those who have never rubbed their | understanding but a poor compli edges against a college wall to ape ment: and it would not be honourthe dress of graduates." But sup-able to the man who should seek posing there were no proof of the by such means either to attract clerical order ever having been dis- notice or to stimulate the ardour graced by evident tokens of il- of devotion. literacy or of ignorance, it is never theless a bold infringement of clerical rights. The gown is a mark of canonical distinction: it is part of a clergyman's habiliments, and directed to be worn by the same authority that enjoined the worship he performs: nor can that worship be publicly performed without it; and to this discriminating badge, the dissenting mihister has no more right than the subjects of a prince to the appendages of royalty. For this strange conduct of a dissenting minister, I have never met with any satisfactory account: and when I attempt to conjecture what should induce him to be out of love with everything in the established church but the habits, I am astonished and bewildered! So far is the gown from being, as you say, a thing of no importance; that, if we may judge from his practice, it is the only thing de serving of regard: for, in attempting to discriminate between the precious and the vile, surely no wise man would abandon that which he thought to be excellent; much less evince by his conduct an attachment to any thing that he did not see just reason to esteem! When a nonconformist minister is beheld discharging his pastoral functions in a habit imposed on those from whose church-discipline he conscientiously dissents; it is natural to inquire into the reason of his conduct. Now to You say that the gown is a such an inquiry what answer can decent habit adapted to the pulpit; be given? With regard to your- which, by the way, is an unhandself, you could not plead the ex- some reflection on the indecorous ample of your excellent and ve- appearance of your brethren who nerable predecessor, nor yet the are content to officiate without it; example of your brethren: for and also an important concession though there are individuals who, in favour of those arguments which in this case, seem fond of clerical ignorance, superstition, and selfdistinction, the practice, you ac-interest have invented to support knowledge, is far from being ge- all the fopperies introduced into neral. What therefore can be said the worship of God. in excuse for such a flagrant violation of decorum it is not easy to imagine. Surely, Sir, you, and those of your brethren who are SO enamoured of this clerical appenTo suggest that the gown is as- dage, must have abandoned the sumed with a view of procuring principles of your venerable anthe respect of those on whom it is cestors. Those excellent men were your duty to inculcate the necessity extremely averse from the habits. of humility and of meekness-of "We are distinguished from the aversion from pride and ostenta- laity," say they, "not by our tion, would be to libel your own clothes, but by our doctrines ; conduct; and to suppose that it not by our habits, but our conis adopted in order to excite de-versation." But you, Sir, and some vout attention and reverence, might other individuals, are perhaps difbe considered as equally malevo- ferently minded. lent. For, to imagine that the hearer cannot penetrate beyond the preacker's garb, is paying his That no one is lord over another man's conscience, is the language of protestantism and of rea son. The imposition of things in I would have sent them on such an themselves indifferent ought to be errand improperly apparelled. firmly resisted; and especially when compliance would recognize the right of injunction. But so tractable and complaisant are some gentlemen, that they can put on the gown and the band without | remonstrance or manifesting symptoms of reluctance: and this, too, when acquiescence is known to be the condition of entering the pulpit! Now, Sir, if there be any difference between the established worship of this country, and the worship as conducted by protestant dissenters, whatever is enjoined as a discriminating badge of the one, ought not to be assumed by the other. This, surely, is the dictate of common decency, as well as of common sense: and it is astonishing that any man who reflects a moment on the subject, and who has not relinquished all pretensions to decorum, can persist in wearing a habit that is imposed on men whose conformity he cannot, as a dissenter, approve, and from whose communion he has himself voluntarily seceded! Permit me, Sir, to remark, that the assumption of a clerical appearance in those dissenting meeting-houses or chapels where the prayers of the national establishment are read, is virtually an im position on the public. For a person totally unacquainted with the manner of conducting worship in these assemblies, would never imagine that his monitor in the pulpit was not a true son of the church: and were he informed, that, so far was this from being the fact, that he had been listening to one who had an invincible dislike to both her ritual and her government; it is not easy to conjecture | what he might suppose, or what would be his answer. Perhaps you are not aware that, by a procedure so repugnant to your principles as a dissenter, you are grieving, without an equivalent, a large proportion of your pious and consistent brethren: and this too without conciliating the esteem or the approbation of the godly within the pale of the established church. These conscientious men In arguing with these conform- see the impropriety of your coning brethren in justification of your duct and openly condemn it. Conown discipline and worship, were formity, in this case, is attributed you to plead, as is generally the to personal vanity or to weakness; case, the example of Christ or his is sometimes viewed as a temporizapostles, in opposition to the de-ing expedient to subserve purposes crees of councils and of synods, in themselves not very honourable; might they not pertinently ask, and it has been conjectured that, How, Sir, came you by this ca- | if the individuals who are so fond nonical attire? Is this a specimen of clerical appendages had an of primitive simplicity? Which of option, they would not evince the apostles have you taken as much dislike to any thing conyour model?