F.-Why, then, did you do right in hiring all these loofe blades to do it before you?

Brifk-Sir, this is very uncharitable; for, if they said these had words, we did not hire them for that purpose.

F-Yes; but you knew they would come in with the gene: al bargain; and all the profane foolish people, up and down the country, were there to hear them; and how muft this harden them in their fins when they saw so many minifters with them, at their wretched fport. So that I am forry to tell you, (for I am an old man and muft fpeak the truth) you have been fitting in the feat of the scornful, and attending the councils of the ungodly: and, the Lord help me! how grieved I am that my daughters, whom I brought up in fuch a vain way, in my thoughtlefs ftate, fhould have been with you.

Smirking. By your account, Sir, one would think these men do nothing but curfe and fwear all the time they are on the stage.

F.-Pray, Sir, do they curfe and fwear any of the time?

Smirking.-Yes; I confefs, I now and then hear fome fuch forts of expreffions; but then they are only meant as embellishments; and after all, with a moral intent to expofe the wickednels of such words.

F.-Expofe fuch wickednels !-Why, what can give it fuch countenance, when all the people, round about, come together, gentlefolk, juftices and parfons, and attend all the time giggling and laughing while fuch oaths are wearing. But what did you mean, Sir, by `bellishments? I did not underftand that hard word?

Smiking.-Sir, I meant ornaments.

F.-Well, this is to admiration, that oaths are ornaments! But you fay, thefe are fworn but now and then. So, you think, we may go to places where people fwear but a little. Now, to my way of thinking, we fhould be in no company but with such as mind our Lord's word, "Swear not at all."

Brifk. Why, if ever they do fwear, they always cover it very decently; they only lay damme, Gad zounds, and fuch fort of words; and they mean nothing by it.

F.-Why, that they mean nothing by the whole of it, (for it is nothing better than a pack of make believe nonienfe), there is no doubt. But you clergy know, that taking the Lord's name in vain means making ufe of his holy name in a vain manner; and, I am fure, it cannot be done in a vainer manner than it is done on the ftage: efpecially in their profane mock devotions, even upon their knees; which are ten thousand times more blafphemous than their oaths.

-

Smirking. Well, I confefs, I wifh they would lay afide fuch exclamations; for thefe fort of amusements would be quite as good, and as rational, without them. But where is the harm of the word zounds? it is a word without any meaning.

F.-To be fure, that is a famous excufe for them; for all their words, in a fenfe, are words without meaning; for all their fine fhews are nothing better than tham and nonfenfe; but the word zounds is a most desperate profane oath indeed; it means, by God's wounds; and I thought, for fure, you gentlemen had fufficient learning to have known that.

Smirking.-O, Sir! it is only an old expreffion, invented in the times of popery, when people believed in the divinity of our Saviour, and the atonement; but thefe doctrines are now univerfally exploded among the rational diffenters. And you know, Mr. Brifk, many of the clergy alfo are of our fentiment in regard to thefe points.

F. The

F. The infidel diffenters you mean, Sir.

Mifs Polly.-Lord, father, how you talk! Surely Mr. Smirking will be affronted.

F. Ah! my child, I find you have not been to that wicked school for nothing; for fo many times as I have told you of it, yet you still take the Lord's name in vain.

Smirking.-Well, Sir, I can't fee that we fhould give up the fine fentiments that are generally held out on thefe occafions; I itill maintain it, that the ftage, when properly conducted, is very rational amusement.

F.-In my vain days, when I attended these places, I know not what I, or any one elfe, went there for, unless to make game, and to kill time, as we mot wickedly ufed to call it. The Lord knows, that bad I went there, and worfe, I am fure, I came away; for, as to all the wicked things I heard. there, they ftuck to my heart like burrs to my worfted ftockings; and as to the morality, that all ran off as faft as it came on, like fair water from a duck's back.

Smirking. O, but then you did not confider the proper intent of them! for they are defigned to fhew the deformity of vice, and lafh the follies of mankind.

