iPillPi>*si!a;Si

j( "I ^Cve.the/e Books
for tJie/annding.tlf a- College crt, iMir Coltiay''^

FROM THE LIBRARY
OF
JOHN PUNNETT PETERS
YALE 1873

TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.

BY

MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

VOL. I.

SECOND EDITION.

NEW-YORK:
CHARLES HENRY,
142 FULTON-STREET.
STEREOTYPED BY RICHARD ti. VALENTINB.
1839.

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

Among the " Tracts for the Times," there are several pieces
which perhaps, in the opinion of some, might as well have been left
out in this republication — either as relating exclusively to the con
dition of the Established Church of England, or as not possessing
any special intrinsic importance. These pieces are, however, so
few in comparison with the whole, that their admission will not af
fect the price of this edition ; and it has been thought that the ma
jority of readers would be better pleased to have a complete col
lection of writings which, taken in themselves and in the influence
they are exerting, are certainly to be ranked among the most re
markable publications of the age. It has therefore been determin
ed to make this edition an exact reprint of the whole series.
The present republication will also include the " Plain Sermons by
Contributors to the Tracts for the Times," together with, such other
writings connected with the Oxford Theology as in the judgment
of the Editor are of the greatest interest and value. The Editor
wishes it to be distinctly understood that these latter works will
consist of entire treatises precisely as they have been published by
their respective authors. He is averse to extracts and selections
generally ; but in the present case he would especially shrink from
the responsibility of doing anything which might be liable to the
suspicion of presenting a partial or unfair exhibition of the princi
ples and views of men whose writings have produced such a re
markable movement in the public mind, and who would ask for
nothing so earnestly as to be accurately and thoroughly compre
hended on both hands, by those who condemn and by those who
approve them.

This republication has been commenced from the conviction that
these writings are even more important for this country than for
that in which they first appeared. For while in the bosom of the
Episcopal Church of this country, from influences derived from
the non-juring .period of English Church History, and from our
Church having no connection with the State, it has resulted that
some of the leading doctrines of the Oxford divines, relating to the
constitution of the Church, and to the Ministry, have been better
preserved than in the English Establishment, — yet on the other
hand, from a variety of causes, loose and vague views in regard to
the value of antiquity, the authority of the Church, the doctrine of
the Sacraments, etc., are widely prevalent, it is apprehended, even
in the Episcopal body, and still more in the religious community at
large ; and for these evils the corrective influence of these writings
is perhaps more needful than in England.
One observation more the Editor thinks it important to make.
An adequate judgment of the scope and character of the " Tracts
for the Times" can scarcely be formed but from the whole series —
at least a very imperfect impression of their value and excellence,
as a whole, will be given from the earlier numbers of the series.
But the reader may be confidently assured that, as he proceeds, he
will find his interest in them continually increasing, — that questions
of the highest moment that can possibly engage a rational being are
treated in a spirit of deep and reverential piety, by men who have
come to their work with minds stored with the best fruits of solid
learning and profound meditation.
That the Divine blessing may be upon the present enterprise, is
the devout prayer of the American Editoe.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following Tracts were published with the object of contribut
ing something towards the practical revival of doctrines, which, al
though held by the great divines of our Church, at present have
become obsolete with the majority of her members, and are with
drawn from public view even by the more learned and orthodox few
who still adhere to them. The Apostolic succession, the Holy Ca
tholic Church, were principles of action in the minds of our prede
cessors of the 17th century ; but, in proportion as the maintenance
of the Church has been secured by law, her ministers have been
under the temptation of leaning on an arm of flesh instead of her
own divinely-provided discipline, a temptation increased by political
events and arrangements which need not here be more than alluded
to. A lamentable increase of sectarianism has followed ; being oc
casioned (in addition to other more obvious causes,) first, by the cold
aspect which the new Church doctrines have presented to the religious
sensibilities of the mind, next to their meagerness in suggesting mo
tives to restrain it from seeking out a more influential discipline.
Doubtless obedience to the law of the land, and the careful mainte
nance of " decency and order," (the topics in usage among us,) are
plain duties of the Gospel, and a reasonable ground for keeping in
communion with the Established Church ; yet, if Providence has
graciously provided for our weakness more interesting and constrain
ing motives, it is a sin thanklessly to neglect them ; just as it would
bp a mistake to rest the duties of temperance or justice on the mere
law of natural religion, when they are mercifully sanctioned in the
Gospel by the more winning authority of our Saviour Christ. Ex
perience has shown the inefficacy of the mere injunctions of Church

