cattle, this work has some in- | Prospectus was circulated with formation singularly useful in England. Cobbett's English Grammar, a new edition, price 2s. 6d. PEEP AT THE PEERS. A New Edition of this work, in the same form as Cobbett's Register is now published, and it may, therefore, be bound up with that work, and by that means be rendered convenient to refer to. The AUTHORS have now spared no pains to make their work complete. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Prospectus of a Work, called the Radical Magazine" having been circulated with the Register, and the ad vertisement purporting, that this new work is to be published at the same place where the Register is published, many persons have supposed, that this new work was by the author of the Register. It is right, therefore, that such persons should be informed, that he has nothing at all to do with this new Work, of which, indeed, he has no knowledge whatever. The the Register merely as other notifications are with the Register and with other similar works. But, somehow or other, the erroneous conclusion has been drawn by many persons, and, therefore, it is necessary to correct the error. No man ought to enjoy the reputation belonging to others; and, of all men living, the Author of the Register hopes that he would be amongst the last to acquire, even by his sileuce, such ́ unmerited enjoyment. N. B. Next Register will contain a Sermon to the Methodists. REFORM DINNER. It has been settled, upon the request of several Gentlemen in the Country, who wish to be present, and to whom it will be inconvenient to come to town till after the re-assembling of Parliament, to postpone this Meeting until about two weeks after Parliament has met. It has, besides, been thought advisable to be, before we meet, in possession of some knowledge of CERTAIN PARLIAMENTARY MEASURES, which, it is supposed, are in contemplation. Printed and Published by W. BENBOW, 269, Strand. COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICALREGISTER. VOL.38.---No.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 13, 1821. [Price, 6d. ERRORS IN THE LAST REGISTER.In tempts' even tending to its viopage 13, the word price is made use lation. Therefore, it is not only of, instead of the word piece, three our duty to be Christians, but it times at the bottom of page 14, the is our duty to hold in abhorwords "reading these petitions," are made use of instead of the rence Turks and Jews; for words, sending these petitions. these openly declare the founder A SERMON, ΤΟ THE GOOD METHODISTS: . of our religion to have been an 5.impostor, and the followers of it to be deluded or reprobate wretches. On their conduct with regard to London, January 10, 1821. Nevertheless, there arises, amongst ourselves, a point or two somewhat difficult to set tle. For, though we all call ourselves Christians, there is a great diversity in our several creeds, or beliefs. There is an immeasurable distance between the Roman Catholic and the We are not all Methodists; Quaker; and a distance almost but, in this country, we ought as great, between the Quaker all to be Christians; because, and the Unitarian. If, there that which the judges declare fore, we were to take the exfrom the bench to be law, is tremes; namely, the Roman law; and because the judges Catholic and the Unitarian, we do declare from the bench, that should find it very difficult to asChristianity is "part and par-sign reasons for believing, that "cel of the law of this land." both of them are Christians. It It is our duty to obey the law of is not amiss to observe, that that the land; to act according to it; law of the land, of which to adhere to it, and to uphold it Christianity is part and parcel, and defend it against all at- was founded at a time when 4 D Printed and published by W. BENBOW, 269, Strand. there was no religion acknow-I the Eighth, a great part of these ledged in this country, except were taken from the priesthood; that of the Roman Catholic, and, that, at a subsequent period, the it is pretty certain, that, if an Roman Catholic religion was itUnitarian had arisen in those self overturned, and the Prodays, he would not have been testant Church of England rerecognized as a Christian; and ligion established in it's stead; that, if he had dared to proclaim and that, all the tythes, houses, his doctrines, he would have lands, and other possessions, been severely punished as a vio- which had not been taken from lator of the law. A question the Roman Catholic priesthood, might, therefore, be raised, as to when and how the law has been so altered as to make that be Christianity now, which was not Christianity in former times. were now bestowed upon the Church of England priesthood. These latter, then, became the teachers of the Christian religion in England and Ireland, and partly in Scotland. These became the settled legal teachers of religion; and such they remain unto this day. This question I leave, however, to engage the minds of persons learned in the law; and have merely pointed it out in order to induce you to cast your eyes back a little, that you may have in your minds a recollec-think that these legal teachers tion of the basis on which the law now stands with regard to religious