the province of Canterbury, was this day prefented to his majesty by his grace the archbishop of Canterbury.

Most gracious fovereign, WE your majefty's molt dutiful and Joyal fubjects, the archbishop, bishops, and clergy, of the province of Can

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terbury, in convocation affèmbled, beg leave to prefeat our molt bumble and fincere congratulations to your majesty upon the encrease of your royal and illuftrious family; every addition to which, we, with the rest of your majefty's faithful fubjects, confider as a further fecurity of thofe invaluable bleffings, which this nation has enjoyed under the houfe of Brunswic, and as a pledge of its future happiness.

It is with the greatest fatisfaction, as well as the deepeft fenfe of gratitude, that your faithful clergy take this opportunity of their being convened, to repeat their thankfulness to your majefty for the frequent affurances which you have given them of your firm refolu. tion to maintain them in the full enjoyment of their civil and religious rights, and to make their public acknowledgment of the experience they have had of your strict adherence to thofe gracious declarations.

Happy, Sir, would it be for this nation, if your royal authority, if your illuftrious example, if the influence of your private and public virtues, had a more powerful effect upon the minds and morals of your people. But we are obliged to confefs what we with forrow obferve, that a difregard to the facred precepts of Christianity, and a neglect of its moft effential duties, become every day more general through all ranks of men; and that a fpirit of licentioufnefs prevails both in the writings and practice of the times, equally dangerous to the best conftituted civil government, and to the pureft mode of religious worship.

Under thefe circumstances we, who are the most immediately engaged in the fervice of religion, feel ourselves, in a more peculiar manner, called upon to check, as far as we are able, the growing evils we lament; to imprefs, in the strongest manner, upon the minds of the people, fidelity to, and zeal for, the established religion of ourcountry, with moderation and Chrif tian charity towards those who have the misfortune to differ from us; to admonish them to be attentive to the facred principles of religion, and to ufe their utmost endeavours to make their lives conformable to its holy doctrines.

Thus alone can we acquit ourselves

of