very same time, you hear the deny that the House of Comgrowers of that food complain-mons has imposed these taxes; ing that they are ruined on you cannot deny that there is account of the cheapness of the no likelihood of the taxes being food! Is not this something lessened without a Reform of monstrous? Is not this starva- that House. The Reformers, tion in a land of plenty? Do knowing all these things, which you believe that God desires you cannot deny, have long that this should be so ? Can you sought, and still seek, for a Rebelieve that it is the will of God form in the Commons House; that a large portion of the Eng-a Reform agreeably to the laws lish people should be kept in and constitution of their couna famishing state, while the try; a Reform which would farmer is ruined by the too leave untouched the lawful great abundance of his stores? privileges and prerogatives of Have your Priests so bewil- the Aristocracy and the King; dered your minds, and rendered and, because they seek this Reyou so besotted, as to make you form, you have been told by your believe this? If they have, what CONCLAVE, that your duty to have they to answer for? But, God bids you to keep aloof from at the same time, how impu- them, and to regard them as dent is it in you to call your infidels and heathens! You may forefathers gulls and dupes for imagine to find your reward for believing in the legends and this in the next world; and you miracles of Monks and Friars? may find yourselves mistaken. In obeying the CONCLAVE in this respect, you are guilty of selfishness, of uncharitableness towards your neighbour, of a want of the feelings of kindness and compassion; and of every other vice that springs from a want of a due sense of your duty towards your country.

That such is the state of the country you cannot deny, any more than you can deny the existence of the bribery, the corruption and the false swearing. Neither can you deny, that the miseries of the country have for their immediate cause an enormous load of taxation; for this cause is now acknow- In order to quiet your conledged even by those who for-sciences under this shameful nemerly denied it. You cannot glect of your duty, the CON

TO

CLAVE bids you not to meddle their taking out a sixpenny liin politics. What do they cense and calling themselves mean by this? What do they preachers. I have no objection mean by politics? Politics, used to their preaching when and upon occasions like this, mean where they like; but I have a public affairs. And is there great objection to their living any man in the community, upon the labour of others; and who is not bound by duty to if there be dupes to furnish them. God as well as to his country, with food and raiment, I am not to meddle with public affairs? for compelling others to relieve To act as a constable; to act as them also from their share of the a magistrate or a soldier; to duty which they owe to the endeavour to keep the peace; country. to endeavour to encourage or However, to return; was not restore commerce and manufac-this meddling with public aftures; to convey instruction fairs? Aye, it was opposing upon matters relating to roads, the Ministry, too; it was an canals, bank paper, the poor endeavour to prevent the King's laws; or, in short, to do any Ministers from carrying their act in which the public is in- measures into execution. And, terested, is to meddle with pub-is a Reform of the Parliament lic affairs. And, are we to a matter less interesting to you deem this as sinful? Your CON- than was this matter relating to CLAVE did not deem it sinful the sixpenny priesthood? Is it to join in full cry with numer-of greater moment that a faous other sects against Lord Sidmouth's Bill! And was not this meddling with public affairs? If I had been in Parlia ment, I would have divided the House, if there had been onlyers may be in error; but is it my single voice in favour of that not your duty, then, to endeabill; for I could not, and I can-vour to shew them their error? not now, see any reason for ten Is a matter of mere faith of more or fifteen thousand strapping importance than the putting of a fellows being excused from stop to bribery, corruption and serving in the militia, merely by false swearing? The truth is,

10.

圃

cility should exist of increasing the number of Dissenting Priests than that a Reform should take place in one of the branches of the legislature? The Reform

that your CONCLAVE know ever else they call it, of your well that the Reformers have CONCLAVE, that they have justice and reason on their discovered a falling off in the side; and, therefore, they do numbers of the elect; that is to not enter the field of disputation say, of those who give money with them; they misrepresent for the support of the Methodist and calumniate them; and they Priests! The cause of this bid you not to meddle with falling off; this "back-sliding," politics. as they call it, I shall notice But, this is a curious the numbers of the

