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charge you would retreat, and you have pointed to your shelter. You speak of the reputation you have long fuftained. Do you with us to believe that it has been what is commonly termed evangelical? To which of the faints will you turn for a teftimonial? You next appeal to the students-proh pudor!!!—and appeal to them as the most, the only competent judges. What then do they affirm?that you taught, and they received the doctrines of Calvinifin? Calvinifm was their fcorn; yet, if in your labours fo ftrangely unfuccefsful, whence your long acquiefcence, and your at last public approbation of them? But do you yourself believe the articles in queftion? and if not, how could you faithfully teach them? Since you have iffued the challenge, I fear not to declare what to the unbiaffed mind will furnish the needful conviction.

Does the answer to the queftion in the Affembly's Catechifm relative to the trinity, form any part of your faith? To me you dare not affirm it. Concerning Jefus-a heavenly voice has faid, "let all the angels worship him."-Angels obey:-But I well remember the occafion when you exhorted, and not for the firft time, your hearers to diffent from them. I fometimes addreffed Jefus as the object of our worship, and by it incurred your marked reprehenfion. Am I not ftating a fact? and is it not a fact according with the previously formed ideas of your character, held by the ferious part not only of the town, but of the county of Northampton? A Lindfey in one connection, and a Belfham your own predeceffor in another, renouncing their fituations, when a change of opinion made it impoffible conscientiously to retain them, have afforded an example not unworthy to be followed. We refpect the rare integrity that can thus part with emolument, even while we enter our proteft against the principles of thofe gentlemen by whom, in the prefent cafe, fuch integrity has been honourably displayed. I regret you have been fo exceedingly imprudent as to call for this difclofure; but hall confole myfelf, if the fmart it produces be the happy means of bringing you to genuine and public repentance. For a series of years, awful thought! you have been fending forth men who have diminished and contaminated many a once flourishing congregation. But againt you, this, it feems, can involve no reflection. What does the fruit difcover nothing of the tree, or the ftreams give us no prefumption of the nature of the

fountain? Strange furely it were, that a Priestley fhould train up determined Calvinifts, and a Jonathan Edwards fill New England with Socinians! Yet if, as pretended, the principles of Coward's trust, have been by you inculcated on the ftudents, I have fuppofed a cafe which has been long and fadly realized in the late Academy at Northampton. You speak of a wounded reputation; have you laid yourself open to no cenfure on this head refpecting me?-I forbear, and anxious to convince you that I have affirmed nothing which I fhould fhrink from avowing, I comply with the intimation you give, and fign myself DAVID SAVILE. London, Jan. 10. 1799.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

BY inferting the following paper in your Magazine for the next month, you will oblige many of your readers.

W. O. MANNING.

New College, Manchefter. Dec. 22.

IN confequence of an article, which appeared in the laft number of the Monthly Magazine, refpecting the late Academy at Northampton, we the undersigned, who have all been lately or formerly ftudents in that feminary, voluntarily ftep forward to bear our public teftimony to the fidelity of our theological tutor, against the unfounded and malicious infinuations to which he has perfonally replied. This we do by ftating the following facts: That Dr.. Doddridge's printed lectures were the text books. It is well known that Dr. Doddridge was a gentleman intimate with Mr. Coward as a friend, and that his fentiments were fuch as he (Coward) cordially approved. His lectures were the books prefcribed by the trustees, for the very purpofe of directing the conduct of the tutor, and enfuring conformity to the will of the tefta

tor.

