to make again, it seems to me, that I could no more officiate as a Minister among any people who infift upon other terms of communion than thofe which our Lord has appointed, faith and holinefs, than I could fubfcribe to the dogmas of the Council of Trent. My regard to his honour will not allow me to exclude any, whom I believe he has been pleafed to receive. Thus much for the first reafon of my conformity. Yet in juftice to the Nonconformifts I muft add, that if I wished to avail myself of the fanc-. tion of great names, I could mention fome among them, who if they were now living, I am per

fuaded

fuaded would not blame me for conforming, though they could not in confcience do it themselves. Particularly I judge thus (from many of his writings) of the truly great Mr. Howe, whose praise is in all the Churches.

I am fincerely Yours

LETTER IV.

I

My dear friend and brother,

HAVE given you the chief Reason why I am not a Dif fenter. And it appears to me a fufficient one, though I could af fign no other. I have, however, two or three more to offer you, but I hope to comprise them all within the compass of this Letter. For indeed I begin to be weary of a fubject which is not quite fuitable to my taste and inclination. But it seems not unfeafonable, and I hope may not be unufeful

useful to fhew you that the preference I have given to the Church of England, is not the effect either of inconfideration or prejudice.

My fecond Reason for not being a Diffenter is, BECAUSE I

HIGHLY VALUE THE RIGHT OF

AND MY

PRIVATE JUDGMENT,
LIBERTY AS A MAN AND AS

A

CHRISTIAN. Here again I think we are agreed in principle. You rejoice in the name of a Proteftant Diffenter, as fetting you free from the fhackles. and impofitions of men; and probably think of me and my brethren in the eftablishment, with a degree of friendly pity; taking it for granted that the engagements

we are under hold us in a painful ftate of fubjection and bondage, from which you charitably wish to fee us released.

We are obliged to perfons of your candid difpofition for your fympathy and good wishes; and we repay you in kind. As we cannot think exactly alike, this feems the best method we can take. Harfh cenfures and angry difputations, would be unbecoming our profeffion, and hurtful to our fpirits; but it can do us no harm to pity and pray for each other. Perhaps you are ready to fay, "You would furely pity me "if you knew all my inward and outward trials, but you

"need