the popular work on which they fastened, or by the talents which they display, or their tendency to gratify the general taste for censure and irony, attracted more notice and acquired more celebrity than any previous production of this community. Some persons in London, who read the strictures on Hervey, supposing that because he was sometimes wrong, Sandeman must be always right, formed in 1762, a church not only founded on his principles, but unhappily inspired with too much of his spirit. They met first at Glover's Hall, and afterwards, for several years, in the quaker's meeting house in Bull and Mouth-street, from which they removed, 1778, to Paul's-alley, Barbican. Several independent ministers joined the new church, among whom were Mr. Chater, Mr. Prentice, and Mr. Boosey. But the proselyte who procured them most celebrity was Mr. Pike, a popular dissenting minister, who entered into a correspondence with Mr. Sandeman on the first appearance of his letters. The members of Mr. Pike's church eagerly watched the progress of the friendly controversy between their pastor and the writer whom they had just learned to admire. To Mr. Pike's expostulations concerning the bitter spirit of Mr. Sandeman, he received answers which appeared almost satisfactory to him and his friends, and encouraged him to introduce some of the Sandemanian practices into the public worship of the church.

While the shepherd and the flock seemed to be amicably departing together from their former sentiments, a rumour was raised, in 1758, that Mr. Pike had abandoned the faith of the Gospel, to which some reports were added, sufficient to excite odium against his character, though they

appear to have been destitute of truth. Two sermons which he preached in the same year, at Pinner's Hall lecture, and afterwards published, under the title of "free Grace, saving Grace," increased the aversion which many entertained for him and his sentiments, and occasioned his exclusion from the lecture. Some of the members of his church becoming dissatisfied, several meetings were called to consider the propriety of his continuance with them; but in the midst of these discussions appeared a pamphlet, entitled, "Reflections on an epistolary Correspondence, by W. F." who was William Fuller, Esq. a member of the church. To this pamphlet, which was designed to shew the dangerous tendency of Sandemanianism, and warn the church against following Mr. Pike, he wrote an answer, in the close of 1759, entitled "free Grace indeed," Shortly after was published," the scripture Account of justifying Faith, interspersed with Reflections on some modern Sentiments in Religion, by T. U," Thomas Uffington, a deacon of the church, who strenuously opposed Mr. Pike's sentiments. An answer to it, entitled, "rational Religion distinguished from that which is enthusiastic," was written by John Dove, a member of the church (who had before defended Mr. Pike's "Form of sound Words" against Dr. Fleming) and who was called, from his trade and his learning, the Hebrew tailor.

These disputes were terminated by moving,at a church meeting, held in April, 1760, that those who have not revived their union under the pastoral care of Mr. Pike be excluded the membership of the church. There were seventeen voices on each side; but Mr. Pike, having the casting vote, his friends retained the

place of worship, in spite of the struggles of those who adhered to the original principles of the society. These they carried with them to a meeting-house in Little St. Helens, where they formed themselves into a distinct church, which chose Mr. Barber, of Basingstoke, to the pastoral office. Mr. Pike, however, becoming at length more than a doctrinal Sandemanian, resigned his connection with the society at the Three Cranes, Thames-street, and, in 1765, joined the Sandemanian church at Bull and Mouth-street, St. Martins le Grand. His talents soon called him to the office of an elder in this church, of which he published a particular account. After officiating here, with great acceptance for some time, he was sent to a society of the same sentiments at Trowbridge, in Wiltshire, where, after preaching two years, he died, in the spring of 1773, at the age of fifty-six.

When Mr. Sandeman had visited London, and founded a church there, he was invited to America by some persons who, having read his writings, wished to see his principles propagated in the western world. He complied, and undertook the voyage in 1764, accompanied by two of his brethren, one of whom was James Cargil, a glover, who had attracted much notice in Scotland, as the first unclerical, unlearned man, who dared to preach and exercise the office of an elder. They commenced their American mission by a visit to a society at Danbury, but after preaching there thirty days, and perceiving no satisfactory fruits of their ministry, they published a striking address and departed. Mr. Sandeman visited many other parts of America, but met with most success in New England, where he planted churches. When, however, the political disputes between Great

Britain and her colonies agitated the public mind, he found his situation extremely unpleasant; for, compelled by his principles to exhort to obedience, he so incensed the Americans, that when he died in 1771, they would scarcely suffer his body to be decently interred.

This denomination of dissenters has not become numerous in England. Besides the church in London, they have formed societies at Nottingham, Liverpool, Whitehaven, Newcastle, and other towns, which however are not large, and are tending to decay rather than to increase. Scotland and Ireland have, of late, proved most favourable to the sentiments of this communion. Many of their proselytes have since become baptists, in spite of the censures pronounced by Sandeman and Glas on those who deny the right of infants to the initiatory ordinance of the Christian religion. Controversy arose among the Sandemanians in 1798, in consequence of one of their leaders affirming, that by the work of faith and labour of love, they come to know they are of the truth, and obtain the assured hope of being accepted; that this is the highest possible enjoyment of Christ's people in this life, and to them the utmost evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. This doctrine was opposed by others as unscriptural, and contrary to the grand article of expecting salvation only in consequence of the work of Christ. The dispute was maintained for some time with great bitterness, and ended in the separation of a number of churches from the rest, in order to pursue this which Sandeman would have called "a devout path to hell.”

In addition to this division, the Sandemanians are separated into several other classes. The followers of

Mr. M'Lean, of Edinburgh are baptists as well as disciples of Glas. The same may now be said of the societies in connection with Robert and James Haldane, of Edinburgh. Mr. Walker, of Dublin, is at the head of a society which differs both from baptists and pædobaptists; and Mr. Johnson, of Liverpool, has formed a division denominated Johnsonians. Division, indeed, is the natural inevitable consequence of the bigotry which prevails in this communion, and its strong propensity to attach excessive importance to every thing in which they differ from others. Their late efforts for the diffusion of their sentiments will demand the notice of the future historian.