Thefe were invariably ufed. That thofe doctrines, which are most particularly diftinguishing of the Calvinistic fyftem, were fo far from being withheld or oppofed in a clandeftine manner, that they were fully ftated, and frequently introduced by Mr. Horfey, (as many of us perfectly recollect) as doctrines in which Mr. Coward's will required us to be well inftructed. While this statement fufficicently confutes the base infinuations contained in the Miffionary Magazine, we may at the fame time further declare, that our tutor did nothing to compel us to be Calvinifts, or to fretend that we were fo if we C

were

were not. That he appeared to abhor giving a bias to the mind of the enquirer, and itrongly recommended strict and im partial examination of all the different fchemes of chriftian doctrine, (which were fairly laid before us, with the arguments in fupport of each, and the difficulties with which each was encumbered) urging us to ask direction of the Father of Lights, and thus to form our own creed according to our best judgment. Thofe of us who have not been of fufficient ftanding in the house, to receive lectures on the doctrines of Christianity, testify, that our theological tutor never attempted to bias our minds in the fmallest degree in favour of any religious fentiments, but always encouraged us to hold ourfelves in fufpenfe, till in the character of enquirers, fuch subjects came properly before us.

Thus we state to the public what we prefume is fufficient evidence, both of the faithfulness, and impartiality, of Mr. Horfey's conduct, in a manner which we fuppofe must be fatisfactory; and we have a right to be believed, as we have no attachment to nor intereft in Mr. H-, but what a virtuous gratitude infpires.

With this impreffion we do more; and having borne the teftimony of truth, which every honeft man owes, we embrace this opportunity of conveying our individual and united thanks to Mr. Horfey, not only for the advantages which we enjoyed while under his care, from the ability and impartiality difplayed in every lecture he delivered, but alfo for the friendly and affectionate difpofition which he uniformly manifefted towards us.

:-

To you then, Reverend Sir, we thus publicly addrefs ourfelves, with hearts deeply fenfible of the obligations which you have conferred upon us.- -To you many if not all of us can truly fay we are indebted for whatever knowledge we poffafs on theological subjects: you firft opened our minds to perceive the beauty of truth, you animated us to pursue it with ardor-you infpired us with an unconquerable attachment to it.-With a teady hand you have conducted us amongst the mazes of controverfy; and content with pointing out to us the various paths which different individuals, or bodies of men, had trodden, and exhibiting a clear and diftinct view of the difficulties and advantages of each, you used no art, no authority, which might obftruct the exercile of that freedom which God permits to all; you left it to the ho

hefty of our own minds to adopt that faith which we should believe to be the faith of the New Teftament, acceptable to God, and conducting to holiness and happiness. Your friendly admonitions have prevented, in many inftances, our entering upon the paths of folly, (to thofe of vice we hope we never were inclined) and in others your authoritative rebuke has recalled us from them. Your paternal care has sheltered us from danger; has extricated us from difficulties: and justice requires of us to declare, that we have uniformly found you acting towards us, not merely in the official character of a tutor, but in that of a fincere friend, and an affectionate father. Animated with corresponding fentiments, it is with the utmost indignation that we fee an anonymous fcribbler attacking the man whom we have been accustomed to love and revere; though at the fame time we are affured that his malignity can have no other effect than to render him odious to every thinking mind. Yet we are not in the least furprised at finding you the fubject of injury and infult, being aware that integrity and uprightnefs are infufficient to protect any. one from them; fince the purity and holinefs of our great mafter, could neither ftop the mouth of the fianderer, nor hinder the crucifixion of the Lord of Glory. We truft, therefore, that should all men revile you, and perfecute you, and fay all manner of evil against you under the plea of attachment to that mafter who, himself the fubject of calumny, has inftructed his beft followers and fervants to expect a fimilar treatment, you will not let thefe move you, but poffeffing a good confcience toward God, look forward to that time when the fecrets of all hearts fhall be made manifeft, and every one fhall be judged according to his works, whether they have been good or whether they have been evil.

Believing that the facts which we have flated, are more than fufficient to repel the attack of your unprincipled aflailant, returning you our fincere and affectionate acknowledgements for the fervices you have rendered us, and commending you to the protection and favour of the God of all Grace and Confolation, we fubscribe ourselves,

Reverend Sir,

Your obliged and affectionate, humble fervants, T. O. WARWIC, M. D.-Rotherham. O. TOMALIN--Manchester. W. LAMPORT~~Poole.

