AN

ESSAY

ON THE

CHURCH.

BY THE

REV. W. JONES, M. A.

AUTHOR OF THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.

A NEW EDITION,

PUBLISHED BY DESIRE OF THE

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

For my Brethren and Companions' Sake, I will wifh thee
Profperity. Yea, because of the House of the Lord our God,
I will feek to do thee good.

London:

PSALM CXXII.

PRINTED FOR F. AND C. RIVINGTON,

BOOKSELLERS TO THE

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
NO. 62, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD;

By Bye and Law, St. John's-Square, Clerkenwell,

1800,

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

Of the Distinction between the World

and the Church; with the Nature

and Character of both Societies,

CHAP. II.

Of the Means of Grace, and the Marks

by which the Church of Chrift is to

be known,

CHAP. III.

PAGE

I

The Errors which tempt men to leave

the Church, and make them eafy when

they are feparated from it,

CHAP. IV.

On the Abuse of the Reformation, &c.

A 2

37

74

СНАР.

CHAP. V.

A short View of the present State of the

Argument between the Church of

England and the Diffenters,

POSTSCRIPT.

An Account of the firft Separation of

the Diffenters from the Church of

England,

81

118

PREFACE.

THE

HE three great Subjects, with which a Chriftian Minifter is concerned, are the Word of God, the Church of God, and the Chriftian Life. Circumftances and occafions will fometimes direct his thoughts to one of thefe, and fometimes to another: but so long as any of the three are before him, he is within the circle of his duty.

I was led to the fubject of the following Essay, by an accident. I am a Curate in a country parish; who make it my business, and have found it my pleasure, to teach the children of my people, privately in my own house, and publickly in the Church; and I am, for the prefent, the only Sunday Schoolmaster of the place. In the course of