the world no better than I; I ftand as good a chance as any of them.' But the love of claffre fame, his ambition to excel, and the airy phantom of worldly good, ftifled reflections of a ferious kind. Before we proceed farther, it may be profitable to make a few reflections.

Though nothing but divine grace can convert the heart of a finner to God, it is of great importance to have our children under tutors, who not only will watch over their morals, and restrain them from the grofer vices, but by their converfation, prayers, and good example, labour to con vince them of the truth, importance, and influence of religion. How many have been greatly benefited by it? How much had Hervey and Slee to lament the want of fuch tutors ?

As our children are an important truft committed to us, fo they are the greatest bleffings to us and to the world, when they become the fervants of Christ, and are heartily engaged in the work of the Lord. It however behoves all parents feriously to reflect upon what principles they act, when they avowedly educate their fons to the facred miniftry. Nothing can equal this work in honour and utility. But the more facred any office is, the more deteftable is it to undertake it upon fecular principles, and for felfifh ends. Let it be your

B 3

firft

first care, that your children be converted to God. How can any one ferve the interefts of religion, except he both know it, love and practise it? Will he ever watch for the falvation of others, who has no concern about his own? How can he travel in birth till Chrift be formed in his hearers, who is himself a ftranger to the transforming power of the Holy Ghoft? In a word, though much more than true religion is neceffary, yet this cannot be difpensed with. Neither learned languages, found logic, mathematics, true philofophy, nor all the charms of manly and graceful eloquence, can supply the want of it. Thefe are useful and beautiful in their proper sphere; but they are not religion. Without this men are morally and spiritually blind. And if the blind lead the blind, fhall not, both fall into the ditch?

We may here learn the myfterious workings of Divine Providence, and how the Supreme Sovereign makes the works of men fubfervient to fulfil his own purpose. The God of all grace had chofen Ifaac Slee for other purposes than either his pa rents or tutors were defigning. His going to an. English university could not have difannulled the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; but it was not to be sub. fervient to it. He himself afterwards both faw

and

and admired the wisdom of his heavenly Father, in preventing what he once ardently defired; as, he observed, this might moft likely have exposed him to greater temptations to fin, and have raised stronger prejudices in his mind against the simpli- . city of evangelical worship and order. It was, as we have seen, once a difappointment; but he afterwards beheld it in a different light. How true is the divine declaration, What I do thou knoweft not now, but thou shalt know hereafter !

2. His Admittance to Plumpton.

HAVING finished the ufual courfe of claffical education, and being now more than twenty years of age, Mr. Slee met with a fituation every way agreeable to the views of his family and himself. This was the perpetual curacy of Plumpton, in the county of Cumberland. Plumpton is very pleasantly fituated upon the fide of the road leading from Penrith to the city of Carlifle, about five miles from the former place. In whom refides the right of prefentation, and what the yearly income of the place, are enquiries foreign to the defign of my narrative. It is fufficient for me to fay, that Mr: Slee obtained both his curacy and the maftership

of

of the grammar-fchool, at Salkeld-Gate, honourably, performed the duties of them regularly, and relinquished them peaceably for confcience fake. They were then confidered as a very eligible opening for a young man under age, and, together, afforded a competent falary. To thefe places he was licensed by Dr. Law, then bishop of Carlisle, as Reader and Schoolmaster, July 17, 1773.

The church of Rome confiders orders as a facrament, and the office of reader a firft step to the priesthood. But the English church does not carry this matter fo far. She seems to confider readers, as mere lay-men, and fometimes not even candi. dates for orders. For I have known fchoolmasters of no claffical education, and who did not entertain the most diftant views of ever becoming clergymen, allowed to read prayers in an obfcure, diftant corner of a parish. Yet such persons are generally in a kind of novitiate ftate, and candidates for the deaconate.

In most proteftant churches, the candidates for the facred office are firft probationers. The Lutherans have fo many ceremonies in their worship, that it is necessary for a young man to attend the officiating minifters for a confiderable time to learn the forms of office.

In the reformed churches, corresponding prac tices are ufually obferved. In the Scotch prefby

terian church, when young men have finished their education, they are examined by the prefbytery, as to their competency in learning and facred knowledge; and having delivered a discourse upon fome theological thefis, if approved, they are licensed, as they term it, by the prefbytery; they are then in a novitiate ftate, and may preach occasionally, and are eligible to the pastoral office; but not ordained till they obtain a charge. This is a very commendable practice, and is carrying the matter as near the facred canon as is consistent with a national establishment.

In the English epifcopal church, this matter is not carried fo far. A reader is not a probationer; because the greater part never read till ordained. And fome, as before obferved, have been admitted readers without any profpect of ordination; fince parish-clerks and schoolmasters have, in fome places, been admitted to read the leffons in the prefence of officiating minifters*. And young men are sometimes permitted, as was the cafe with Mr. Slee, by the ordinary, to read the greatest part of the fervice, the leffons, and a homily, before they be at age to receive ordination, according to the canons, which require them to be twenty-three, or in the twenty-third year. Yet under these circumftances

Welley's Appeal, part 3.23.