S. LUCAS

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THERE has lately been published by a German divine an account of the state of religious toleration in Ruffia, which appears to me not only to contain fome curious matter of fact, but to afford important matter for reflexion alfo. With your permiffion I will make both thefe the fubject of a letter.

For three centuries paft it has been the practice of the Ruffian fovereigns to indulge ftrangers in the free enjoyment of their religious worship; and under the name of Itrangers appear to have been included thofe numerous tribes or nations which have been adopted into the Ruffian empire by fubmiffion or conqueft. This policy has probably been derived from the Turks and other eastern nations; and it has, in later reigns, been enforced by the neceffity of inviting ftrangers in order to carry into effect the great plans of civilization and improvement, which have been tranfmitted from one fovereign to another. The "Account" in question was drawn up in the time of the late emprefs Catharine, whose managing spirit reduced this, like every other public concern, into a fyftem. The following are its effential points. All religions are tolerated in Ruffia. Chriftian of every denomination, Jew, Mahometan, Pagan, nay each worship his God, or Gods, in the way his father has done before him. Neither is there any thing like a religions test for admission to public offices. The

first perfons in the civil and military departments are Greek, Roman-catholic, Lutheran, Calvinift, &c. as it may happen. The fovereign's choice is a fufficient qualification; nothing exifts to controul it. Yet there is a national church, ftrongly marked by its privileges, and perfectly fecured against that dread of all churches, innovation. In the first place, though the different fectaries may change at pleasure from one church to another, yet the true native Ruffian must inviolably adhere to the religion in which he is born, the Greek: any change in him is apoftafy; and foreign ecclefiaftics are forbidden to receive a Ruffian into their communities. Nay, if a foreigner once conforms to the established religion, he is fixed in it for ever. If a foreigner's children, in defect of a minifter of his own perfuafion, chance to receive baptifin from a Greek priest, they must likewife ever remain members of the national church. Moreover, in marriages between a Ruffian and a foreigner, the offspring, without a very particular difpenfation from court, must be brought up in the Greek faith. The marriage ceremony, even of ftrangers, must always be performed according to the Ruffian ritual; but this, indeed, impofes no fubfequent obligation on the parties, or their children.

Such is the plan philofophical defpotilm has formed for the management of religion in a great empire; and I doubt not there are many who will admire it as an extraordinary effort both of liberality and of good policy. It may feem to unite in the happiest manner the fupport of a national church with a regard to the rights of confcience in those who have been educated in a different communion; and may be thought equally to guard against the evils of innovation, and those of a forced uniformity. For myself, however, I cannot but confider it as a remarkable inftance of the impudence of power-of the propenfity of mortals elevated by station above their fellow-creatures, to affume the prerogative of dictating to them in their moft important concerns. The spirit of the preceding regulations is this" All religions are equal-equally true, or equally falfe. It is ufeful to the fovereign to have a prevailing one under his special. influence and protection; yet it is not worth while to quarrel with ftrangers, or deprive the ftate of their fervices, for the fake of uniformity. Subjects, however, are to be taught, that the choice of reli