6
order, however scripturally enforced, in restraining from schism the
awakened and anxious sinner ; who goes to a dissenting preacher
"because (as he expresses it) he gets good from him :" and though
he does not stand excused in God's sight for yielding to the tempta
tion, surely the Ministers of the Church are not blameless if, by keep
ing back the more gracious and consoling truths provided for the little
ones of Christ, they indirectly lead him into it. Had he been taught
as a child, that the Sacraments, not preaching, are the sources of
Divine Grace : that the Apostolical ministry had a virtue in it which
went out over the whole Church, when sought by the prayer of faith ;
that fellowship with it was a gift and privilege, as well as a duty, we
could not have had so many wanderers from our fold, nor so many
cold hearts within it.
This instance may suggest many others of the superior influence
of an apostolical over a mere secular method of teaching. The awa
kened mind knows its wants, but cannot provide for them ; and in its
hunger will feed upon ashes, if it cannot obtain the pure milk of the
word. Methodism and Popery, are in different ways the refuge of
those whom the Church stints of the gifts of grace ; they are the fos
ter-mothers of abandoned children. The neglect of the daily service,
the desecration of festivals, the Eucharist scantily administered, in
subordination permitted in all ranks of the Church, orders and offices
imperfectly developed, the want of societies for particular religious
objects, and the like deficiencies lead the feverish mind, desirous of
a vent to its feelings, and a stricter rule of life, to the smaller reli
gious Communities, to prayer and bible meetings, and ill-advised in-
stitfitions and societies, on the one hand, — on the other, to the solemn
and captivating services by which Popery gains its proselytes. More
over, the multitude of men cannot teach or guide themselves ; and an
injunction given them to depend on their private judgment, cruel in
itself, is doubly hurtful, as throwing them on such teachers as speak
daringly and promise largely, and not only aid but supersede indivi
dual exertion.
These remarks may serve as a clue, for those who care to pursue
it, to the views which have led to the publication of the following
Tracts. The Church of Christ was intended to cope with human
nature in all its forms, and surely the gifts vouchsafed it are adequate
for that gracious purpose. There are zealous sons and servants of

her English branch, who see with sorrow that she is defrauded of
her full usefulness by particular theories and principles of the present
age, which interfere with the execution of one portion of her com
mission ; and while they consider that the revival of this portion of
truth is especially adapted to break up existing parties in the Church
and to form instead a bond of union among all who love the Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity, they believe that nothing but these neglect
ed doctrines, faithfully preached, will repress that extension of Pope
ry, for which the ever multiplying divisions of the religious world are
too clearly preparing the way.
Oxford,
The Feast of All Saints, 1834.

TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.
No. 1.
THOUGHTS ON
THE MINISTERIAL COMMISSION.
KESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED TO THE CLERGY.

I AM but one of yourselves, — a Presbyter ; and therefore I con
ceal my name, lest I should take too much on myself by speaking
in my own person. Yet speak I must ; for the times are very evil,
yet no one speaks against them. '
Is not this so ? Do not we " look one upon another," yet per
form nothing? Do we not all confess the peril into which the
Church is come, yet sit still each in his own retirement, as if moun
tains and seas cut off" brother from brother ? Therefore suflTer me,
while I try to draw you forth from those pleasant retreats, which it
has been our blessedness hitherto to enjoy, to contemplate the con
dition and prospects of our Holy Mother in a practical way ; so
that one and all may unlearn that idle habit, which has grown upon
us, of owning the state of things to be bad, yet doing nothing
to remedy it.
Consider a moment. Is it fair, is it dutiful, to suflTer our Bishops
to stand the brunt of the battle without doing our part to support
them ? Upon them comes " the care of all the Churches." This
cannot be helped ; indeed it is their glory. Not one of us would
wish in the least to deprive them of the duties, the toils, the respon
sibilities of their high office. And, black event as it would be for
the country, yet, (as far as they are concerned,) we could not wish
them a more blessed termination of their course, than the spoiling
of their goods, and martyrdom.
To them then we willingly and affectionately relinquish their high
privileges and honors ; we encroach not upon the rights of the suc
cessors or THE APOSTLES ; wc touch not their sword and crosier.
Yet surely we may be their shield-bearers in the battle without of
fence ; and by our voice and deeds be to them what Luke and
Timothy were to St. Paul.
Now then let me come at once to the subject which leads me to
address you. Should the Government and Country so far forget
their God as to cast off the Church, to deprive it of its temporal