-When our blessed nected with them. Lord sent them to preach the You say it is the wish of your gospel, so far was he from mani-people that the gown should be festing any anxiety respecting their worn: but surely you cannot view exterior appearance, that, among this wish as a valid justification of other things, he bade them not to your conduct! for there are no take two coats: but if other than fopperies connected with religion common habiliments had been re- that have not advocates. quisite, either for their own credit, or for the success of the truth, it can hardly be imagined that he In this case, would you not have acted more consistently with your profession as a dissenter, and with your duty as a minister, if, instead | blished church," cannot be adof complying with these wishes, mitted; unless it be shewn that an you had endeavoured to convince attachment to the habits is the those inconsiderate brethren that, ground of their conformity. But after having verbally and practi- the cases are by no means analocally declared yourself a dissenter gous. Those ministers who submit from the religious establishment to her authority, are doubtless acof the country, there should be a tuated by more important conmanifest impropriety in assuming siderations, and to them the vesta clerical appearance-that as an ments are not a matter of choice attachment to vestments appro- but of duty. It is therefore the priated to public worship had fre- part of candour to believe that quently been the occasion of much whatever the church shall prescribe evil, and could never be produc- as a badge to discriminate her mitive of any good, they would do nisters from others, may be worn well to be anxious, not for the garb without subjecting the wearer to of the preacher, but for that sound the imputation of vanity or caspeech which cannot be con- price. But can this be said with demned-that if there was one certainty, or even with probability, thing for which, in reference to of him who has renounced her yourself, you wished them to be jurisdiction, and associated himmore solicitous than another, it self with a religious society that was, that you might never become disclaims all regard to sacerdotal the victim of your own vanity, habiliments? Certainly not. When nor ever seek to attract notice therefore a minister of this descripotherwise than by a faithful ex- tion is seen departing from the hibition of divine truth, and an general practice of his brethren, inflexible regard to the glory of and assuming a clerical appearance God in all things connected within the pulpit, it must excite astohis worship. By such a conduct you would have acted the part of a faithful shepherd; and at the same time have convinced these brethren that you were more concerned to honour your divine Master, and to promote their present and their future happiness, than to secure to yourself the popular regard which this request might perhaps have been intended to procure. nishment, and men will, nay they cannot but speculate as to the motives of his conduct. "In some places," say you, “I put on a clerical gown, but that in which I appear at my own place is a dissenter's gown." That the dissenters have fixed on a sacerdotal vest by which to identify their ministers, I never heard till the present moment. If, however, this be the case, I am surprised at Let me therefore seriously ex- my own ignorance, and frankly hort you to examine whether in confess, not a little mortified to complying with the indiscreet think, that notwithstanding my long wishes of these inconsistent bre-acquaintance with the national thren, you are not imperceptibly church and the clergy, I should gratifying a passion that is un-not have had perspicacity to disfriendly to humility. For, if personal vanity be not covertly soliciting indulgence, what can induce you to make a clerical appearance while averse from the clerical profession. "That the charge of vanity is equally applicable to the clergy of the esta tinguish the habiliments of the one from those of the other. But if a prominent, unequivocal distinction were intended, surely a habit very different from that which is common to the clergy might have been easily selected: and had this been the case, there could have been no for suspicion or reflection. It seems however to have happened otherwise, for whatever distinction may exist, your appearance is decidedly canonical, and it will be conjectured that, though avowedly a dissenter, there is nevertheless a secret predilection for the habit and the homage to which the priesthood is entitled. possibility of mistake-no ground in nothing seek his own honour, but the honour that cometh from God only. But if, instead of this reverence of the divine Majesty, and of devotedness to his interest, I had reason to consider him as entering on the solemnities of worship decorated with vestments intended to magnify the importance of his office, and to secure to himself personal respect, I should cease But let me ask, will the assump- to venerate his character; and, tion of a discriminating badge add while reflecting on his presumption to your moral worth? will it irra- and his vanity, tremble lest I should diate the mind, inform the judg-be suffered to hear him without imment, render you either as a man patience and disgust. or as a minister more estimable, or It is remarked by one of the give energy to the message you best writers among the dissenters deliver? If