The indifferent morals of the age in which we live, afforded matter of moft ferious concern to him; and the amendment of them in every person, the wealthiest, and the pooreft, with whom he had any intercourse, occupied his chief attention. All his under

takings had this end in view. His charities, which were very confiderable, were ever directed, and made fubfervient to the encouragement of virtue, as well as to the feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. His indefatigable pains in promoting a better regulation, and reducing the number of the public ale-houses in his parish, were intended to give fecurity to virtue and fober industry, by diminishing thefe nurseries of vice and idleness, and confequently bringing them more easily under the obfervation and correction of those, to whom the law has intrusted their fuperintendence. In this work, tho' oppofed, and fometimes defeated by certain magistrates, whofe conduct, in this refpect, reflected no honour upon their character, he was greatly useful: but it was principally on account of this oppofition, and to avoid the vexation incidental thereto, that, though

though his name was inrolled in the fame commiffion of the peace, he forebore formally to qualify himself to act under it.

Mr. Disney was a benefactor to his vicarage, not merely by his refidence and keeping his parfonage in that exact order and neatness which were obvious to the eye of the most inattentive visitor ; but by his liberal repairs and improvements, to the amount of upwards of 700l. without availing himself of the advantage which the wisdom of the legislature had provided. It was his defire not only to enjoy, but to leave behind him, an habitation that should invite his fucceffor to regular refidence, by fufficient and ample accommodations.

Concerning Mr. Difney's compofitions for the pulpit, the Discourses now published, will preclude any account by the editor. In the delivery of them, his voice was low and weak, but he was, at all times, fo much in earneft, when he officiated in the church, that he occupied the whole attention of his congregation. The selection of fuch of them as compofe the prefent volume, has been made

in

in compliance with his own requeft, about a before his death, and in discharge of my year promife, in cafe I furvived him. And, as he

had chiefly in view the benefit of his parishioners, it is intended fo far to enter into the fpirit, as well as letter of his request, as to distribute feveral copies among fuch of them, as may be prefumed most likely to make a good ufe of them.

The natural temper of our author, was warm, but he kept it, by continual watchfulness, in fubjection to the dictates of reafon, and the demands of religion. Above every mean action in himself, he reprobated every thing like one in others.

In the great political queftions, refpecting œconomy in the expenditure of the public money, equalizing the representation of the people, and shortening the duration of parliaments, which have of late years excited the attention of all parties in this kingdom, Mr. Difney was uniformly, in all of them,. on the fide of the petitioners, and entered actively into the neceffary means of forwarding their fuccess.

In his religious opinions refpecting the doctrines

doctrines of the trinity and atonement, Mr. Disney was in very general agreement with the established articles of the church of England; but along with these sentiments, he had not the confined and partial ideas which are frequently connected with them. His catholic spirit indeed foared above the established ordinances of human fyftems, and was congenial with that gospel from which it sprang, and with the liberal minds of thofe, who, regardless of human ordinances, look with love upon all, who, with integrity and fingleness of heart, maintain a confcience void of offence to God and

man.

It

After this statement of the fact, in respect to his notions concerning particular doctrines, it is needlefs to obferve to thofe, to whom we were both known, that his opinions and my own on thefe fubjects, were at an irreconcilable distance from each other. is, however, greatly to his honour, that he was more grieved, (as I afterwards learned,) by my continuance in the church of England, than by my entertaining opinions contrary to those held forth in her liturgy

and

and articles. When I had come to a refolution to refign my preferment, and acquainted him with my purpose, by letter, I was fo far from expecting that he would concede to my intention, that I did him the injustice to think that I hazarded his future friendfhip and favour. But his christian spirit was not fervily attached to particular doctrines, or confined to a zeal for their fuccefs. He cordially approved my refolution, as being confiftent with the obligations of truth and integrity :-or, as he expreffes himself in a paper, which, though written four years before my refignation of my preferment, in 1782, came not to my knowledge til after his decease in 1786; “If, after all, fays he, my dear coufin, (speaking then of myself,) finds himself obliged, by the regard which he owes to what he thinks the truth, to perfift in his firft opinions, then I earnestly with that he would give up the office of a pastor in the church of England, and not hold his livings by a subscription which he abhors, nor read a liturgy to one page of which he cannot affent. To hold a benefice by a falfe declaration,