10
honors and substance, on what will you rest the claim of respect
and attention which you make upon your flocks? Hitherto you
have been upheld by your birth, your education, your wealth, your
connexions ; should these secular advantages cease, on Ayhat must
Christ's Ministers depend? Is not this a serious practical ques
tion ? We know how miserable is the state of religious bodies not
supported by the State. Look at the Dissenters on all sides of you,
and you will see at once that their Ministers, depending- simply
upon the people, become the creatures of the people. Are you
content that this should be your case ? Alas \ can a greater evil
befall Christians, than for their teachers to be guided by them,
instead of guiding ? How can we " hold fast the form of sound
words," and " keep that which is committed to our trust," if our in
fluence is to depend simply on our popularity ? Is it not our very
office to oppose the world, can^we then allow ourselves to court it ?
to preach smooth things and 'prophesy deceits ? to make the way
of life easy to the rich and indolent, and to bribe the humbler
classes by excitements and strong intoxicating doctrine ? Surely it
must not be so ; — and the question recurs, on what are we to rest
our authority, when the State deserts us ?
Christ has not left His Church without claim of its own upon
the attention of men. Surely not. Hard Master He cannot be, to
bid us oppose the world, yet give us no credentials for so doing.
There are some who rest their divine mission on their own unsup
ported assertion ; others, who rest it upon their popularity ; others,
oirtheir success ; and others, who rest it upon their temporal dis
tinctions. This last case has, perhaps, been too much our own ; I
fear we have neglected the real ground on which our authority is
built, — -OUR APOSTOLICAL DESCENT.
We have been born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God. The Lord Jesus Christ gave His
Spirit to His .Apostles ; they in turn laid their hands on those who
should succeed them ; and these again on others ; and so the sacred
gift has been handed down to our present Bishops, who have ap
pointed us as their assistants, and in some sense representatives.
Now every one of us believes this. I know that some will at
first deny they do ; still they do believe it. Only, it is not sufficient
ly, practically impressed on their minds. They do believe it ; for it
is the doctrine of the Ordination Service, which they have recog
nised as truth in the most solemn season of their lives. In order,
then, not to prove, but to remind and impress, I entreat your atten
tion to the words used when you were made Ministers of Christ's
Church. The ofl[ice of Deacon was thus committed to you : " Take thou
authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God
committed unto thee : In the name," &c.
And the Priesthood thus :

11
" Receive the Holy Ghost, for the office and work of a Priest,
in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the imposition
of our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven ;
and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained. And be thou a
faithful dispenser of the Word of God, and of His Holy Sacra
ments : In the name," &c.
These, I say, were words spoken to us, and received by us, when
we were brought nearer to God than at any other time of our lives.
I know the grace of ordination is contained in the laying on of
hands, not in any form of words ; — yet in our own case, (as has
ever been usual in the Church,) words of blessing have accom
panied the act. Thus we have confessed before God our belief,
that through the Bishop who ordained us, we received the Holy
Ghost, the power to bind and to loose, to administer the Sacra
ments, and to preach. Now how is he 'able to give these great
gifts ? ( Whence is his right ? Are these words idle, (which would
be taking God's name in vain,) or do they express merely a wish,
(which surely is very far below their meaning,) or do they not
rather indicate that the Speaker is conveying a gift ? Surely they
can mean nothing short of this. But whence, I ask, his right to do
so ? Has he any right, except as having received the power from
those who consecrated him to be a Bishop ? He could not give
what he had never received. It is plain then that he but transmits ;
and that the Christian Ministry is a succession. And if we trace
back the power of ordination from hand to hand, of course we shall
come to the Apostles at last. We know we do, as a plain histori
cal fact ; and therefore all we, who have been ordained Clergy, in
the very form of our ordination acknowledged the doctrine of the
APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION.
And for the same reason, we must necessarily consider none to
be really ordained who have not thus been ordained. For if ordi
nation is a divine ordinance, it must be necessary ; and if it is not a
divine ordinance, how dare we use it ? Therefore all who use it,
all of us, must consider it necessary. As well might we pretend
the Sacraments are not necessary to Salvation, while we make use
of the offices of the Liturgy ; for when God appoints means of
grace, they are the means.
I do not see how any one can escape from this plain view of the
subject, except, (as I have already hinted,) by declaring, that the
words do not mean all that they say. But only reflect what a most
unseemly time for random words is that, in which Ministers are set
apart for their office. Do we not adopt a Liturgy, in order to hin
der inconsiderate idle language, and shall we, in the most sacred of
all services, write down, subscribe, and use again and again forms
of speech which have not been weighed, and cannot be taken strictly ?
Therefore, my dear Brethren, act up to your professions. Let it
not be said that you have neglected a gift ; for if you have the

