fear of man, and love of the world, are the principal fins, by which Satan binds his captives in the fe parts. Materialism is not rare; Deifm and Socinianifm are very common; and a fet of Free-thinkers, great admirers of Voltaire and Roffeau, Bayle and Mirabeau, feem bent upon deftroying chriflianity and govern. ment. "With one hand (faid a lawyer, who has written fomething against them) they fhake the throne, and with the other, they throw down the altars." If we believe them, the world is the dupe of kings and priefts. Religion is fanatacifm and fuperftition. Subordination is flavery and tyranny. Chriftian morality is abfurd, unnatural, and impracticable; and chriftianity the most bloody religion that ever was.

And here it is certain, that by the example of Chriftians fo called. and by our continual difputes they have a great advantage, and do the truth immenfe mitchief. Popery will certainly fall in. France, in this, or the next century; and I make no doubt, God will use thofe vain men, to bring about a reformation here, as he ufed Henry the Eighth to do that work in England: fo the madness of his enemies fhall, at laft, turn to his praife, and to the furtherance of his kingdom.

In the mean time it becomes all lovers of the truth to make their heavenly tempers, and humble, peaceful love to fine before all men, that thofe mighty adverfaries, feeing the good works of profeffors, may glorify their Father who is in heaven and no more blaf heme that worthy name, by which we are all called Christians.

If you afk, What fyftem these men adopt? I anfwer, that fome build on Deifm, a morality founded on felf-prefervation, felf-intereft, and felf-honour. Others laugh at all morality, except that which being neglected violently disturbs fociety; and external order is the decent covering of Fatalifm, while Materialism is their fyltem.

O dear Sirs, let me entreat you, in thefe dangerous days. to use your wide influence, with unabated zeal, against the fcheine of these modern Ceitufes, Por

phiries, and Julians; by calling all profeffors to think and fpeak the fame things, to love and embrace one another, and to ftand firmly embodied to refift those daring men many of whom are already in England, headed by the admirers of Mr. Hume and Mr. Hobbes. But it is needlefs to fay this to those who have made, and continue to make fuch a stand for vital christianity; fo that I have nothing to do but pray, that the Lord would abundantly fupport and ftrengthen you to the laft, and make you a continued comfort to his enlightened people, loving reprovers of thofe who mix light and darkness, and a terror to the perverfe and this is the cordial prayer of, Rev, and dear Sirs, your affectionate fon, and obliged fer, vant in the gospel, I. F.

P. S. I need not tell you, Sirs, that the hour in which Providence hall make my way plain to return to England, to unite with the happy number of thofe who feel, or feek the power of Chriftian godliness, will be welcome to me. O favoured Britons! Happy would it be for them, if they knew their gofpel privileges! My relations in Adam are all very kind to me; but the fpiritual relations, whom God has raised me in England, exceed them yet. Thanks be to Chrift, and to his blafphemed religion!

Macon in Burgundy, May 18th, 1778,

The Rev. Dr. Conyers.

Hon. and dear Șir,

I LEFT orders with a friend to fend you a little book, called The Reconciliation; in which I endeavour to bring nearer the children of God, who are divided about their partial views of divine truths. I do not know whether that tract has in any degree, anfwered its defign: but I believe truth can be reconciled with itfelf, and the candid children of God one with another. O that fome abler hand, and more loving heart, would undertake to mend my plan, if it be worth mending, or draw one more agreeable to the word S

of God! My eyes are upon you, dear Sir, and thofe who are like-minded with you, for this work : difappoint me not of my hope. Stand forth, and makeway for reconciling love, by removing (fo far as lies in you) what is in the way of brotherly union. O Sir, the work is worthy of you! and if you faw, with what boldness the falfe philofophers of the Continent, who are the apoftles of the age, attack christianity, and reprefent it as one of the worst religions in the world, and fit only to make the profeffors of it murder one another, or at least to contend among themselves; and how they urge our difputes to make the gospel of Chrift the jeft of nations, and the abhorrence of all flesh, you would break through your natural timidity, and invite all our brethren in the miniftry, to do what the herds do on the Swifs mountains, when wolves attack them; instead of goring one another, they unite, form a close battalion, and face the common enemy on all fides. What a fhame would it be, if cows and bulls fhewed more prudence, and more regard for union, than Chriftians and gospel Minifters!

