legible in every page of divine revelation, as you, Volusian, have shewn, if placed before creatures capable of any degree of serious moral reflection, must move them, and force their attention.

You would however have had better grounds for pleasing yourself with the prospect if this much-desired change take place in the public worship of the church, if you had known any thing of an extraordinary advancement made towards it, from a very important quarter in the church itself. But indeed you have been so averse to every thing of this kind, Volusian, that your friends have always waved speaking on the subject, when you have been with them, to avoid giving uneasiness.

VOLUSIAN. I own, I do not wonder at this procedure of your's, says Volusian, though I am ashamed of myself now for having given occasion for it, and am truly sensible of the loss I have sustained by it.

MARCELLINUS.-You will perceive, proceeded Mar. cellinus, not having adverted to what Volusian was saying; to what a degree your prejudices in favour of the doctrines of the establishment have shut up your mind from the knowledge of what was doing by churchmen themselves, in your ignorance of the fact of great notoriety, to which I allude; and which one wonders any intelligent member of the church of England should be unacquainted with.

VOLUSIAN.-Upon Marcellinus thus expatiating, without coming directly to the point, Volusian grew not a little impatient, and could not help saying; My good friends all, and particularly Marcellinus! I beg pardon

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for the trouble you have formerly had with such an obstinate companion; but I assure you, that you may now tell me any thing, because it will not be lost or unheeded, and will sooth my mind much in its present state.

MARCELLINUS.-What I have to mention, replies Marcellinus, and which I shall be no less glad to communicate than you to hear, my worthy friend, relates to one of the greatest ornaments of the church of England, whether you regard him as a scholar, philosopher, divine, or as a truly good man, which is beyond them all; none other than Dr. Clarke, the celebrated Rector of St. James's, Westminster.

This eminent person was under very extraordinary convictions of the necesity of reforming the liturgy of the church; and for some years before his death, had employed himself, at his leisure hours, in makingamendments in it throughout. The principal and most striking alterations made and proposed by him, were in the devotional parts, with respect to the object of worship.

And here he took the liberty of blotting out all those passages in which the Son, or the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, are called God, or divine worship ascribed to either of them; retaining only those prayers and invocations which were addressed to the one true God, and Father of all.

This was done by him, when his judgment and faculties were in their full vigour, having been finished just before he was unexpectedly taken off by a fever, in his 54th year, a°. 1729.

This invaluable labour (a) of his father's, his worthy son, Mr. Clarke, presented to the British Museum, about twenty years ago; that it might be deposited, and preserved among the most precious things of the nation (b). And there it is now to be seen by you, Volusian, or by any other person.

I cannot, however, finish what I have to say on this invaluable deposit, without adding, that there is in the

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(a) The first and the only public notice, as far as I can learn, that was given of this attempt of this eminent person, towards a eformation of the public service, was a few years after his death, in "Memoirs of the Life and Sentiments of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Clarke," by one who lived on very intimate terms with him, that famous sufferer for the doctrine of the Divine Unity, Mr. Emlyn. His words are; "He (Dr. Clarke) once shewed me that he had been making some emendations in his Common-prayer book; and the very last time, I think, I ever saw him, (the March before he died) and in some of our last discourse at parting, he asked me, if he had shewn me what he had been doing in his Common-prayer. I said I had just seen it once; he added, that it should not be lost. With what design or view he had done it, he never said to me. I suppose, by something I cast my eye upon, that one design was to correct some improper expressions, the meaning whereof might be obscure, and the phrase harsh and uncouth, even where no points of doctrine were concerned. But I hardly supposed he ever finished the work, being soon after taken away from us" Emlyn's works, Vol II. p. 499. It appears, from Mr. Emlyn's being a stranger to it, that not many of Dr. Clarke's friends were apprized of the extent of his difficulties, with regard to the worship of the church he belonged to; or how anxious he must have been for a reforma. tion in that respect.

(b) Dr. Cla ke's own title is, " Amendments, humbly proposed to the consideration of those in authority, of the Book of Common-prayer, &c."

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library here, an extract of a letter from Archbishop Herring to Dr. Jortin, after the Archbishop had gotten a sight of this work of Dr. Clarke's. And his character of it, to so estimable a person, and fine a scholar, as Dr. Jortin, well marks the high opinion both of them had of these emendations of Dr. Clarke, and the concern it gave the Archbishop, that the temper of the nation would not permit them to be adopted; although it might have been wished, that he had taken some way to express these sentiments before the public, as well as to his friend in private, to whom he thus writes:

"CROYDON, AUG. 7, 1753.

(a) I have seen Dr. Clarke's Common-Praye Book. I have read it; have approved the temper, and wisdom of it. But into what times are we fallen, after so much light, and so much appearance of moderation, that one can only wish for the success of truth! The world will not bear it."

(a) See New Review, Vol. I. p. 241. by Henry Maty, A. Mi learned, ingenious, and of most singular integrity. He was a confessor of the truth of the Divine Unity; suffering the loss of many things for it. The admission of the Amendments of the Liturgy, proposed by Dr. Clarke, would have kept him in his station in the church.

To these testimonies of approbation of Dr. Clarke's reformed liturgy, may be added that of another prelate, more lately gone off this mortal stage, the learned, gentle and humane Dr. Law, Bishop of Carlisle; than whom no one ever had a mind more open to truth, or was more communicative of it. Very signal proofs might be produced, how joyful an event it would have been to him, if he could have seen Dr. Clarke's reformation of the Liturgy adopted throughout the nation. VOLUSIAN.

VOLUSIAN.-Volusian had listened with great attention, and pleasure in his countenance, whilst Marcellinus was speaking; and immediately applying himself to him, I am extremely obliged to you, says he, for this curious history of a most important fact indeed, which I assure you is perfectly new to me, and I believe to the far greater part of the members of the established church. For so wrapt up are we in the notion of every thing being most perfect in it, especially with regard to its worship, that we cannot bear to hear, or read of any of the least alterations in it, no not even in the uncharitable creed, wrongly it seems ascribed to St. Athanasius, and composed above a hundred years after he was in his grave. But though I was taught from my youth, that Dr. Clarke was not quite sound in some of his opinions, I was taught at the same time to think with reverence of his writings and character in general. And I should be highly obliged to you, Marcellinus, if you could favour me with any general idea of the alterations he has proposed, with respect to the object of divine worship, in his amendments of the book of Commonprayer, which you speak of.

MARCELLINUS.-I am happy, says Marcellinus, that I have it in my power to gratify you. I have a book here, published some years since, in which all the alterations you wish to see are transcribed, in their regular order, from Dr. Clarke's manuscript; and with the leave of the company, I will read them over to you. Upon which they all nodded their assent; and Marcellinus,