1805.] Reply to Polites on the Church Eftahlijhment. 



knowledge in tlie various departments of 

 J'cifiiGe) whole names nave bteM announced 

 in the Cyclof:ciiia-Profj>e6lus, towaids the 

 completion ot a woik which (lands in 

 fuch high eftiination, and promiles to ri- 

 val, iF not fo furpafs, the m'ft cclebraled 

 works of tile kind which have been pub- 

 liflied in other countries. 



As for my contribiiticns to this work, 

 they have been hut few. Thf-y relate 

 wholly to the hiftorv and treatment of in- 

 ternal dileafes, with the exception of the 

 articles Bathing (medicinally conllder- 

 ed) ; Bleeding ; Blood (mo Hid ap- 

 peaiances ot) ; and Bue (clifeafcd con- 

 ditions of). Thefe, with the other coiu- 

 muntcations, are c mprifi-d within the lat- 

 ter ;.art of the letter A and the letter B, 

 beginning with Asthma and ending wi.h 

 Bulimia. 



I have thought it proper to mske this 

 declaration, that, if there be any thing 

 faulty or unfatis'aiSlory in the a: tides re- 

 lating to the pra6iice of phyfic, from 

 Aflbma to Bulimia inclufively, no cenfure 

 may attach either to my predecelTois or 

 my fucceffors in that department. 

 I am, Sir, your's, &c. 



RicH/vRD Pearson, 

 Bloomjbury fquare, Augujl ix, iSof. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



•' Audi alteram partem !" 



YOUR Correfpon'ent " Polites" (p. 

 4, of your la(t Number) has indeed 

 drawn a very lingular picture of our Elta- 

 blifhed Chuich; fuch a one, as, if itexhi- 

 biied a fa iihfullikeneis of the original, would 

 affuredly exp< le it lo deferved conltmpt. 

 The conformisy of its government to the 

 primitive model left by the Apoftles, ard 

 the agreeinent of its doflrines with ihofe 

 of holy writ, are ei]ua!ly overlooked by 

 this liberal gfn:leman ! — " Indifieren^ as 

 to the religious fyl'.em which may be final- 

 ly triumphant in the contell" he luppoies 

 now to be going on, he has the tenieiity 

 t'j reprefent a religious elfabliHiment, ve- 

 nerable by its great age, and inftir\ited 

 txprefsly to infure the fpread of pure 

 Chriftianiiy in this kingdom, as in fa(5l 

 c^lculaterl for no better, noblei-, or more 

 important purpo.'es, than '* to provide a 

 rcverfionary emolument for the youngi-r 

 fons and dependents of our great families, 

 gr petty gmtry ; as, like " orher eftablidi- ■ 

 menu, lupported rather as fources of 

 emolument to a few, th;in as ufeful or ne- 

 cc/Tary tu the community j" at a mere 

 * piece of ftat«-machinciy ; fp'cndid in- 



103 



deed, but of no greater intrrnfic value, 

 than as it is calculated by its pomp to im- 

 poll; upon the vu;gar, or to be rillied 

 around as the cn:re of a mere political 

 fyftem :" 'U fiiort, as no other or better 

 than a fccular corporitiun, or as a giand 

 pj|iri:nl ftste-enoine. 



And ?s if this ir.jurious min-eprefenta- 

 tion wss not futficiently degia<iing, he 

 boldly mjir.tain?, that, " if the majority 

 of lerious be'iever» in the kingdom (hould 

 beronie leparatilts, ftill our erclefnftical 

 elfablifhment wou!d not be endangered !" 

 Siranoe, and truly humiliating this jn- 

 detd ! — To afiTert that a Chriiiian Chuich 

 cm fubfifl, and even fl .urifli as it does at 

 prefriit, when the majority of its Ctrious 

 believers, i. e. red Cirillians, are be- 

 cjine dilijtisfied with itsdilcipline or doc- 

 trines, at^d have withdrawn th-mt'elves 

 from its crimmunion ! Defeited thus by 

 its inoft vnluable members ; acknowledc;- 

 ed and frequented only by the ignorant 

 mulritude, or at btft the mere iormal no- 

 minal profc-ff IS, its utility is loft ; its 

 " glory is. departed ;" and its finil melan- 

 rh. ly caialirophe can be at nj great dif- 

 tance. 



This high colouring, or rather this hi. 

 deous caric.iture, does not, however, com- 

 plete the job Puli'es has undertaken, he 

 referves his grrat rhMaflerilfic fhade to 

 thelaii, and, ?.s a fimrmng llioke, repre- 

 fen's the " hig-h-rhurrh nen" as in " tri- 

 umphant'"* laptuie lidening to the advice 

 of " fome zealots urging them on to per- 

 fecutioi) !" I could forgive his other ac- 

 cufations, as the mere ebulli ions of zeal 

 without knowledge, or as arifing folely 

 from hiS ignorance (.f ihereal conftitution, 

 difcipline, doflrine, and fpirir of our ex- 

 cellent Church: but when he raflily af. 

 fcrts that her minifters have fo totally for- 

 gotten the very firi principles of Chrif- 

 tianity, as to liften with patience, much 

 more wiih complacency, to the Aiggef- 

 tions of bigots lor the commencement of 

 a religious perfecution, it would be a 

 crime even in the loweft orders am^ng 

 them to remain fiient, or to feel no ind.ir. 



* How can the prefent be reprefenten a? 

 " the hour of triumph to high churchmen," 

 if the arguments of Polites have any wright ? 

 A church deferced by many of her " f.-rious 

 iTienibers," defcribed as little better than a 

 foundling-hofpital for poor children ; coUeir- 

 ing hi-r principil revenue under '• the exe- 

 crations" of chofe who pay them ; and, in 

 tine, depending chiefly upon Ai'.ts of P.irlia. 

 nient for ifs privileges and duration, cannot 

 be in a very iefirabJe, much Icfa triumphant, 

 condition I 



