unto whom it was faid, "Let all the angels of God worship him."* Thus, my friend, I have laid before you fome of those evidences which fatisfy my mind, as to the effential dignity, and underived glory of the Son of God. I commit what I have written to the divine bleffing, and ftill remain your' foul's real friend and faithful paftor. JAMES UPTON. January 29, 1800. SIR, E ON THE SALARIES OF MINISTERS. VERY good minifter of Chrift is continually caring for the fpiritual welfare of his flock! Is it not reafonable that the people fhould, with a correfponding anxiety, care for the temporal welfare of their minifter. But it is to be lamented that there are many good people, who never spend a thought about the matter. Eafy themfelves, and enjoying many comforts, they never once enquire, "How "does the paftor live in thefe hard times? While he labours "with unremitting zeal for our eternal happiness, do we "communicate to him a fufficient portion of this world's "goods, for the fupport of himself and his family?” In what way minifters fhould live, perfons of any li berality of fentiment will in general agree. Confider what ideas people in this country entertain of the character of a minifter, and of the appearance he fhould make in fociety: fome regard is due to it. All fhow and fplendour are entirely out of the queftion: they neither fuit him nor his office. The other extreme is equally improper. As Chrift's fervant fhould not be a gaudy fop, fo neither ought he to be a fqualid beggar. His drefs and that of his family fhould te decent. His habitation fuch as a perfon of the middle rank in fociety might enter, without thinking himself degraded thereby and he thould be enabled to procure himfelf and his family not only the bare neceffaries, but the conveniencles of life in frugal moderation. To thefe his talents, his education, his application to ftudy, and the labour of office, lay an unanfwerable claim. Ordinary attenSee alfo Rev. V. 12, 13. VOL. IX. * Heb. i. 6. tion to bufinels in mechanics or tradefmen, with a moderate fhare of abilities, will procure him more. Where there is a large congregation of fix or feven hundred perfons, he fhould receive a fufficiency to be able to give his children a good education, to put them out apprentices and fupport them during that time; and likewife to be forward in contributing to every good work in favour of religion and benevolence. If he fhould likewife have it in his power to leave behind him to his wife and children a few hundred pounds for their fupport, is it too much? He must be a man of talents, prudence and labour, to raife, and keep up fuch a congregation: and the exercife of thefe talents in any other employment would have bidden fair for opulence. It is hard indeed, if fix or feven hundred people cannot do all this without laying any unreafonable burden on themfelves. Such are the claims made in behalf of the minifters of the Gofpel. Are they unreafonable? Let the principles of equity decide. I plead not for favour, but for juftice. But it will be proper to enquire what provifion is actually made for their fupport. The writer is grieved to state that the enquiry will prefent a very painful view of things. Some may be furprized to hear him affert with confidence, that there are not thirty minifters among the Seceders or Diffenters from the church of England, at the prefent time (according to the rate of the articles of living for the last three years), who have a wife and four children, that can lay by one penny of their annual falary. More than one half of the minifters who have fuch a family, cannot live upon their income; and, if they have no private property, or do not follow fome other employment, muft run in debt. Whether this be the provifion which is fuitable for the laborious and faithful minifters of Jefus Chrift, let every man of a liberal, nay, of an equitable mind, ferioufly confider and judge. I am confident that I speak to a clafs of men who need only to have matters fairly reprefented in order to produce a change for the better. But as I cannot do juftice to the fubject in a fingle letter, I fhall referve my farther obfervations to a future opportu nity, in the mean time I hope thefe hints, and those of your other correfpondents on the fame fubject, will excite the attention and sympathy of the religious public. Yours, &c. B. G. A FIFTH VILLAGE DIALOGUE, (On the Evil Nature and Effects of Stage Plays) BETWEEN FARMER LITTLEWORTH, MR BRISK (MR. DOLITTLE'S Sam comes Home from Mapleton, late in the Evening after an Affray at a Public House. Mifs Nancy. FATHER, here is Sam come home from Mapleton with fuch a bruised face, bloody handkerchief, and his livery all over dirt; and he appears to be half drunk. And the lantern is broken all to bits! Farmer.