The Christian Observer

and we would wait without dismay for whatever events he may see fit to send

us.

We congratulate our country on the favourable state of our finances. Mr. Addington has stated that a permanent British peace establishment, scarcely inferior to that which we now possess, may be maintained out of our present income; and he has also given notice, that in order to defray the six or eight millions of extraordinary expenses of the present year, which the war has entailed, no loan will be necessary, the conversion of Exchequer Bills into Stock, being the measure intended to be resorted to. In consequence of this, the funds have risen rapidly, and omnium is now at a discount of not more than from 2 to 3 per cent.

The goodness of Divine Providence, in favouring us with a plentiful harvest, is another subject of comfortable reflection at the close of the present year. On the whole, Great Britain has abundant cause for thankfulness. Her temporal prosperity is great; her trade and manufactures are thriving; her re

SIR,

To the Christian Observer.

sources, so long as we remain at peace, are continually increasing; her empire is enlarged and consolidated; her naval and military power is strong for every purpose of self-defence, beyond the example of former periods; and discontent and faction are greatly lessened. Her rival, indeed, is also powerful, beyond all former precedent; and the actions of the Chief Consul shew, that we can place no confidence in his professions. Our chief danger, however, is from ourselves; and there are vices in a state, which arise even out of its prosperity. Let us cultivate a pure and mild religion, as the best corrective, as well as preventive, of every national evil; a religion, out of which subordination, order, and morality, grow as from their natural root; a religion, which, though not of this world, leads to every worldly benefit that is worth possessing; and then, being strong in the favour of the Almighty, we shall be in little danger from our enemies; and may consider ourselves to be in possession of real peace, happiness, and security.

OBITUARY.

As you seem ready to admit into your Obituary any authentic account of deceased persons, who are eminently pious or useful in their generation, I beg leave to transmit to you a character of this kind He was one of your constant readers, and a member of my congre gation during five and twenty years. The sad event, which has shed a gloom far beyond the circle in which I move, was thus announced to the public, in one of the York papers. "On Friday, November 26th, died of a violent fever, to the unspeakable grief of his family and friends, Mr. John Hepworth, merchant, one of the sheriffs of this city. He was a person of the most active benevolence and strict integrity; a good husband and father; a generous friend; a loyal subject; a useful citizen and a sincere Christian. The loss of such a man, who had scarcely reached the 40th year of his age, will be long remembered and deeply regretted." This testimony is true. The loss sustained, not only by his family and friends, but by society at large, will not easily be repaired. To me, whom he considered as his spiritual father, and the guide of his youth, he was ever kind and attentive; and I can say of him what, I think, Dr Johnson said of his friend Mr. Thrale, "those eyes are closed, which never beheld me but with mingled love

and reverence." He received the great doctrines of the Gospel, with all readiness of mind, and uniformly acted under the influence of them, from early youth to the end of his days. A principle of religious reverence, of faith and love towards our Lord Jesus Christ, evidently appeared, not only in public and social worship, but in every transaction and relation of life in which he was engaged The diligence and success with which he conducted his mercantile concerns, was not greater than that with which he served God and his generation. His religious and social affections were always in action. Every charitable institution, within his reach, enjoyed his countenance and liberal support. Not content, like many others, with giving his money freely, he gave also, what they are not disposed to give, his time and his labour, and in one or more instances rendered effectual service to a public charity, by detecting abuses, and retrieving its finances from the injurious effects of jobs and misapplication. In all such exertions, as well as in his religious profession, he was undaunted and persevering. No frowns or sneers could drive him from his purpose. He feared God and had no other fear. He was never weary in well doing whatever ungrateful treatment he met with.

His private deeds of mercy are fully known to him only, who will reward them at the last

day; but the widow's tears that have been shed at his death, and the many poor families which have risen up and called him blessed, shew that these charities were large and extensive.