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gion does not belong to them, but to their mafter. They are to follow authority in that, as in any other matter of civil regulation; and it would be punishable prefumption in them to decide for themfelves, as if they had any concern in the conclufion. A perfon may be of any religion he is commanded to be-he may bring his foul to fubmit as well as his body; and no duty can be fuppofed to fupercede that of abfolute fubmiffion to the fovereign, This manner of confidering the fubject is, in fact, a greater affront to the human understanding, than the power affumed by a Spanish inquifition. The latter founds all its authority upon the fuppofition that what it maintains is exclufively the truth, and truth of the highest importance to mankind; and it affects to make conviction the bafis of that uniformity of belief and practice which it compels. It equally, indeed, with the other denies the right of private judgment; but it is on the plea that the matter has already been judged by the only competent tribunal; and it will not permit reafons of state or local circumftances to fway the decifion of points not amenable to civil jurisdiction, The Ruffian fcheme is evidently formed upon political confiderations ; but it is accommodated only to a nation, the great body of which are ftupid barbarians. It proves that defpots, with all the free-thinking they may poffefs, are only half-philofophers. They would gladly enjoy all the benefit which can arife from the men tal energies of their flaves, without taking off their fhackles when acting for themfelves. But to reduce the mind to fuch a state of difcipline is beyond their power. It will not be limited in its exerions. It will not expand itself freely upon topics of comparatively fmall confequence, and pafs over thofe of the greateft. While the native Ruffians are to be mere hewers of wood, and drawers of water, they may perhaps be made to continue to worship pictures bought at their god fhops, and fat and pray juft as their priests bid them. But if the noble plan is really purfued of reclaiming a great people from barbarism, and placing them on a level with the most enlightened nations of EuTope, they must be allowed at least as much liberty as the ftrangers who come to teach them, and not have their religion shofen for them like a footman's livery, or a foldier's regimentals. How mean and barbarous is this policy, as well as every other scheme for restraining free enquity, compared with the fimpic trans

atlantic plan of leaving religion, like other matters of individual concern, to the care of individuals themselves, fecure that it can never injure the peace of a well-regulated ftate, as long as the state abstains from interpofing in its differences, N. N.

For the Monthly Magazine. A VIEW OF THE HERRING FISHERY, EXTRACTED FROM THE EVIDENCES BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, 1797 AND 1798.

NORWAY.

THE fishery begins in the middle of

June, and continues to December. The fish taken in large nets within the rocks, bays, and creeks, with which the coaft abound, and with the help of boats which coft from 16s. to 31. only, worked by two to fix men. The herrings all falted or pickled with Portugal falt, at 9s. or French falt, at 7s. per bufhel. Their barrels coft only 16s. per laft of 12 barrels. Price of the beft herrings 22s. to 24s. fecond fort 14 to 16s. third fort 3 to 10s. per barrel. Exports from Bergen annually about 30,000 barrels, chiefly confumed in Denmark and the Baltic. No bounties.

GOTTENBURGH.

Here is carried on the largeft herring fishery in the world. Two to 4000 bar rels caught in one draught of the feine, a net about 12 fathoms deep, and 150 long, worked by 16 men, and hove in by winches. Net cofts 60 to 70l. fterling,

Boats carrying 1 to 200 barrels, with two or three men, and which cost 50 to 1ool. tranfport the fifh, when cured, along the coaft. The fifhery commences the rft November, and continues till the freft ftops it. Neither bounty nor draw back.. Salt pays a duty of 158. per ton, One barrel of falt cures 3 of herrings. The cost of falt is 31. per ton, and of barrels 2s. each. Herrings for home confumption pay a duty of 9d. per barrel. Annual quantity falted or pickled about 300,000 barrels; one-fourth confumed at home, the reft in the Baltic, Ireland, and the West Indies. Price about 8s. 6d. per barrel. Fifty thoufand cafks of oil, of 8000 tons, are yearly extracted from about a million of barrels of fifh, two gallons to a barrel. Oil worth from 161. to 231. per ton; pays a duty of 15s, for home, and zos, per ton for export.

Merchants from Gottenburgh offer to contract for millions of barrels, if want

ed, for the Weft Indies. The annual confumption of the British islands computed to be about 250,000 barrels; four times greater than our average export to them.

ISLE OF MAN.

Three hundred and forty-three boats have of late years paid cuftom, but fome evade: feven or eight men in a boat; and 40 to 50 fishing fmacks buy and cure and carry the fish away, as well as great quantities in bulk, to a market, chiefly to Liverpool. Thefe finacks carry five men each, and many others attend to buy. The boats are from 12 to 22 tons. Fishery begins at Midfummer, and ends in October. Export for four years previous to 1791, was 7,390 barrels of white or pickled herrings to Great Britain, and 12,272 barrels of red herrings; and 27,525 red herrings to the Mediterranean. Bounty 1s. per barrel for home, and for export, 2s. 8d. white, and 1s. 9d. red. Cured with Liverpool falt. Fishermen payed by fhares. Value of fmacks from Tool. to 5ool. of boats, 80 to 100gs.

