fested in another form, and performed by men professing to be christians, fancying themselves to be patterns of virtue just like the papistical church, who boasteth of her good works and merits, while at the same time she is striving to reduce the human race to the most abject state of mental and corporeal slavery.

Thus is protestant England becoming partner with her in crime, as likewise in her judgments; and most rapidly are we, as a nation, falling into that poverty-stricken, degraded, and distracted condition in which all the popish nations are at the present time. For all systems of idolatry brutalize mankind; and poverty, distraction, blasphemy, degradation, indolence, infidelity, and murder of the deepest dye, are the certain attendants of the spirit of popery, let it manifest itself in what sect or party it may, as the present degraded, distracted state of popish Ireland fully corroborates. Not that I, as an individual, think that the papistical power will ever recover the influence it formerly possessed in this nation; because, while the church of Rome is joining league with the infidel power to overthrow protestantism, infidelity is watching the opportunity to overthrow both; and, as infidelity and popery are the two powers who use carnal weapons to accomplish their purposes, and as infidelity is the strongest of the two, and bitterly opposed to priestcraft, it appears the most probable, that the last struggle the church of Christ will be called to suffer, will be with the infidel power. And, if we may judge of the tender mercies of infidels, from their conduct at the French revolution, (notwithstanding all the principal actors in that

tragedy of rapine and murder were the professed advocates of liberty,) we may expect no more tolerance from them than from the papal church; and both of them are treacherous dealers, who are dealing treacherously and subtilely. And a more deceitful and subtle scheme could not have been invented, than the proposed system of national education, advocated alike by infidels, papists, unitarians, and socinians, all whose principles are proposed to be amalgamated together; the evil consequence of which amalgamation our protestant church is fully aware of, thank God, and is strongly opposing, knowing full well that each sectarian party is hoping for the ascendancy, that so they may finally abolish protestantism from the education of the land.

Thus are the treacherous dealers dealing treacherously. And no greater evidence can be required, to prove that God alone is the defence of protestantism, than that she goes on prospering, notwithstanding all those turbulent spirits are arrayed against her; because, if the number of protestant christians, both high church and dissent, be compared with the myriads living in idolatry and infidelity, they would be as a handful of salt thrown into the ocean. Therefore, nothing but the mighty power of God is the defence of the true church of Christ.

So I conclude this work, by entreating my fellow christians to put away every sin that most easily besetteth them" to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God;" lest, in awful judgment for our national crying sins, he remove the gospel candlestick from us, and give us up,

as he did the Jews of old, his peculiar people, for their sins, into the hands of their enemies; which, God grant may not be the case with beloved England, is the hearty prayer of the author,

BENJAMIN SHILLINGFORD.

THE END.

K. BOYD, Printer, Upper Street, Islington.