12
Spirit of the Apostles on you, surely this is a great gift. "Stir
up the gift of God which is in you." Make much of it. Show
your value of it. Keep it before your minds as an honorable
badge, far higher than that secular respectability, or cultivation, or
polish, or learning, or rank, which gives you a hearing Vvith the
many. Tell them of your gift. The times will soon drive you to
do this, if you mean to be still any thing. But wait not for the
times. Do not be compelled, by the world's forsaking you, to recur
as if unwillingly to the high source of your authority. Speak out
now, before you are forced, both as glorying in your privilege, and
to ensure your rightful honor from your people. A notion has gone
abroad, that they can take away your power. They think they
have given and can take it away. They think it lies in the Church
property, and they know that they have politically the power to
confiscate that property. They have been deluded into a notion
that present palpable usefulness, produceable results, acceptable-
ness to your flocks, that these and such like are the tests of your
Divine commission. Enlighten them in this matter. Exalt our
Holy Fathers the Bishops, as the Representatives of the Apostles,
and the Angels of the Churches ; and magnify your office, as being
ordained by them to take part in their Ministry.
But, if you will not adopt my view of the subject, which I offer
to you, not doubtingly, yet (I hope) respectfully, at all events,
choose your side. To remain neuter much longer will be itself to
take a part. Choose your side ; since side you shortly must, with
one or other party, even though you do nothing. Fear to be of
those, whose line is decided for them by chance circumstances, and
who may perchance find themselves with the enemies of Christ,
while they think but to remove themselves from worldly politics.
Such abstinence is impossible in troublous times. He that is not
WITH ME, IS AGAINST ME, AND HE THAT GATHERETH NOT WITH ME
scattereth abroad.

TSo. 2.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue
that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
It is sometimes said, that the Clergy should abstain from politics ;
and that, if a Minister of Christ is political, he iS not a follower of
Him who ssvid, " My kingdom is not of this world." Now, there is a

13
sense in which this is true, but, as it is commonly taken, it is very
false. It is true that the mere aflfairs of this world should not engage a
Clergyman ; but it is absurd to say that the affairs of this world
should not at all engage his attention. If so, this world is not a pre
paration for another. Are we to speak when individuals sin, and not
when a nation, which is but a collection of individuals ? Must we
speak to the poor, but not to the rich and powerful ? In vain does
St. James warn us against having the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ with respect of persons. In vain does the Prophet declare
to us the Word of the Lord, that if the watchmen of Israel " speak
not to warn the wicked from his way," " his blood will be required
at the watchman's hand."
Complete our Lord's declaration concerning the nature of His
kingdom, and you will see it is not at all inconsistent with the duty
of our active and zealous interference in matters of this world. " If
My kingdom were of this world," He says, " then would my servants
fight." — Here He has vouchsafed so to explain Himself, that there is
no room for misunderstanding His meaning. No one contends that
His Ministers ought to use the weapons of a carnal warfare ; — but
surely to protest, to warn, to threaten, to excommunicate, are not
such weapons. Let us not be scared from a plain duty, by the mere
force of a misapplied text. There is an unexceptionable sense in
which a Clergyman may, nay must be political. And above all,
when the Nation interferes with the rights and possessions of the
Church, it can with even less grace complain of the Church interfer
ing with the Nation.
With this introduction let me call your attention to what seems a
most dangerous infringement on our rights, on the part of the State.
The Legislature has lately taken upon itself to remodel the dioceses
of Ireland ; a proceeding which involves the appointment of certain
Bishops over certain Clergy, and of certain Clergy under certain
Bishops, without the Church being consulted in the matter. I do not
say whether or not harm will follow from this particular act with
reference to Ireland ; but consider whether it be not in itself an in
terference with things spiritual.
Are we content to be accounted the mere creation of the State,
as schoolmasters and teachers may be, or soldiers, or magistrates, or
other public officers ? Did the State make us ? can it unmake us ?
can it send out missionaries ? can it arrange dioceses ? Surely all
these are spiritual functions ; and Laymen may as well set about
preaching, and consecrating the Bread and Wine, as assume these.
I do not say the guilt is equal ; but that, if the latter is guilt, the for
mer is. Would St. Paul, with his good will, have suffered the Ro
man power to appoint Timothy, Bishop of Miletus, as well as Ephe-
sus ? Would Timothy at such a bidding have undertaken the charge ?
Is not the notion of such an order, such an obedience, absurd ? Yet