This fishery is now in a declining ftate, from unfuccefsful feafons and betaufe of the war, which prevents their export to the Streights.

IRELAND.

port increafed, from 1794, only 7419 barrels to 27,387 barrels, in 1797, for the Weft Indies chiefly, the increase owing to our conquefts of the French Welt India iflands.

SCOTLAND.

Three buffes employed in the N. W. Fisheries for three months, carrying 12 to 15 men, and three boats, with nets to fish in the locks, to compleat the cargo of the bufs, which is only a floating ftorehoufe, coft 800l. with nets and outfit. Bounties allowed 20s. per ton, and 48. per barrel, to the amount of 21 barrels per ton, and 18. per barrel for the remainder. These buffes are chiefly from Greenock; but there are fome from the remoteft Highlands, and in the Orkneys. The fociety, inftituted a few years fince, for promoting the Scotch Fishery in the Highlands, have expended near 40,000l. in this object, and established three or four new fettlements. In 1753, when the bounty was firft given, there were only eight veffels, which caught 519 barrels. In 1796, an increase of 292 vessels, of 14,218 tons, 3,328 men, and 53,875 bar. rels of herrings. Barrels.

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In 1793-316 veffels produced 67,203 In 1794-315 only 33,485 In 1795, 30,000 barrels were exported to the Weft Indies, and 37,000 barrels to Ireland.

Bounty 10s. per ton for 80 tons, and 45. per barrel for white herrings packed, and Is. 3d. in bulk. Premiums, 80 The Fishery in the Firth of Forth was guineas for the first, 60 guineas for fe- very inconfiderable till 1794, fince which cond, 40 for third, and 20 guineas for the buffes flocking here, and boats from fourth fuccessful veffel; besides other all the eastern toast of Scotland, the catch encouragements from towns, &c. In in 1796 was 132,000 barrels by the boat 1793, bounty was received by 42 veffels, fishery. It appears, that on a medium of of 2848 tons and 543 men, and on the last three years, ending 5th of January, 16,099 barrels ; fome quantity of fish 1798, there were annually cleared out caught befides. The fihery is carried from all the parts of Scotland, without the on along fhore; each veffel has two tonnage-bounty, 736 vessels or boats, meaboats, with nets, to fupply her cargo. furing 23,348 tons, manned with 2,366 Two feafons, 25th October, for three men, laden with 195,149 bushels of salt, months; and alfo ift of March. In and 45,755 barrels, befides a great many 1785, when bounty was granted upon empty barrels, &c. That of these 557 tonnage only, without any specific obli- were either decked or of 15 tons and upgations as to the curing of fish, &c. ex- wards, and 147 carried out nets. One port was 35,414 barrels. In 1794, only hundred and fifty thousand barrels may be 1390 barrels. Annual import of Swe- computed to be the annual produce of the difh herrings, 23,693 barrels, paying a boat fishery, befide fresh fish fold. Enduty of 9d. per barrel. couragements, are the allowance to fishcurers to take falt duty free; a bounty of 2s. per barrel in the taking of herrings by boats not belonging to buffes; and a bounty of 2s. 8d. for the export of white herrings. Wages on board the buffes: mafter 50l. mate 451. Cooper 451. three boatmen 381. and three skunkmen 301. three new hands 251. and a boy 15 to 198. per month; befide premiums, amounting

LIVERPOOL.

Employed, in 1797, 27 fail of fishing fmacks in the Autumn, and 61 in the Winter fisheries, to buy and not to catch herrings, chiefly from the boats on the N. W. coaft of Scotland, and in the Firth of Forth, Wales, and Isle of Man. Thefe finacks are of 50 or 60 tons, worth 500 and 6001, and carry nine men. Ex

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