Of the religious tenets of the Presbyte rians, it is not necessary to enlarge very much. They continue to be one of the most numerous and respectable sects of Protestant Dissenters in England; are, doubtless, the richest and most learned body of men out of the pale of the esta. blishment ; and have now almost entirely forsaken the rigid and severe maxims of their forefathers. They are denominated Presbyterians, from their assertion, that; the government of the church, as appoint ed in the New Testament, is by Presby ters. They acknowledge no head of the church but Jesus Christ. According to the original constitution of the Presbyte rian church or congregation, they acknow ledge the unity and equality of three per sons in the Godhead : but the greater part of the Presbyterians, of the present day, are Unitarians, either what are op probriously called Arians, or Socinians.
They acknowledge the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures to sal vation. They generally believe, that all corruption and depravity is contracted, and not original. They are, for the most
part, Pxdobaptists, and admit the sacra ment of the Lord's Supper, which Dr. Watts says, " is eating bread and drink ing wine in the church, in remembrance of the death of Christ." They, in gene ral, reject the doctrine of predestination, and some other doctrines intimately con nected therewith. The belief and prac tice of the modern English Presbyterians are pretty faithfully described in " An Ab stract of a Profession of Faith made at a public Ordination at the Old Jewry, in 1756 ;" and also in some " Questions proposed to the Rev. Thomas Wright, at his Ordination, May 31, 1759, with the Answers thereto." These papers may be seen in the "History of Religion," pub lished anonymously, in tour vols. 8vo. in the year 1764. We close our account of the Presbyterians by observing, that a lec ture, first sdt up in the year 1695, at Sal ter's Hall, London, is still continued on the original foundation, and is supported by the contributions of the friends of Pres byterianism in the city of London, and its vicinity.