14
has it not been realized in what has lately happened ? For in what is
the English State at present different from the Roman formerty !
Neither can be accounted members of the Church of Christ. No
one can say the British Legislature is in our communion, or that its
members are necessarily even Christians. What pretence then
has it for, not merely advising, but superseding the Ecclesiastical
Power ?
Bear with me, while I express my fear that we do not, as much as
we ought, consider the force of that article of our Belief, " The One
Catholic and Apostolic Church." This is a tenet so important as to
have been in the Creed from the beginning. It is mentioned there
as a fact, and a fact to be believed, and therefore practical. Now
what do we conceive is meant by it ? As people vaguely take it in
the present day, it seems only an assertion that there is a number of
sincere Christians scattered through the world. But is not this a
truism ? who doubt it ? who can deny that there are people in va
rious places who are sincere believers ? what comes of this ? how is
it important ? why should it be placed as an article of faith, after the
belief in the Holy Ghost ? Doubtless the only true and satisfactory
meaning is that which our Divines have ever taken, that there is on
earth an existing Society, Apostolic as founded by the Apostles, Ca
tholic because it spreads its branches, in every place ; i. e. the Church
Visible with its Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. And this surely is a
most important doctrine ; for what can be better news to the bulk of
mankind than to be told that Christ, when He ascended, did not
leave us orphans, but appointed representatives of Himself to the
end of time ?
" The necessity of believing the Holy Catholic Church," says
Bishop Pearson, in his Exposition of the Creed, " appeareth first in
this, that Christ hath appointed it as the only way to eternal life ....
Christ never appointed two ways to heaven, nor did He build a
Church to save some, and make another institution for other men's
salvation. There is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus ; and that
name is no otherwise given under heaven than in the Church. This
is the congregation of those persons here on earth which shall here
after meet in heaven .... There is a necessity of believing the Ca
tholic Church, because except a man be of that, he can be of none.
Whatsoever Church pretendeth to a new beginning, pretendeth at
the same time to a new Churchdom, and whatsoever is so new is
none." This indeed is the unanimous opinion of our Divines, that,
as the Sacraments, so Communion with the Church, is " generally
necessary to salvation," in the case of those who can obtain it.
If then we express our belief in the existence of One Church on
earth from Christ's coming to the end of all things, if there is a pro
mise it shall continue, and if it is our duty to do our part in our ge
neration towards its continuance, how can we with a safe conscience

15
countenance the interference of the Nation in its concerns ? Does
not such interference tend to destroy it ? Would it not destroy it,
if consistently followed up ? Now, may we sit still and keep silence,
when efforts are making to break up, or at least materially to weaken
that Ecclesiastical Body which we know is intended to last while the
world endures, and^the safety of which is committed to our keeping
in our day ? How shall we answer for it, if we transmit that Ordi
nance of God less entire than when it came to us ?
Now what am I calling on you to do ? You cannot help what has
been done in Ireland ; but you may protest against it. You may
as a duty protest against it in public and private ; you may keep a
jealous watch on the proceedings of the Nation, lest a second act of
the same kind be attempted. You may keep it before you as a de
sirable object that the Irish Church should at some future day meet
in Synod and protest herself against what has been done ; and then
proceed to establish or rescind the State injunction, as may be thought
expedient. I know it is too much the fashion of the times to think any earnest
ness for ecclesiastical rights unseasonable and absurd, as if it were
the feeling of those who lived among books, and not in the world.
But it is our duty to live among books, especially to live by one book,
and a very old one ; and therein we are enjoined to " keep that good
thing which is committed unto us," to "neglect not our gifts." And
when men talk, as they sometimes do, as if in opposing them we
were standing on technical difficulties instead of welcoming great
and extensive benefits which would be the result of their measures,
I would ask them, (letting alone the question of their beneficial na
ture, which is a question,) whether this is not being wise above that
is written, whether it is not doing evil that good may come. We
cannot know the effects which will follow certain alterations ; but
we can decide that the means by which it is proposed to attain them
are unprecedented and disrespectful to the Church. And when men
say, " the day is past for stickling about ecclesiastical rights," let
them see to it, whether they do not use substantially the same argu
ments to maintain their position, as those who say, " The day is past
for being a Christian."
Lastly, is it not plain that by showing a bold front and defending
the rights of the Church, we are taking the only course which can
make us respected ? Yielding will not persuade our enemies to de
sist from their efforts to destroy us root and branch. We cannot
hope by giving something to keep the rest. Of this surely we have
had of late years sufficient experience. But by resisting strenuously,
and contemplating and providing against the worst, we may actually
prevent the very evils we fear. To prepare for persecution may be
the way to avert it.

