The National Register.
London, England, 1811-04-21 00:00:00

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explained by the term. P rkstrraft. r to which no man can deny .
existence who makes' use of his senses : ar.d. here, if I mitibt
presume to give my °Onion on a subject of such im.portituce,
I would cluezve that the purposes of religion would be better
auswere.l, if, instead of brivging young awn up professedly for
the church, whether. they have the requisites fox such a study or .
no, as is generally the case, no man should be adrniued to ordi-
nation who did not. feel an inclination for the service from a

serious conviction of its sacredness, and whose.tife had not pre-
vio4sly exhibited- all the leading characteristics of a Christian.—
And on the other band I do not think the Legislature ever pro-

duced a worse law than that which obliges a Magistrate Iv giant
a licence for preaching to every enthusiast who chooses to ap-
•,ey for it, and will take the oath of allegiance.—ln the saute of
I.leaven is the sacred cause of religious instrectiose to be coin-
rniqed to those to wheels 99 out of 100 we evotild not commit*
the direction of our most ordloary :Airs ? To men who, from
idleness, melancholy, or sasiiitual weakness (if I may use the
erpreasion,) have neither inclination for social duty, understand-
ing enough for innocent joy, nor dignity of mind sufficient for
CiriJitian humility, which h a very different thing from that
mean mockery of it which desponding fanatics exhibit ; for
whom the sun seems to shine in vain, whose clouded thoughts
no beam of happiness seems to irradicate, and who instead of
"'leaking tiwir light to shine before nten," as to prove that the
ways of virtue " are the ways of pleasantness, and her paths,
the paths of peace," impress the weak and thoughtless with 'an
idea that the ascent to Heaven is merely a mountain of iiniscries,
and that a Christian reposes only on a bed of thorns ! What did
Christ say? "Come to me, ye weary and heavy laden, seal I
will give you rest ; fur my yoke is easy and my burthen is
light."—Equal enemies to religion are the characters I have just
&seethed, and the parson who does not exact that reverential
respect due to his cloth, by making his life a practical comment
upon his preaching. But to return to the mere moral man, or
ke who is astonished at being told that morality without faith
does not entitle hint to salvation; thoguh, as Addison observes, it
has been thought by the wisest men, that there is more chance
tithe salvation of a moral Infidel, than a vicious Believer, still
rancidity without devotion is but a lifeless state of philosophy;
and we may recommend to the moral man to consider that if
Morality will at all save hint, it must be peefi,ct morality, which
it is, impossible for a human being to attain ; therefore, he must
necessarily look for something that will make amends, for his
defects, before he can claim the reward annexed to a virtuous
life. He will say God is merciful and will riot expect of man
more than he can do ; the answer is, God is as perfectla ieet as
Merciful, and perfect justice must be satisfied.—Let him lock
then to the Saviour whose merits will gain mercy for hi, im-
perfections; and as perfect justice required an expiation for the
sins of mankind what could exhibit perfect mercy more than
Cod" providing such a sacrifice for the 'sins of fallen man as the
51,,0d of the Laub"?' Let his morality be the result of this
faith and it will then be a saviug morality, otherwise it will he
mere heathen philosophy, and, allowing it all the latitude We
cm, at best very, very, doubf; at as to its efficacy fur salvation,
whereas the other species of morality is a certain foundation of
Lope. And it may here be proper to remark to those who rely
so much on faith, as to be remiss in their moral conduct, that
though the blood of Christmakes amends for uurdefects, still it is
only after we have used our very best endeavours to perfect
ourselves in virtue ; that we can rely on its efficacy and virtue
rust be practirol ; we must improve the talent given us be-
tc.re we can look for the reward of a " good and faithful ser-
Vent," and that no faith can save that is not accompanied by
the industrious ewercise of the moral virtues, to analyze which
I shall proceed in future papers. LAYMA N. •

Count Gottorp, late King of Sweden, remains on board
ado frigate at Heligoland, though he was offered Lim lac
4wf NlAjesty's resident there.