not, what advantage of the present age,* that “In_recan you promise to yourself, which gard to ministers, when attending you would not have had in such to any branch of their holy funcclothes as are commonly worn by tion, let them not think of heightyour discreet and consistent bre-ening their own importance, or of thren? There is, perhaps, in the promoting the cause of Christ, by heart of every man too evident a imitating Jewish or Pagan priests, desire to attract attention and re-adorned with peculiar habits, when verence. We like to be highly esteemed to be called Rabbi. But you remember him that said, when endeavouring to repress this love of distinction and pre-eminence, "Be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your master, even Christ;" and he that shall seek to magnify his own importance by the foppery of dress, or by the honorary distinctions that glitter in the eyes of the ignorant and vulgar, betrays the vanity over which he ought to mourn, and has forgotten that he who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, must be the servant of all. When I contemplate the duties incumbent on a minister-his professions—his engagements-his responsibility, I cannot but exclaim, Who is sufficient for these things! How must conviction of his own depravity, and the evil he witnesses in others, induce perpetual watchfulness and prayer in reference to his own conduct! With what ardour must he implore that, in the discharge of his functions, he may performing their different rites. If Christian ministers be decently clothed, when in their own families, when visiting their friends, or when walking the streets; why should they not be considered as properly habited for the performance of their sacred office? What reason can be assigned for the use of any particular dress, when engaged in public service, that would not militate against the spirituality of our Lord's kingdom, and the simplicity of his worship. But, alas, too many of them, like the ancient Scribes, desire to walk in long robes,' and love to be called Rabbi." It may, perhaps, be said, "Clerical habits are indifferent and harmless things, except when they are imposed." But if so, the idea of imposition being excluded, the canonical dress of a popish priest, the red hat of a cardinal, and the triple crown of a pontiff, may all be justified: for, in themselves * Mr. Abraham Booth, in his Essay on the Kingdom of Christ. 7 they are equally harmless as the happy would it be for the dis gown or the band. Innocent, how-senters, were all their ministers ever, as all these peculiarities are, actuated by the principles which detached from the ministerial cha- he maintains, and equally zealous racter, and from holy worship, the in opposing the practice which he reason or motive of wearing them so justly reprehends. The Chrisin sacred service, may be carnal, tian is commanded to abstain from base, and sinful. In some, there all appearance of evil. Every thing is too much ground of suspicion, that looks like duplicity is therea desire of being esteemed by the fore incompatible with that frankvulgar, either as persons of learn-ness and integrity which ought to ing, or as espicopally ordained, characterise the minister of Jesus. when they are not so; and, in When decision of character is exothers, a lust of increasing their pected, nothing should appear learned and priestly importance, equivocal. That the subject of are the latent reasons of wearing this letter has not been duly conthose badges of clerical distinction.sidered by you, candour compels But when illiterate men assume theme to believe: it may therefore be garb of learning, their vanity is reasonably hoped, that a little recontemptible: when they intend, flection, and a conscientious regard by so doing, to obtain that respect to consistency, will evince that the from the ignorant of which they clerical badge ought to be instantly know themselves unworthy, their relinquished. practical falsehood is detestable : and when any minister thinks of magnifying his office, by pomposity I am, sincerely yours, S. R. SUBMISSION TO THE MYSTE "For better 'tis to bless the sun, Than reason why it shines." in the pulpit, he betrays his ignor-ON THE REASONABLENESS OF ance respecting the nature of that kingdom in which he professes to be an officer. Do the laws of this holy empire forbid the subjects to affect shining and costly apparel, as not becoming those who profess THE religion of Christ, as pregodliness; and will not the prin- sented in the New Testament, is ciple of that prohibition apply with primarily addressed to the reason increasing force to the case before or judgment, rather than to the us? Is it inconsistent with that spi-feelings. When a man calmly looks ritual-mindedness of which every into his own mind, or contemplates avowed disciple of Christ makes the general conduct of his fellow an implicit profession, to be fond creatures, how depraved, how diaof a showy dress in the intercourses metrically opposed to every thing of common life; and can it be that is virtuous and good; in a suitable to the simplicity of chris- word, when he compares the pretian worship, to the character of sent lamentable state of humanity its Lord, or to the example of his with that from which man has apostles, for ministers to make a fallen, oh! how affecting is the more grand appearance, and take comparison! he sees the indispenmore state upon them, when per- sable necessity of a remedy for forming their solemn service, than such a more than mortal disease; at any other time? Let those who and the light which shines from understand the christian system, the throne of God, guiding him, and are heavenly-minded, form the he is taught to know himself, to determination," appreciate his malady and learn its cure, and then his life is spent in gratitude and love to his Maker Such is the language of this very able and consistent writer: and |