"A venerable old man, who preserves to the last moments an amiable serenity and easy cheerfulness; who recalls the past without remorse,and contemplates the future without fear; such a one may still be highly useful to society. Like some flowers which shed the most fragrant perfume just at the close of the day, the example of the dying christian will leave delightful impressions on the hearts of those around him. It was not always easy for the friends of Mr. Towgood to understand what he said; but what they did hear was weighty and impressive. He delighted to bear his testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of God, and spent his last days in habitual thankfulness for the consolations and hopes of the gospel. He professed his firm belief of the truth and importance of those doctrines which it had been the business of his life to explain, illustrate,and enforce, and regretted the mistaken zeal by which many of the present day are actuated, who so precipitately embrace and fondly propagate opinions which, after long and impartial enquiry, he was convinced were as unscriptural as they were uncomfortable. But though he lamented the efforts of those who would lead others to believe their Saviour to be a mere man, he had lived long enough not to be alarmed at what he considered as the fashionable system of the day. Like many other opinions which have had their successive days of triumph in the christian world, he doubted not but it would soon vanish and be forgotten, and that truth would finally prevail, when wearied with controversy, men will have recourse to scripture in its plain and obvious meaning as the only standard of faith. But whilst he lamented the mistakes of some of his brethren, he expressed the greatest affection and esteem for those of them who followed the

convictions of conscience, however their system differed from his own, and delighted to the last in giving them the testimonies of his esteem. Interested as he was, in the integrity and success of his brethren, his attention to their conduct did not lead him to overlook his own. In the seasons of solemn recollection which the near views of another world would frequently occasion, he seriously considered, not only the principles upon which he had undertaken the ministry, but the manner in which it had been pursued, and the effects it had produced in himself, and in those whose souls had been committed to him. In this review of his conduct, and the course of his life, it afforded him great pleasure, that he had not been useless to the world, and that the blessing of God had attended his ministry. These reviving reflections supported his mind, and cheered his sinking spirits.

"Mr. Towgood still continued free from the defects to which old age is usually subject. No starts of peevishness (the frequent attendants of paralytic seizures), ever ruffled his mind. In those little trials of the temper which misconception of his meaning would frequently give rise to, he was never betrayed into anger, or deprived of the perfect possession of himself. His countenance was always placid and cheerful; and his principal, his last employment on earth, was to ease and lessen the care which his friends took of him, to testify his acknowledgements, and to lead them, by his conduct, to love and respect the religion of Jesus Christ, and to ho-TM nour his creator and father, by paying to the last breath a filial and respectful submission. Having taught his friends, by his conduct in the active scenes of life, how to live, he now taught them how to die. If any thing were capable of encreasing the affection of his friends, it must have

been the patience and contentment with which he supported his daily encreasing weakness. Every one was anxious to contribute something to his comfort, and his paternal care was repaid by the tender assiduities of his affectionate daughter, who had always lived with him, and who now listened to his broken accents, to catch the least intimation of her father's wishes, and watched with anxiety, every look to learn his wants,

"Explore the thought, explain the asking eye,
"And keep alive one parent from the sky."

"He experienced frequent returns of his disorder, and after continuing eleven months, in a state of great debility, he died on the 1st of February 1792, in his 92d year, leaving no good. man his enemy, and attended with that sincere and extensive regret, which can follow those only who, occupying useful stations, have acquitted themselves with zeal and fidelity."*

Such,in life and in death, was Mr. TowGOOD; such was the man held up by Mr. Biddulph as a dangerous heretic; and by Mr. Owen as a contemptible bigot," the littlenesses of whose "mind would not allow him to appreciate ex"cellence out of his own party.' Such was

the man, declared by these priests, before God, in the most solemn manner, to be most certainly and everlastingly damned!

That this work is "interspersed with the most "awful sentiments," I readily allow: they are indeed so awful," that every clergyman of the establishment who reads and reflects on them, ought to tremble. Is it possible for any man who has a feeling regard for the honour, or the interests of christianity to peruse in particular, that affecting Letter to the Bishops on the state of religion, towards the close of this book, and not deeply lament that our ecclesiastical

*Sketch of the Life &c. Paffim.

governors, and the body of the clergy should be so blinded by prejudice, or interest, as to suffer the church to remain in its present corrupt state, without earnestly endeavouring to procure some sort of reformation; that reformation at least, the abolition of subscription to articles ;-the abolition of the practice of swearing to college statutes; which, without producing uniformity in doctrine, have rendered prevarication, falsehood,and perjury,the peculiar features of our national church.

If this reflection comes home to the "business "and bosoms" of one class of the clergy, more thanto another,it must surely be to that class commonly termed evangelical; men who it is well known, profess greater purity of doctrine, and holiness of life, than the great majority of their brethren of the priesthood: with this class of the clergy I have been on the most intimate footing, more particularly in early life: THEY first led me seriously to consider the important affair of subscription: they have ever professed to be shocked at the systems of prevarication and falsehood, taught in the writings of such men as PALEY, HEY, FELLOWES, &c. &c. &c.—Systems, long become fashionable in our universities-Systems, which as their evident tendency is to vitiate the moral sense, and to make men dishonest in religion on some kind of principle, have done more mischief to christianity, than even the systems of avowed infidels.*

*Who that has read Mr. Fellowes's admirable work-"Chris"tian Philofophy," but must be grieved to read his later work, "Religion without Cant," in which the writer, with all the zeal of a fanatic, reviles those of his brethren, who fubfcribe the doctrinal articles agreeably to the fenfe of the compilers; and who contends that a minifter of the established church may, very honeftly, spend his life in oppofing and preaching

C

Whilst however the evangelical clergy so loudly complain of the sad state of the church, and so constantly reprobate the dishonest' conduct of their brethren, it becomes them to give this book a very serious perusal ; let their consciences then determine whether they are not chargeable with similar conduct. If they make no attempt to remove that "stumbling block" which they, by their subscription, have thrown in the way of many sincere christians; if they oppose, as they have hitherto steadfastly opposed, all the attempts made to reform the church; if they cannot answer the arguments now pressed upon them, and refuse to be instructed; if they are determined not to yield to evidence, but obstinately to persevere in the error of their way,they must not be surprised, if others should judge of their integrity, as they judge of the integrity of their brethren. Whatever apology may be made for men in the dark ages of the church, (and

against the very doctrines he has fubfcribed! His work, last alluded to, ought to have been entitled, if fuch a title had not been a contradiction in terms, -- Religion without integrity. I earnestly recommend to all writers, who openly plead for prevarication refpecting oaths and fubfcriptions, to attend to the remark of an American divine, refpecting infidels; and which, with still greater force may be applied to some modern profeffed ministers of the gospel! All hypocrify is deteftable; but I

know of none fo detestable as that, which is coolly written, with full premeditation, by a man of talents, affuming the "character of a moral and religious inftructor, a minister, a "prophet of the truth of the infinite God." Dr. Dwight's two Difcourfes on the Nature and Danger of Infidel Philofophy. 3d. Ed. P. 47

Dr. Waterland predicted, that-" Whenever church fubfcriptions once came to be made light of, and fubtilties in"vented to defend or palliate fuch grofs infincerity, we might

bid farewell to principles, and religion itself would be little "elfe but difguifed atheifm !" Vindication of Chrift's Divinity. Fot. Preface. Whether this fad period is not fast approaching, I leave others to determine; it is however evident that the apologists for fubfcription alluded to, are doing all in their power to hasten it.

* P. 159, 160.