" ascend into heaven" as a triumphant conqueror, to be seated " at the right hand of God:" that in his high exaltation as "a Priest upon his throne," he would establish a glorious, extensive, permanent, and increasing kingdom: and that the immediate effect to the Jewish nation (a remnant excepted,) would be, their rejection for a season from being the peculiar people of God, who would leave " their name as a curse to his chosen; for "the Lord God would slay them, and call his peo"ple by another name," 1 together with the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple; the termination or, at least, the long-continued interruption of almost the whole ceremonial of Moses; and the dispersion of the wretched remains of the Jews through the nations of the earth.

I have already so often shewn it, that I have not in this part particularly stated what, I firmly believe, such a student of prophecy would conclude from the Old Testament concerning 'the ' restoration of Israel,' through their receiving, in penitent faith and love, their long rejected Messiah; and their subsequent honour and distinction of love and gratitude from all other nations, (now converted to JEHOVAH and his Christ,) as the channels through which all the blessings of true religion and eternal salvation, have flowed to them.

And now, after this whole argument, I can most confidently adopt the apostle's words, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, "that they might be saved."-The argument can

Is. lxv. 15.

not be done justice to, without bringing forward many things which strongly imply blame, to the former and the present generations of the Jews : but God knoweth that this is not done in any self-preference, or disposition to glory over them. There is one thing peculiarly pleasing to me in stating my views to them; that I am not constrained to say with Jeremiah, " I have not de" sired the woful day, O Lord, thou knowest." I trust "the woful day" with Israel is nearly terminated, and that blessed and glorious times, to that nation especially, though not exclusively, are at hand. It is not likely that I should live to witness them: but it seems to my feeling, as if the knowing of them would add extacy to joy even in heaven; and I should count it one of the greatest honours and pleasures of my life, if any thing I have written should, in the smallest degree, contribute to it. I have not, that I know of, written one line but in the spirit of love; and, in transcribing my rough copy, I have been continually reminded of the words of Pope,

• Poets lose half the praise they would have got,
• Were it but known what they discreetly blot.

In the eagerness of my natural spirit, many things were put down in the sketch, which they who love controversy would probably have better approved than what I have sent to the press: and I am aware, as in other instances, that the poриlarity of the work will suffer by the suppressions; but not the usefulness, which is of infinitely greater importance: and, unless we can defend Christianity and its doctrines in the Christian spirit of meekness and love, we may obtain the praise of men, but shall not be partakers of " the "honour which cometh from God only." Much I have expunged, lest I should give needless or injurious offence; and, if any thing remains of this kind, I must intreat a candid construction : for, though convinced that "the fruit of righ"teousness is sown in peace of those who make " peace," I am not in all cases able to discern what may be inconsistent with this, in what I have written; or to come up to the standard which I would prescribe to myself.

The following Letters were addressed to the Rev. Peter Roe, Minister of St. Mary's Kilkenny, under circumstances which he himself thus details.

"About the year 1804, the opinions of Robert Browne were revived in Dublin. This person in the year 1581 formed a church on the following principles. The members of it maintained the discipline of the Church of England to be popish and antichristian; they forbad their brethren to join with those of her communion in any part of public worship; and they renounced, religious intercourse with all reformed churches except such as were of their own model. They considered that every church should be confined within the limits of a single congregation, and its government democratical. The power of admitting or excluding members, and of deciding all controversies, was in the brotherhood. They did not allow the priesthood to be a distinct order, or that it could give a man an indelible character. They declared against all forms of prayer; and any brother had liberty to exhort in their assemblies and in church discipline they were entirely opposed to every union with the state, or civil power. In short, in their view every society of Christians, or, as they termed it, every church, was a distinct body corporate, possessing in itself all powers for regulating and governing its members."

The division and subdivision' which Mr. Roe witnessed, as produced by the re-appearance of these opinions, which were 'hailed as a new discovery,' and were presented in a way well suited to allure and entangle "the artless, the unwary, and the scrupulous," led him to institute a correspondence with several of his more experienced friends upon the subject: and the answers which he received he, with the consent of the respective writers, published in a pamphlet, entitled, "The Evil of Separation from the Church of England." The first edition, printed at Kilkenny, 1815, contained only the former of the two following letters : the second letter, with the annexed Essay on the Religious Establishment of Israel, was added in the second edition, printed for Seeley, London, 1817.-J. S.