Libr. воле 12-3-42 46466 INTRODUCTION. T is long fince the inhabitants of Britain have been termed a nation of politicians. And it is one pri vilege, by which we are diftinguifhed from most other nations on the face of the earth, that on political, as well as other fubjects, every man. is allowed to think for himself, to exprefs, and even to publifh his thoughts, without fear of danger; fo long as he propagates no opinions fubverfive of public order and peace. But never were the minds of men fo intent upon political fubjects, nor fo many pens employed in political difcuffions, as fince the year 1789. The furprising revolution that then took place in France, together with certain publications, which then made their appearance in Britain, raised fuch a fermentation in the minds of men, more efpecially in the lower ranks of life, as perhaps no former period ever witneffed. Various circumftances have occurred fince that time, which have ferved to keep up that fermentation. And, though people now find it convenient to be a little more guarded, both in their expreffions and in their conduct, than they once were, the fame politi cal enthufiafm ftill occupies their minds; it is ready to burft forth with redoubled violence, whenever an occafion fhall offer :--And who knows what occafion of that kind these critical times may produce? It is, therefore, the part of every good citizen, and of every true Chrif A tian, tian, to contribute his endeavour to ftem the torrent, or to prevent it from taking fuch a direction as may overwhelm all in confufion and ruin. It may be thought foreign to the bufinefs of a minifter of the Gofpel to intermeddle in political disputes; and, if thefe difputes are viewed in a light merely political, there may be fome juftice in the thought. But every political opinion must either be agreeable or difagreeable to the word of God: every political duty is enforced by the authority of God in his law and every political crime is an act of moral depravity. Gospel minifters ought to lay before their people whatever they have received of the Lord: to inculcate every duty that God requires of them; and faithfully to warn them against every fin that He has prohibited. If, through their neglect, the people under their charge fhall fall into finful courses,-the people may perish in their iniquity; but their blood must be required at the watchmen's hands. Upon this principle, the writer of these pages holds himself fully justified in laying them before the world; more especially when he takes into confideration the following things. * He does not confider the pulpit as a proper place for either a full or a frequent difcuffion of political subjects. However important thofe duties are which we owe to one another, as members of fociety on earth,-the doctrines of the cross of Christ, and the concerns of an eternal world, are of more importance ftill. And upon thefe chiefly he thinks it his duty to infift on the Lord's Day. Much lefs does he think it proper to follow their example who make public prayer a vehicle for conveying their political fentiments to their hearers. As he confiders himself, when preaching the Gospel, as the meffenger of God to men; and therefore would make make conscience of delivering that, and that only, which he has in commiffion from God:-fo, in public prayer, he confiders himself as the mouth of the congregation to God; and, therefore, dare express nothing to which he has not reason to think that the whole congregation will fay-Amen. His views of the prefent state of public affairs are pretty well known, both to his own congregation, and to others about the place where he refides: but the grounds upon which thefe views are built, he has never had an opportunity fairly to ftate: and this he. now does the more willingly, in hopes that it may be ufeful, not only to his own congregation, but alfa to the public at large. He has the honour to belong to a body of Diffenters who have always distinguished themselves by ftrenuous contendings in behalf of Christian liberty and the rights of the people, as members of the church of Chrift: and, he is apprehensive that some may confider the whole fociety as equally ftrenuous in behalf of what fome now call the political rights of man; while he is convinced that these two sorts of rights have no connection with, or relation to one another. He has seen, with deep concern, that, by the active part which fome diffenters, both in England and Scotland, have taken in the present difputes,―an odium has been brought upon the diffenting intereft, in the eyes of government and its adherents, which will not be easily wiped off. By this means, he is afraid, a very strong bar is placed in the way of the Legislature's granting that indulgence to Proteftant diffenters, which they feem difpofed to extend to every other denomination of men. And he knows, that though the principles of the Seceffion church, with relation to the civil government in this nation, have been fully laid before the world fifty years ago; and though Seceders |