Permit me, my Lord, now to say a word or two upon the “liberality of the basis of your establishment;” which is held out as “giving additional force to the claims arising from the simplicity, purity, and importance of the design.” Not satisfactorily apprehending at first, what might be signified by the expression of a _liberal basis_, I had recourse to a well-known lexicographer, who under the word liberal, gives us these meanings:—“not mean, not low in birth;—becoming a gentleman;—munificent, generous, bountiful:”—then successively applying these several meanings to the subject, I find the address to signify either one, or all of these positions: that the basis of your establishment, is not a mean basis, nor a basis of low birth; it is a basis becoming a gentleman, or it is a munificent, or a generous, or a bountiful basis. My author assists me no further, these being all the senses that he has included under the word. Here, I confess, I was a little posed, my mind remaining still unsatisfied, that any of these meanings were intended, although I felt that all the epithets, could they be applied to the subject, were such as must recommend the basis of any thing. It struck me suddenly at last, that your Lordship must intend, by these classic words, only what the vulgar would call “broad bottom.” _The broad bottom of the establishment_ “gives additional force,” &c. Now, if your Lordship designs to recommend your establishment by its broad bottom, permit me to say, it has no charms for me. I know the liberal basis, or broad bottom, is very much the vogue in all religious (and chiefly in religious) projects; the reason of which, if this were the proper place, I think I could unfold. But do you really mean to tempt a clergyman to join your society, by seriously holding out to him the opportunity of joining his “zeal and exertions,” as you speak, with the zeal and exertions of all sorts and descriptions of men, who pretend to be Christians? Do you imagine, my Lord, that your invitation can derive additional force, from the prospect of meeting (when I must have the honour of meeting your Lordship, as president of the motley group) and associating with all sorts of preachers and teachers, from the preaching blacksmith up to the fanatical ranter in holy orders? Those who are used to good company, know how to behave. I must confess, that being unfortunately not bred in such liberal-basis’d, or broad-bottomed principles, I should not. I should feel uneasy, my Lord; I should be illiberally, perhaps, looking towards the door; I might uncharitably call to mind that bigot Polycarp, and actually make my escape. And what would you have me do? You have condescended to persuade me to meet my inveterate foes, who have repeatedly declared their intentions of pulling the church about my ears, and starving all the clergy; and who are actually and openly perpetrating their fatal project; could you not bring