-What can he have been at? Why don't he come in? Mifs N. He is only ftopping to fcrape off fome of the dirt, and to wash himself in the back kitchen. [Sam comes in.] F.-Why, Sam, in the name of wonder, where have you been, to come home in this condition? Sam. O mafter! if you will forgive me, I'll tell you all about it. F.-Forgive you! why, what have you been doing? Tell the truth first, and after that, I'll tell you whether I fhall forgive you. S.-Why, mafter, when my young miftreffes were at Mr, Lightman's, the lawyer's, to tea, in came Mr. Brifk and Mr. Smirking, and made an agreement that they fhould all go to the play. F.-Aye; I thought by their whisperings and dreffings that they had fome fuch project in their heads. But how came you in fuch a pickle, young man ? S.-Sir, my young mistresses gave me fixpence to go to the Nag's Head, because I might not ftand out in the cold, while they were all at the play; and there Squire Blußer's footman, and Lord Rakifh's gentleman, did nothing but jeer my young miftreffes, by afking, which they understood best, dancing or making butter and cheese? And then they fneer'd and jeer'd at their drefs. F. Why did you not let them fneer and jeer on, and go away about your bufinefs? S.-Why, I thought I muft ftop and spend my fixpence. And then they began their romance on me, and afked, how many more of the plow-boys the farmer had put in livery? And I faid to them, as how, they might have been plow boys once, as well as I. Then they fwore defperate oaths at me, and would make me drink; and faid, 1 should run the gauntlet; then they knocked me down, and as foon as I could. I ran away as fast as I was able; but they followed me into the freet, and would bring me back again. But I would not come, fo they rolled me in the dirt, and beat me fadly; and the whole fireet was in an uproar, and the lantern was broke all to fmafb. F.-Oh, Nancy, my child! what a mercy from God it is, that we are not in the broad way that leadeth unto deftruction, and that we have no the bible before us! Mifs Nancy. A mercy indeed, father, for 'till we went to hear Mr. Lovegood, we were all alike. The Lord be praited for his grace! [After fome other converfation, in come the two minifters and the two daughters.] Mr. Brifk.-Well, Sir, we have brought home your daughters quite safe and found; though I am afraid it is a little later than your usual time for fupper and bed. F.-Oh, no, Sir; for fometimes I come home almost as late as this, when I come from the lecture at Mr. Lovegood's church. And for fure, my daughters can have been in no bad ways when they have been with men of your coth; though Sam has told me a ftrange ftory. Brifk.-Why, I confefs, Mr. Littleworth, it was I that perfuaded your daughters to go to the play. I am fure it is a very innocent and rational amufement. F.-I can't thank you for that, Sir; for while you was at the playhouse, Sam, and ever fo many other fervants were at the alehouse; he is come home in a fine trim. Mifs Polly-But, father, may'nt the gentlemen have a bit of supper for their kindness in bringing us home? F.-Aye, aye, child, I have no objection against that. Dame, fee what there is the pantry. Nancy, help your mother to bring it out. [It is done accordingly.] F.-Will one of you gentlemen ask a blessing? [Mr. Brifk fays a carelefs grace.] F.And pray, gentlemen, did you ask a bleffing before you went to the play, and took my daughters with you; and can you return thanks to God now you are come away? for in every thing we thould give thanks. Smirking. Why, Sir, how caine that thought into your head. F.-I had it from the bible; and for fure, you gentlemen can't be so ignorant of that book, as not to know, that you minifters are directed to give yourfelves continually unto prayer." And that all of us fhou’d pray always, with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit," that wẹ fhould continue inftant in prayer;" yea, that we fhould pray without ceafing." Snicking. But, Sir, if you take these texts in fo ftrict a fenfe, How is the bufinefs of the world to be carried on? F.-Why, the fense in which I take thefe words is, that we should be always in iuch a holy habit and frame of mind, as to be at all times in a fit flate for prayer; and that we can be looking up to God in frequent prayer while we are at our daily labour. And I am fure, when this is the cafe, the world will go on a thousand times better than it does at prefent. Brifk.