land. I wish we could get that bufinefs before the world. I am labouring at Tyrwhitt, but he is a quiet man; yet, as steady as a rock when attacked. I only wish the profeffor would publish his own account; it would make a strange appearance.

Early

The questions which were defended in the schools by Mr. Tyrwhitt, were (1) Quod genus humanum propter peccatum Adami laboribus ac morti obnoxium fit, in facris fcripturis traditur, et rectæ rationi non repugnat." (2) " Confufio linguarum Babylonica abfque Dei interventu explicari nequit." The latter of thefe queftions was given, according to cuftom, by the profeffor, and both of them may be feen, with very immaterial variation, in bifhop Watfon's collection of queftions which have been difputed upon in the theological fchools at Cambridge, published in his admirable and truly proteftant preface to his "Collection of theological tracts." It has been generally hinted in the text, that fome difficulties arofe between the learned profeffor and his no lefs learned refpondent, concerning the former's acceptance or refufal of other questions, which had been propofed by Mr. Tyrwhitt. It might be added, that the rejection of them by the profeffor, did no credit either to his judgment or candor and rather argued fome diftruft of certain opinions gaining converts by an open difcuffion of them. Standing in their fimple statement, they would have done honour to bishop Watson's collection, and to the liberal fpirit of the university of Cambridge, if his predeceffor had received them, as fubjects of inquiry and difputation.

Early in the year 1771, the defign was formed of applying to parliament for relief in the matter of fubfcription to the liturgy and thirty-nine articles of the church of England. Mr. Jebb was acquainted with and affifted in it by his counfels, from a very early period. He came to London, upon this errand, in the month of April; and

on

difputation. Their truth and importance would have been argued before an audience that had all the advantage of learning, and difcernment, to have diftinguifhed between the oppofed prowefs of the controverfialists, and the written law of God, by which the difpute was to be determined; who would have given to both, that high approbation they might deferve as able champions for their respective caufes, while they would have decided on the queftion by the greater prevalence of teftimony, and the foundness of the arguments, advanced in its fupport. The principal queftions propofed by Mr. Tyrwhitt, and refused by the profeffor, were the following; the laft of which was only objected to, in confequence of the foregoing ones.

1. Preces chriftianorum ad Deum folum, patrem Jefu Chrifti, dirigendæ funt.

2. In cœtum chriftianum recipiendi funt, qui Jefum pro vero meffia agnofcunt; etfi illum vel Deo longe inferiorem, vel etiam merum hominem effe credant.

3. Lex chriftiana æternis pœnis non fancitur. 4. Nullum fidei chriftianæ dogma in facris fcripturis traditum, eft recte rationi diffentaneum.

on July the 17th, he attended the first general meeting at the Feathers tavern, in confequence of public advertisement for that purpose; at which time, he was appointed one of the "committee, to prepare a petition to parliament to obtain redrefs in the matter of fubfcription to the liturgy and thirtynine articles of the church of England."

At a meeting of that committee, on the 20th of September following, a draft of a petition was laid before them, and after fome revifion, approved. And the petition fo agreed on, was afterwards adopted, at the fecond general meeting, on the 25th of the fame month.

In the interval between fuch fecond general meeting and the following one, fixed for December the 11th, or, more accurately, very foon after the 25th of September, it was judged expedient to circulate an explicit account of the plan and defign of the affociation; and though fuch paper was not formally avowed, by vote, either of the committee or general meeting, it was unanimously approved by the committee, and printed at their joint expenfe. It has ge

nerally

nerally been denominated" the circular letter;" and this letter was the production of Mr. Jebb, fubject indeed to fome few corrections, which the feveral members of the committee fuggefted.*

From the month of June to October 26, 1771, Mr. Jebb chiefly refided at Bungay; and was engaged in the minifteral duties of his parishes in the neighbourhood, and in vindicating the cause of the petitioning clergy in the public papers.. During this time alfo, he got by heart the epiftles to the Ephefians and Coloffians.

As Mr. Jebb had been appointed, at the meeting in September, of the committee to "confider of proper fleps to circulate the petition then approved:" fo, at that on December 11, he, together with his former afsociates, and several others, were appointed a committee, “for the purpose of confidering the proper ways and means of introducing the petition into the houfe of commons."

The attention of the univerfity was much occupied,

occupied, at this time, as may naturally be supposed, in the difcuffion of the right of proteftant churches to require fubfcription to fyftematical confeffions of faith and doctrine. Dr. Samuel Hallifax, now bishop of Gloucester, appeared among the most prompt and ready of those champions, who, having denied the right to the church of Rome, claimed it, as belonging to the church of England: he alfo profeffed to defend the fpecific doctrines which are contained in the formularies of the established church. It might seem invidious to fay more of his labours on this occafion; but, it certainly would not have leffened the estimation, either of his judgment or his zeal, in the opinion: of his auditors, had he fpared that inundation of perfonal abuse of Mr. Jebb, which would have difgraced a much fuperior compofition, and, affuredly, added no beauty to his own. The fermons, in the fubfequent corrected state, in which they are given to the public, are now onlymemorable for the fingular futility of their argument; and would have been forgotten, but for the mafterly, though fevere, letter they occafioned to be addreffed

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