Church? They! who have nothing in common with each other; whose passwords are strife and agitation; whose weapons are lawlessness and revilings; who have pledged their right hand even to the polluting grasp of Atheism and infidelity, of revolution and anarchy, to gratify their hostility against me?"--p. 52. From Peter Plain's Vision.

"As in every age, from that day to the present, those who have dissented from the church, and set up their own imaginations and pride against her doctrines and ordinances, have gone from one sin to another, and become first schismatics and separatists, and then persecutors; so it was with Cain.”—p. 76.

"God himself spake to Cain, (as he afterwards authorized his church and ministers to speak to sinners and schismatics,) to declare the path of safety, to warn him against departure from it, and finally to denounce the punishment of self-will and disobedience."-p. 77.

I will close these quotations with one in which the words which seem to have startled your correspondent occurred before, as intimated in the preface:—

"The verities of the church and the fallacies of dissent, are brought by dissenters into collision. The result is seen in the compacted strength of the former and the shattered and sinking state of the latter. We have advised them to LET THE CHURCH ALONE; and it was good advice, though they reject it.”—p. 144. I need not comment on these passages, but only ask your readers whether they exhibit the language of persons who condemn only the "accidents" of the sin, and laud the sin itself,

3. On this head, I must be very brief, having trespassed already at too great length. With respect to praise of Wesleyanism,* or any form of schism, I

* No man can read the passage from "Peter Plain's Vision," and not see with what injustice the description of a group formed of individuals of various sects, in which Wesleyans were more numerous than those of other sects, is applied to Wesleyanism, of the sect and schism which has little left but the name of Wesley. When I have lauded the Wesleyans, even on the ground of their moderation, it has been only in comparison with other sects, as witness the article entitled, "Dissenting would-be Intolerance and Persecution," vol. i. pp. 68–72.

In that article occurs the following passage :

"We say Wesleyans! for the fact of this outrage proceeding from one of their congregations strengthens the evidence that the evils of schism will be always the same in kind, though they may

must repeat, that to attribute such praise to me is a complete misrepresentation. That I do compare the Wesleyans with other sects, and regard them as less hostile to the church, is true. And I also speak of many Wesleyans as having both expressed admiration and reverence of the church, and having supported it against other schismatics. Your correspondent seems to doubt the fact. The doubts are founded on his own experience-my statements on mine. Whether he has any better means of observation than myself I cannot know; but as a presbyter of nearly thirty years' standing, I see no reason to receive the ipse dixit of an anonymous writer (whose letter indicates neither age nor accu racy) upon that point. He raises the question of the policy of admitting that a Wesleyan or other sectarian may be pious. I think honesty the best policy. If it be truth, I see no reason to suppress it; nor do I think that the poor man will sooner be 66 aware of the abstract sin of schism," or of the excellence of the holy catholic church, by her members adopting the principle that the terms pious and respectable are never to be applied to any individual dissenter, even though he may hope for salvation only in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ.

I am sorry to claim so much room, and not less so to have my time and labour so wasted. But differ in degree. On more than one occasion we have admitted their moderation, as compared with other dissenters. The professions of Wesley in favour of the church are also notoriously contradictory to the practice here exhibited. If even in this body separation from the church produces such fruit, what rancour, intolerance, and persecution must spring from dissent in its most rabid forms! That many respectable members of the Wesleyan body loathe such proceedings, and are ashamed of them, we doubt not. But disgust alone will not place them in safety, nor acquit them in the sight of divine justice, or of even common sense.' From that which their hearts condemns, let their judgment withdraw them. Let them come out from the evil of schism, which generates strife, and come back to the church, wherein is unity of spirit and the bond of peace." "

everybody knows that an objection or accusation, however unjust may be made in a few lines, which cannot be refuted in fifty times the space.

I am, Sir, your faithful servant,

Rochdale, Jan. 5th, 1843. J. E. N. MOLESWORTH.

MR. PHILP AND HIS ENEMIES.