-Well, Sir, fuch a frame of mind is not amiis, especially at the latter end of our lives. F. However, you, gentlemen, would advife us to put off these things till the latter end of our lives, while God's word directs us to "he always ready;" yet you minifters are inftructed to give yourfelves wholly to thefe things, that your profit ng may appear unto all men.' Now; pray, Sir, if any of the people had been taken for death, and had fent for you to have gone to prayer, and to adminifter the holy facrament to them, how would you have felt in the midst of your devotions after having heard fo rouch of the profane fluff and nonfenfe they talk over at thefe plays? What fort of prayers would yours have been? could you have drawn near with a true heart in full affurance of faith," before a holy God? Mr. Smirking.I must leave you, Mr. Brifk, to anfwer that question; for for being co-paftor with Dr. Dronish, among the rational diffenters, we are not in the habit of being called upon on these occafions; but these things frould be no bar against a candid and liberal intercourfe with each other; for in all the principal points of religion we feem very well agreed. Brifk. (Answers for himfelf) Why, Mr. Littleworth, that is not a probable cafe. F.But, in my opinion, it is a very probable cafe; and I did hear of one minifter who was called out of a Puppet Shew, to go to prayer with a man that was likely to die; and in every parish there always must be fome who are fick, and near their end. If you are not fent for oftener than you are, it is because your negligence has made them careless, even to their dying moments; and no wonder that they think so little of the prayers of ministers who pray fo little for themfelves, Mr. Smi king.-Mr. Brisk, I believe we had better walk home, for Mr. Littleworth feems quite angry with us. F.-No, no, gentlemen, I am not angry, though, I confefs, I am grieved at heart, that my daughters fhould have been led to fuch places by gentlemen of your profeffion, where, I am fure, they could get nothing but wickednefs. I always was hofpitable to my neighbours; and you are welcome to fiop, and I with you would, that we may talk over matters before my daughters; for, to fpeak plainly, your example hardens them much in their vain ways. Mr. Smirking. Why, Sir, I thank you, for your civility, but I think, from the dreary notions of religion you have lately adopted, you have taken up fuch high prejudices against plays as are not juft; for, in many plays, there are a variety of fine lellons of morality, if we would but attend to them. F-Ah, and they are all the worse for that, as it makes the wicked things in them go down the more glib. And we fuppofe we have a licence to hear all the foolish, lewd ftories and blafphemous romances, because they are melfed up with a little morality? Pray, Sir, do the people that go to thofe places, go after religion and morality, or after vanity and mirth? Brifk-Why, Sir, we go after a little innocent amufement to be fure, and if we hear of bad things we need not practise them, F.-But do they, whofe hearts are good and upright, think that they are at liberty to go after things that are bad? Or if I hear things which are bad, is that likely to make me good? Befides, I am directed to "ceafe to hear the inftruction that caufeth us to err." Pray, did either of you, gentlemen, ever find that wicked people, at any time, were made more moral by going after thefe loofe fellows, that go romancing about the country with their plays and morality? Smirking. I don't know that we have; but they might have been the better if they would; for I still maintain it, that there are plays which contain many excellent ftrokes of morality. F.-Well, if I am to go after their nonfenfe and ribaldry for the fake of their morality, I should allo expect to be made a better man, if I should hire fome wicked witch to cure and blafpheme, and ufe all manner of filthy foolish talk, made up of lewdness, craft, and pride, provided I had one of you gentlemen at my elbow, to give me a little of your morality at the fame time. But I thould be glad to hear by what law we go when we attend fuch abominable paftimes, and ufe fuch wicked language? Have either of you, gentlemen, any right to tell us a fet of vain, filthy, romancing tories, and every now and then bring out a fhocking oath, and then mess it up with a little morality for our inftruction? Smirking. Oh, no, Mr. Littleworth, we did not fay fo! F.-Why, |