belief. But, there have been great numbers of persons who did not taught the true religion; or, at least, who disapproved of some part, of the mode, or the substance, of their teaching. These persons dissented from the doctrines or the manner of teaching of the legal teachers; and, therefore, they were called Dissenters. These Dissenters, Further, in the way of preface, let me observe to you, that Christianity, that is to say, a belief in the Christian doctrines, was introduced into England by Roman Catholics; that, in time, the Roman Catholic priesthood again dissented from one anbecame possessed (no matter how) of tythes, houses, lands, manors, and other possessions; multitude of different sects, or that, in the reign of King Henry sorts, of Christians, amounting 4 other; and hence has arisen a tween forty and fifty. As to the general character which you bear, it is differently described by different persons, according to their several pre in the whole, I believe, to be- body. If a third part of those persons be grown up men and Amongst all these sorts, or women, you must necessarily be sects, you, the Methodists, are a body worthy of the attention become by far the most nume-of every one who occupies his rous. Let me stop here, how-mind upon matters connected ever, to caution you against be-with the happiness and proslieving that numbers in the pro- perity of the country. Every selytes is to be regarded as a such person must wish you to proof of those proselytes being act in such a way as may be in the right; because, you should conducive to the liberties of the recollect, that the Roman Ca- country and to all the other tholics in the world are much things which tend to make it more numerous than the Pro- great and happy. testants, and that the Jews. Turks, and other infidels, are infinitely more numerous than Catholics and Protestants put together. However, you form a judices and the numerous accivery numerous sect both in Eng-dental circumstances which may land and in North America. You have had an influence upon their are become of considerable im- minds. For my own part, firmportance as a religious body;ly resolved never to change my and you cannot be here, you religion, to stick to it just as I cannot live in the country, with- received it from my father, and out being of great political im-as he received it from my grandportance. It is in this light, and father; firmly resolved to take this light only, that you can pos- the law of the land for my sibly be an object of contemp-guide, or, at least, for my comlation with me; because Ishould panion, I have always viewed deem it presumptuous in the ex-every other sort of Christians treme for me to meddle either with the most perfect imparwith your doctrines or your dis- tiality. I make no distinction sipline. It is said (with what between an Unitarian and a Rotruth I know not) that you count man Catholic. I have had very upon a million of persons, in this intimate friends indeed of both kingdom, as belonging to your persuasions; and I most so t lemnly declare that I think one whole districts in America from of those sorts of Christians pre-drunkenness, and from all the cisely as good as the other. Ivices attendant upon drunkennever could perceive that there ness. In the interior of Penwas any difference in the moral sylvannia, the wonders that they conduct of the parties. They have performed in this way are were the same sort of men, in related with enthusiastic gratiall respects except that of tude even by the Quakers themtheir belief; and about that selves. An instance of their belief I never was impudent influence in this respect was enough to pretend to offer an stated to me by the owner of a opinion. If I have ever had large distillery establishment on any decided preference of one the banks of the Susqueansect before another, it has been nah. He had been almost unthe preference which I give the able to carry on his affairs, 'till Methodists for one quality, and he got some Methodists about that which I give the Quakers him. The number soon infor several qualities. The creased; he built a chapel. He Quakers are industrious, cleanly, had, when I saw him, not had a really charitable, exemplary in point of sobriety. In short, they are better than other men in many respects; but, then, they have the fault of really remarkable for the absence of ridiculous singularity, and they drunkenness and crime of every lock themselves up in selfish description. Similar effects have security while their country is in been produced by similar causes danger. While I know of no along the southern coast of particular fault that the Metho- Long Island, inhabited chiefly dists have, they have two great by fishermen, who are now, drunken man upon his premises for years, and the whole district, from being a scene of drunkenness and profligacy, had become generally speaking, decent and well behaved people; and who merits; first, they practise sobriety; and, second, they are indefatigable in their endea- were, before the Methodists vours to inculcate the necessity came amongst them, so drunken of sobriety in others. Their and so profligate in disposition, zeal in this respect is beyond all as to be deemed little better praise. They have reclaimed than the savages. |