There are, however, some by and by. Methodists who think very dif-fact, that ferently as to meddling with faithful are ascertained by the politics. During the last war number of pennies! The state with America, the conduct of of their souls does not appear, the Quakers was, what it al- when we come to the test, to ways has been on such occa-have much to do with the matsions. A Methodist Priest re-ter. It is the money that is the proved them publickly for this, standard, after all. So much and published his discourse, money, so much faith and salwhich I am very sorry that I vation. So many deficient have not at hand. I well re-pennies, so many back-sliders, member that he insisted, that and so much damnation! Talk his duty towards GoD, as well of dupes, indeed, in former as towards his neighbour, called times! Talk of roguish Monks, upon him to take a deeper inte- and silly purchasers of beads, rest in the affairs of his country, crosses, holy water, and absothan in his own private con-lutions! Talk of these things, cerns. This assertion he sup-indeed! These were sense and ported by a great number of reason, compared to the dupery authorities drawn from Scrip- of the present day.

ture, which, however, were The CONCLAVE lament that not necessary; for the thing the back-sliders for the last year was too plain to admit of dis-amount to six thousand. God putation, or doubt. be thanked! For this has given,

I observed, and with very or rather preserved, three thougreat pleasure, in the last sand pounds or thereabouts, for proclamation, or bull, or what- the feeding and cloathing of

you, tell your Priests that, until they be Reformers, they shall have no more pennies; and, take my word for it, they will all be Reformers themselves before the end of the year.

It is very curious to observe

wives and children, who proba- preaching and praying if you bly are still half naked and half can hear it without paying; but starved. This is so much saved keep the pennies. Join all of from the gulf, the insatiable gulf, which seems never to be satisfied. However, it is the cause of this back-sliding that pleases me most, and that cause is the disgust of a part of you at the conduct of your priesthood with regard to the Reformers. how exactly your CONCLAVE This part of you have separated agree with the clergy of the esfrom them; you have seen tablished Church in their conthe matter in it's true light; duct with regard to the Reformyou have exercised your judg-ers. It is related of Monks, that ment; and you have acted every Monk of a convent morlike sensible and spirited men, tally hates every other Monk of and, at the same time, like true the same convent; that they friends of your King and your curse each other by bell, book, country. I have been informed and candle; that they freof the excommunications and quently proceed to blows, to fulminations pronounced against scratching, to biting, and not you; of the reproaches and calumnies heaped upon you; but all these will be of no avail. Be assured that they will do you no

unfrequently to poisoning; but, (and mark it well!) if any one out of the convent do any thing, or say any thing, injury; and that you will every against one of the Monks, the day see additional ground for whole body set on him and dethe resolution that you have stroy him, if they can, by some taken. You must be well aware means or another. What is that the CONCLAVE can do said of a convent of Monks you no good; that it's prayers may be said of Priests in genecannot send you upwards, nor ral. However widely they may it's excommunications send you differ in opinion; to whatever downwards. Keep the pennies, sect they may belong; though and you may laugh at the bulls each sect call the doctrines of of the CONCLAVE. Hear the other sect damnable; yet,

generally speaking, as to all seeing that our Priests had so matters which touch closely long been crying aloud against upon changes in great national this beast with seven heads and affairs, they all agree. And the ten horns, ought they not to have Priests of one country, though been delighted when he was tumof a religion wholly different bled from his throne, and when from those of another country, about a hundred and fifty or two will always make common hundred thousand Priests, who cause, as far as they can, with upheld him, were ejected from the Priests of that other coun- their functions, and compelled try, if any general attack be to go to work for their bread? made upon the temporalties of Ought they not to have been the latter. A remarkable in- delighted at this? So far from stance of this the world was that, it was a subject of lamentacalled on to witness in the case tion with them; and the poor of the French Revolution and Priests and the poor Pope, bethat of Italy and Spain. It is came objects of their most tenvery notorious that Protestant der concern. Such of them as Priests have always taught that found their way to this country, the doctrines of the Romish re- were received with open arms, ligion were damnable. They and we were taxed for money call the Roman Catholics Idola to support them! By-and-by, tors; they call their Priests Im- the Pope was restored, the postors; they call the Pope Jesuits and other Monks were the Man of Sin and the Scarlet Whore of Babylon, who has made the world drunk with her abominations. In short, I most resounded with acclamations of firmly believed when I was a joy, in which acclamations the boy, that the Pope was a pro- Rev. Rowland Hill led the way. digious woman, dressed in a Nay, which is still more asdreadful robe, which had been tonishing, the Presbyterian Clermade red by being dipped in gy of New England proclaimed the blood of Protestants; and a solemn thanksgiving to God, such must have been the be- and marched in solemn prolief of every other boy and girl cession in gratitude for the in the kingdom. Well, then, event!

restored; the bloody Inquisition was again in a state of activity, and these Protestant kingdoms