We cannot be surprised at the blind and blunder ing rage of the Socinians who, in their impotent attempts to run Mr. PHILP down, add to the proofs of his truth and sincerity. This we might expect, and can in some degree make allowance for. But we actually shudder to observe the effects of sectarian envy and rancour evident in the mockery and sneers against him, put forth by the organs of dissenters, who profess to adore the Trinity! These, unable to bring a shadow of a charge against Mr. PHILP, and having received him with all friendship as a Socinian, so long as this only made him a dissenter, can gnash their teeth and scoff at him, because in embracing the atonement he also embraces the Church! How dreadfully does the venom, and the evil and intolerant spirit of dissent shew itself; in which the glory of God, the love of the Saviour, the joy over the recovery of the lost sheep, are all merged in the feelings of spite, because Mr. P. in becoming a believer became also a Churchman, and, in renouncing Socinianism, renounced also schism! Pious dissenters (for such many claim to be, and such we gladly admit there are) can you approve such advocates and such sentiments? Can you not see in these fruits plain marks of the evil tree, on which you are grafted, instead of being attached to the true vine-the Holy Church. Let not prejudice bind you to error. Be firm enough to turn to the truth, when it is brought before you. Repent and turn ye saith the Lord. Repent and be baptized

into the Church to which the Lord "added daily such as should be saved."

The subjoined extracts of a letter from a stranger will, we doubt not, be as bitter to the mockers of Mr. PHILP as they are cheering to his friends. It is written in a right spirit--the spirit of one, whose hand is ready to support what his heart approves. His example we trust will not be without effect upon others, and therefore we insert it. We rejoice to add that upwards of 1361, have, at the time we write, been already received by the Committee.

Revd. Sir,

Your very instructive and well-timed little periodical entitled "Common Sense," has made me acquainted with the happy conversion to the Catholic faith of Mr. PHILP, the late pastor of an Unitarian Congregation in your parish.

Although the times are very bad with all who are embarked in the pursuits of manufacture, still I feel it an especial duty to find a donation in aid of the fund which has been established under your auspices for this our new brother.

I send you herewith a little contribution of two guineas, and I will, if it please God to extend my life another year, and I have then the ability, I will gladly repeat the remittance, should the fund need assistance.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The length of Dr. M's. letter to the British Magazine compells us again to postpone the articles mentioned in our last "Notices to Correspondents," and also a longer reply which we had penned to our zealous friend "A constant Reader." We must now briefly state, that he is not thoroughly acquainted with the facts of the case to which he alludes. His suggestion respecting Church History we approve, and thank him for. If our friends encourage it as it proceeds, we shall probably adopt his hint. As to enlarging our publication we must decline it, because it would cause us to publish at a loss; and we do not consider & periodical in a healthy state, or worth carrying on unless it pays all its expences. Neither can we trouble ourselves with details to extend its circulation. We leave that to our publishers, the zeal of our friends, and, we may add, the advertisement given us by the rage of our enemies.

London:-Messrs. Rivington.

Rochdale-Frinted and Sold by T. Holden; S. Ashworth; and all Booksellers.

REV. J. E. N. MOLESWORTH, D. D.

REV. W. N. MOLESWORTH.

Fine Sense, and Exalted Sense, are not half so useful as
COMMON SENSE.-Dean Swift.

CHURCH HISTORY.

(CHAP. II.--continued from page 55, Vol. II.)

It has been seen how terribly the indignation of Jehovah burned against those priests who set up their own will, or fancied improvements, against the rules and ordinances established by the Lord of the Church; and how their signal punishment shewed that the record of it was intended as a warning to all future generations of priests. In like manner we shall find in the case of Korah and his associates, a fearful warning to all people, of all ages, against the perilous sin of thrusting themselves uncalled and unauthorized into the Priestly office, and of making themselves the heads of sects and divisions in the Church. That the same principle of establishing a memorial for the warning of all generations, which we noticed in the punishment of Nadab, was kept in view in the horrible and awfully impressive circumstances of Korah's punishment, is not left to be merely inferred from the transaction itself, but is expressly declared by Moses, at the time:*

Numb. XVI. 28-30.