Every call of duty he cheerfully obeyed, however it might hurt his ease and interest. He gave a remarkable proof of this when he joined some of his peaceable and loyal fellow citizens in arming for the maintenance of social order, during the late times of danger and alarm. He was one of that respectable body of cavalry, which was formed in the city of York, and underwent the trouble and expense attending it with his usual zeal and spirit. His religion had taught him not to meddle with them that are given to change; but to fear God, honour the King, and obey every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Hence his loyalty and attachment to the constitution of his country, both in Church and State, remained unshaken, amidst the spirit of faction and insubordination that appeared in this and other places of the land. He was a steady and consistent member of the established Church, though without bigotry. He loved all, in every denomination of Christians, who appeared to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, without approving the divisions and scismatical proceedings that have disgraced the late revivals of practical religion. In his temper he was generous, candid, and forgiving; for he had much of that excellent grace of "charity, which suffereth long and is kind; which thinketh no evil, but hopeth all things, and endureth all things; which rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth." His death, which happened on the very day when he had invited the leading members of the corporation, and some of the principal inhabitants, to the usual feast given by the sheriffs of York, affords a lesson of instruction to the living, which may be disregarded but cannot be misunderstood. The fever which carried him off, and from which no danger was at first apprehended, soon increased to such an alarming height as to overwhelm all his mental faculties, and render him incapable of expressing either his hopes or his fears. Should we judge of his Christian character and future doom by the dying sayings which he uttered, we might consider both as dubious. But no one, who was well acquaint

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On Friday, Dec. 10, at the house of the Rev. James Bean, in Carshalton, Miss Higgins. This lady, though frequently in extreme danger from habitual ill-health, was called out of the world at a time, when neither she, nor those about her, had any apprehension of the event. This circumstance deserves notice as a particular warning to those sickly persons, who from unexpected recoveries frequently repeated, grow familiar with danger, and are at last surprised by death, though often loudly summoned to prepare for their departure. Happy, however, will it be for all our readers, if they be found as ready for the change, as the person was whose unexpected end suggests these serious reflections

At York, Hugh Robinson, Esq a Rear Admiral in the Navy.

In the 68th year of his age, Mr. Sewell, Bookseller, of Cornhill.

Nov 6. The Rev. Pell Akehurst, Rector of Buckland. Hertfordshire.

Aged 71, Mr. Allan, of Sloane Street. Nov. 9 At Cambridge, Rev. John Warter, M. A. of Shrewsbury.

Nov. 11. At Longworth, Berks, in the 90th year of his age, the Rev. John Williams, Rector of that Parish.

Nov. 17. At Frostenden, in Suffolk, the Rev. Christopher Sincar.

Lately, in his 91st year, Rowles Scudamore, Esq. a justice of the peace for Gloucestershire, and the oldest barrister in England.

Nov. 22. Mrs. Robertson, wife of the Rev. A. Robertson, Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford.

Dec. 15. At Shadwell, Thomas Dykes, Esq. of a sudden and violent spasm in his stomach.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

A FRIEND, whom we highly value, having expressed an opinion, that our notes on Mr. Bogue's Letter, pp 738 and 740, tended to establish in their full latitude, the doctrines of divine right and passive obedience, we think it right to say a few words on the subject, with a view of satisfying our respectable correspondent, as well as any other of our readers who may have adopted a similar idea. The note, p. 738, is no more than a partial extract from our Review of Mr Bogue's Essay, pp 113, 114. By turning to pp 115 and 116, of the same review, it will be seen that several guards were interposed to prevent the inference which our friend has drawn. We wish, however, particularly to refer him to our Number for May, p. 322, where Christ. Observ. No. 12. 5 N

he will find our views expressed, with still more precision, by B. T. of whose sentiments we have testified our approbation. We shall only add, that in mentioning Acts v. 29, as affording the only scriptural limitation to the command of yielding submission to Civil Government, we meant to consider the duty of obeying God rather than man, not merely as confined to that undisguised and compulsory alternative to which St. Peter was brought; but as including all those cases, in which we may be required to depart from the general rule of submission, by the will of God, either clearly expressed in scripture or fairly and legitimately deducible from it; for his will, we would strenuously maintain, must ever be the measure, not only of submission or resistance to Civil Government, but of every duty whatsoever. The following communications have recently come to hand, viz. JUVENIS; J F H.; ECCLESIA ALUMNUS; P.; CLERICUS SURRIENSIS; T. S. F.; P. J.; J. S.; O. E. A. ; E F. G.; and JAMES.