F.-How, can either of you, gentlemen, in your consciences think so ? When vicious people get expofed and lafhed, they are afhamed to face it out; they will never stand their ground. But where do all these fort of people run to? Why, to the play-house? and what do they go there for? Because it feeds and pampers their vanity and pride, while they make a downright merriment of fin. And as to the ftories they trump up on thefe occafions, it is wonderful that any modeft woman will go to hear them. I am ashamed to think how many different lewd tricks and projects I have heard from then, dreffed up almoft in every fhape. In fhort, nothing is fuch nuts for them as that which fets them all a laughing at adultery and whoredom. Thus, "fools make a mock at fin;" and it is a pity fuch gentlemen as you should follow the multitude to do evil."

Mrs. Littleworth.-Why, though Id n't like my husband being fo over religious, yet I cannot but agree with him, that it would be much better if our daughters would but ftay at home and mind their bufinefs, and not wafte their time in running after such wonderments. I do not think my fon Harry would have turned out fo bad, if he could have been kept away from fuch fort of company.

F.-Ah, that was one of the fift things which brought on the ruination of my boy. It was there he got inftructed in all the wicked ways of the world, and being fo ignorant and careleis myself, as I then was, I could ́ not have the face to correct him. Oh, how I deferve the punishment of old Eli! For my fon made himfelf vile, and I reftrained him not." Loid forgive me, and grant that I may once more fee him back again from sea ! I hope to the Lord, that I may be able to lay fomething to him for his good; and may God change his heart!

Mifs Nancy-Mother, have you got the key of the back pantry? for Sam is terribly bruifed, and we are going to bathe his cheeks and fide with fome hot verjuice. [Mrs. Littleworth gives the key.]

F.-Now, all this riot and wickednefs comes of thefe abominable paftimes, whether out of doors, or in, it is just as bad; nothing but uproar and confufion all the town over.. While every 'prentice and fervant man and maid is tempted to run away from their families, to which they belong; and then away they go to thefe fchools of wickedness, and come home at dark night, fit for the practice of every abominable vice that comes in their way. Thus bufinefs is neglected; the common people are robbed, both of their

morals

morals and their money, while the pawnbroker and alehouse-keeper live on the fpoil. And thefe are your innocent amufements, gentlemen.

Smirking.-Now, after all that you have faid, bad people will make a bad ufe of every thing: but that don't prove things to be bad in themselves. Brifk.I am quite of your opinion, Mr. Smirking, for there is nothing against these things in fcripture; nay, there is a time for all things, even a time to dance; and we fhould regard the fcriptures.

F. With all my heart, Sir, I fhall be glad to come to that touchstone. We are commanded to fearch the fcriptures.-Patty, reach the Bible.

Patty. Why, father, the gentlemen have fcarce done fupper; you cannot want the Bible yet.

F. Nay, nay, girl, we have been talking all the time, as most people do over their meals, and talking about religion won't choak us any more than about politics and the world.

Smirking. We have both done fupper, Sir, and it begins to be late. F.-It is not wholesome to rife fo foon after meals; and you love a glass of wine after fupper. [Dame, reach us a nice bottle of your best currant wine.] Sir, gentlemen in your way love a pipe, fhall Patty bring you

one?

Smirking. No, I thank you, Sir, it begins to be late.

[To be concluded in our next.]

ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE SALARIES OF DISSENTING MINISTERS.

MR. EDITOR,

MAN

ANY of your readers who have long wished to fee a well written picce on the fubject, were much pleafed with the feasonable and interefting queries, concerning the falaries of diffenting minifters, furnished by your benevolent correfpondent Philanthropus. He has defcribed their contracted circumftances, and confequent grievances and fears, with fuch tenderness, accuracy, and mature reflection, that it may feem almoft impertinent to request the favour of another page on the fame topic. Earnettly withing, however, to renew the attention of diffenters, to a cafe which too often escapes their confideration, and at the fame time, to fecond the compaffionate and well-timed motion of my respectable friend, I hope you will indulge this letter with a place in your next number.

Indeed, Sir, the prefent fituation of many excellent minifters is truly lamentable. There are very few places where their incomes have kept pace with the times; and I could furnish inftances of fome in which they have not only not been augmented at all, fince the rapid advance of provifions (which Philanthropus juftly laments as a great hardship), but in which the present fevere times have been the means of decreafing them; becaufe mechanics and artificers have.

thereby

thereby been prevented from contributing their former mites of fubfcription, which in manufacturing towns and country places, always furnish a confiderable part of the little ftipend a minifter receives.