O dear Sir, take courage! Be bold for the reconciling truth. Be bold for peace. You can do all things, through Chrift ftrengthening you; and as Doctor Conyers, you can do many things,-a great many more than you think. What if you go, Sir, in Chrift's name, to all the gofpel minifters of your acquaintance, exhort them as a father, entreat them as a brother, and bring them, or as many of them as you can together; think you that your labour would be in vain in the Lord? Impoffible, Sir! O despair not! Charity hopeth all things, and as Kempis faith, "It trieth all things, and bringeth many things to pass, which would appear impoffible to him, who defpaireth, hateth, or careth not for the sheep."

If you want a coach, or a friend to accompany you, when you go upon this errand of love, remember there is a Thornton in London, and an Ireland in Bristol, who will wish you God fpeed, and make your way plain before you; and God will raife many more to

concur in the peaceful work. Let me humbly intreat you to go to work, and to perfevere in it. I wish I had ftrength to be at least your poftilion when you go. I would drive, if not like Jehu, at leaft with fome degree of cheerful fwiftnefs, while Chrift fmiled on the Chriftian attempt. But I am confident you can do ali in the abfence, and without the concurrence of him who is, with brotherly love, and dutiful respect, Hon. and dear Sir, your obedient fervant in the gofpel, I. F.

Mr. William Perronet.
My dear Friend,

Nyon, June 2d, 1778.

WHEN I wrote to you laft, I mentioned twe ladies of your family, who have married two brothers, Meffrs. Monod. Since that time, they have requested me to fend to your father the enclofed memorial, which I hope will prove of ufe to your family. As the bad writing and the language may make the underftanding of it difficult to you, I send you the subftance of it, and of the letter of the Ladies' lawyer, as follows:

*

*

While I invite you to make your title clear to a precarious eftate on earth, permit me, my dear Sir, to remind you of the heavenly inheritance entailed on believers. The will, the new teftament by which we can recover it, is proved. The court is just and equitable, the Judge is gracious and loving. To enter into poffeffion of a part of the eftate here, and of the whole hereafter, we need only believe, and prove evangelically, that we are believers. Let us, then, fet a

bout it now, with earnestness, with perfeverance, and with a full affurance, that, through grace, we fhall infallibly carry our caufe. Alas! what are eftates and

crowns, to grace and glory? The Lord grant, that we, and all our friends, may chufe the better part, which your brother, my dear friend, fo happily chofe. And may we firmly ftand to the choice, as he did, to the laft. My best refpects wait upon your dear father, your fifters, and nieces. God reward your kindness

to me upon them all!

I have had a pull back fince I wrote laft. After I left Mr. Ireland at Macon, to fhorten my journey and enjoy new profpects, I ventured to cross the mountains, which feparate France from this country. But on the third day of the journey, I found an unexpected trial; a large hill, whofe winding roads were fo fteep, that though we fed the horfes with bread and wine, they could fcarcely draw the chaife, obliged me to walk in all the fteepeft places. The climbing lafted feveral hours, the fun was hot, I perfpired violently, and the next day I fpit blood again. I have chiefly kept to goat's milk ever fince, and I hope I shall get over this death alfo, because I find myself, bleffed be God, better again, and my cough is neither frequent nor violent.

This is a delightful country. If you come to fee it, and claim the eftate, bring all the papers and memorials your father can collect, and come to fhare a pleafant apartment, and one of the finest profpects in the world, in the house where I was born. God blefs you, my dear friend! Believe me, Dear Sir, &c. I. F.

James Ireland, Esq.

My dear Friend,

1

Nyon, July 15th, 1778.

I HAVE ventured to preach once, and to expound ence in the church. Our minifters are very kind and preach to the purpose: a young one of this town gave us lately a very excellent, gofpel fermon. Grown up people ftand faft in their ftupidity, or in their felfrighteoufnefs. The day I preached, I met with fome children in my wood walking or gathering ftrawber