We are greatly indebted to the modesty and candour of S. R. O., and we avail ourselves of it. We recognise with pleasure the hand-writing and name of W. R.

If T. B. will read Archbishop Usher's Answer to the Challenge of a Jesuit, article "Of the Limbus Patrum and Christ's descent into hell;" and also Pearson on the Creed, he will probably meet with a satisfactory solution of his difficulties.

J. P. N. if he turn to the 3rd chapter of St. Luke, will find, that not only was Joseph the reputed father of Christ, but his mother, Mary also, lincally descended from David. With the utmost accuracy, therefore, has that prophecy been fulfilled to which J. P. N. refers, Psalm cxxxii. ver. 11. "of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne;" nor does it appear necessary to resort to the mode proposed by him of considering a mere alliance of affinity as a sufficient fulfilment of it.

F.'s communication contains some good things, but expressed in so quaint a style, that we cannot with propriety insert it.

We have replied by post to the favour of A CONSCIENTIOUS DEACON.

The communication of a FRIEND, we shall insert with pleasure.

CUSTOS on the propriety of uniting the ministerial and magisterial functions, will appear in

our next.

We are greatly obliged to a correspondent who subscribes himself O, for his friendly counsel, which we take in good part, and shall endeavour to profit by. With some of his opinions, however, we do not cordially concur; and we take this mode of expressing our dissent, only because he has given us no opportunity of private communication. Our correspondent censures us for recommending the writings of Dissenters, and he particularizes the sermons of Mr. Jay. If he could have shewn either that our commendation, in this instance, had been excessive or unjust, or that the sermons in question contained principles inimical to the Church of England, we should have stood corrected for our want of discrimination and vigilance. But if, whatever be their imperfections, they tend, in these degenerate days, to raise the tone of practical piety, without betraying any sectarian leanings, we think ourselves bound to recommend them. Even the Anti-Jacobin Reviewers have candour enough to yield their tribute of almost unqualified commendation to Fuller and Hall, some of whose writings we concur with them in wishing to be widely diffused. But upon our correspondent's principles, we must banish from our libraries not only Fuller and Hall, but Owen, and Baxter, and Leland, and Lardner, and Watts, and Doddridge, unless a certain lapse of years is to be considered as divesting the writings of Dissenters of their power to injure either the Church or State. We are hopeless of retaining the cordial support of any individuals, who think we ought to adopt such principles. And if the pious, zealous, and useful clergyman, to whom our correspondent alludes, and for whose character we entertain a very profound respect, should execute his purpose of exchanging ours for a more congenial work, we may regret his determination, but we cannot, therefore, change our plan or recede from our principles. After the above censure, we were not greatly surprised that O. should think the Christian Observer "not sufficiently decided for the church," and that its conductors have been "desirous to curry favour with Dissenters " On this point, he and SECTARIUS PACIFICUS (see p. 806) are at issue. Had O. perused the answers to correspondents in our last number, he would, probably, have thought his remarks on our blue cover unnecessary

The correspondent who has kindly pointed out what he conceives to be a mistake with respect to Irenæus and Polycarp, we apprehend has not read the passage with sufficient attention. (See p. 729, col. 1, line 1 to 24)

We ought to apologize to the author of the Sunday Water Party, for the delay which has taken place in inserting it, and which was owing chiefly to its length. We hope to be favoured with his future correspondence.