Thus circumftanced, what is the poor preacher to do? A common, though perhaps inconfiderate anfwer is, He fhould keep a fchool. But the man, who as Paul advises, gives himfelf wholly to the miniftry-who conftantly devotes himself to reading, meditation and prayer, that he may prefent to his hearers things new and old-and who preaches four or five times a week fermons that he has deeply ftu-" died, ought not to be confined to a school feven or eight hours of every day. If he discharge his duty to his pupils, he muft neglect fome of the duties of his miniftry; and if he attempt to fulfil his miniftry, the confinement of a school in addition to it, is likely to fhorten his life.

Others have faid, Ministers may engage in fome lucrative bufinefs, which will only occupy a fmall portion of their time. But most of the perfons for whom we now plead, have attained, or paffed the meridian of their days. Their habits of life are fixed. It is probable they are little acquainted with worldly bufinefs, and it is too late to learn. They are, perhaps, fituated where there is no favourable opening for thofe worldly purfuits to which they are moft adapted. Indeed, when minifters have attempted business, and have been unfuccefsful, they are in general more feverely animadverted upon than other men. Their people, many of whom, though able, have fcarcely contributed to the amount of a coat in a year, for their parts, cannot fee what parfons have to do with trade; while they can fee no impropriety in their attempting to bring up a family, in a way that will not difgrace the congregation, with three or four-fcore pounds a year.

But it is often faid, minifters fhould marry prudently; they should choofe women poffeffed of independent property. It is not, however, to be expected this can always be their lot. Surely they are as fufceptible of the tender paffion as their hearers. Their profpects of inheriting property with a wife, may be difappointed by the unforeseen changes of life. A détermination not to marry without a fortune has tempted fome to make, in every other refpect, a very unwife choice. Befides, it often happens (the wiiter could furnish inftances) that the very perfons who recommend to minifters fuch advantageous connections, would be the laft to favour à union between any of them, and their own wellVOL. IX, portioned

Kk

portioned daughters. But thefe pages plead the caufe of many who entered the honourable ftate of marriage in cheaper and happier days, when their ftipends were of much more value than at prefent-of many, who for the fake of character, are compelled to obferve an economy, which if developed, would penetrate every feeling heart. Affecting cafe indeed a man of fenfibility with a beloved family, whofe wants are increafing every year, but whofe contracted falary is as conftantly decreafing in value! He must have ftrong faith who never exclaims in the fadness of his heart, What will the end of thefe things be?

While the times are thus feverely felt by many of the prefent generation of diffenting minifters, they alfo augur very unfavourably as it refpects their fucceffors. Doubtlefs the humble ftipends ufually attached to this office, have often prevented "genius and talent from stepping forward in the arduous caufe." When young men, whofe fuperior natural abilities have been graced by genuine piety, have witneffed the poverty and embarraffed circumftances of their paftors, is it not probable they have been induced to decline a ministry for which they had fome inclination, and in which they might have engaged with credit and fuccefs? In confequence of this, many have become candidates for the paftoral office, and have been accepted in it, who had little to recommend them beyond the piety of plain christians; and they have found few congregations where fome of the people had not better talents for public teaching than themfelves. This evil is likely to increase with the cause of it.

Is there no remedy? Your correfpondent fuggefts with much propriety, that the redrefs of this grievance muft originate with zealous and refpectable individuals in each congregation; and I am well convinced from many obfervations, unless perfons of this defcription take up the caufe, excellently as he has pleaded, he will plead almost in vain. Moft refpectfully then would I remind fuch, that they have it in their power to render very effential fervices to their poor paftors. I know country congregations where many have acknowledged they ought to raise their minifter's falary; but no one having begun the good work, their stipends continue as they were. I am alfo acquainted with others, where two or three of the principal perfons have agreed to make a generous addition to their own contributions, have pointed out to their fellow worshippers, the neceffity of fimilar exertions, and the minifter being beloved, they have immediately increased the income one-third or one-half.

I would