No. 3.
THOUGHTS
RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED TO THE CLERGY
ON ALTERATIONS IN THE LITURGY.

Attempts are making to get the Liturgy altered. My dear
Brethren, I beseech you, consider with me whether you ought not
to resist the alteration of even one jot or tittle of it. Though you
would in your own private judgments wish to have this or that
phrase or arrangement amended, is this a time to concede one
tittle ?
Why do I say this ? because, though most of you would wish
some immaterial points altered, yet not many of you agree in those
points, and not many of you agree what is and what is not imma
terial. If all your respective emendations are taken, the altera
tions in the Services will be extensive ; and though each will gain
something he wishes, he will lose more from those alterations which
he did not wish. Tell me, are the present imperfections (as they
seem to each) of such a nature, and so many, that their removal
will compensate for the recasting of much which each thinks to be
no imperfection, or rather an excellence ?
There are persons who wish the Marriage Service emended ;
there are others who would be indignant at the changes proposed.
There are some who wish the Consecration Prayer in the Holy
Sacrament to be what it was in King Edward's first booli ; there
are others who think this would be an approach to Popery. There
are some who wish the imprecatory Psalms omitted ; there are
others who would lament this omission as savoring of the shallow
and detestable liberalism of the day. There are some who wish
the Services shortened ; there are others who think we should have
far more Services, and more frequent attendance at public worship
than we have.
How few would be pleased by any given alterations ; and how
many pained 1
But once begin altering, and there will be no reason or justice in
stopping, till the criticisms of all parties are satisfied. Thus will not
the Liturgy be in the evil case described in the well known story,
of the picture subjected by the artist to the observations of passers-
by ? And, even to speak at present of comparatively immaterial
alterations, I mean such as do not infringe upon the doctrines of the
Prayer Book, will not it even with these be a changed book ? and

17
will not that new book be for certain an inconsistent one, the alter
ations being made, not on principle, but upon chance objections
urged from various ^quarters ?
But this is not all. A taste for criticism grows upon the mind.
When we begin to examine and take to pieces, our judgment be
comes perplexed, and our feelings unsettled. I do not know
whether others feel this to the same extent, but for myself, I con
fess there are few parts of the Service that I could not disturb my
self about, and feel fastidious a^, if I allowed my mind in this abuse
of reason. First, e. g. I might object to the opening sentences ;
"they are not evangelical enough; Christ is not mentioned in
them ; they are principally from the Old Testament." Then I
should criticise the Exhortation, as having too many words, and as
antiquated in style. I might find it hard to speak against the Con
fession ; but " the Absolution," it might be said, " is not strong
enough ; it is a mere declaration, not an announcement of pardon
to those who have confessed." And so on.
Now I think this unsettling of the mind a frightful thing ; both to
ourselves, and more so to our flocks. They have long regarded
the Prayer Book with reverence as the stay of their faith and devo
tion. The weaker sort it will make skeptical ; the better it will
offend and pain. Take, e. g. an alteration which some have offer
ed in the Creed, to omit or otherwise word the clause, " He de
scended into hell." Is it no comfort for mourners to be told that
Christ Himself has been in that unseen state, or Paradise, which
is the allotted place of sojourn for departed spirits ? Is it not veiy
easy to explain the ambiguous word, is it any great harm if it is
misunderstood, and is it not very difficult to find any substitute for
it in harmony with the composition of the Creed ? I suspect we
should find the best men in the number of those who would retain
it as it is. On the other hand, will not the unstable learn from us a
habit of criticising what they should never think of but as a divine
voice supplied by the Church for their need 1
But as regards ourselves, the Clergy, what will be the effect of
this temper of innovation in us? We have the power to bring
about changes in the Liturgy ; shall we not exert it ? Have we
any security, if we once begin, that we shall ever end ? Shall not
we pass from non-essentials to essentials ? And then, on looking
back after the mischief is done, what excuse shall we be able to
make for ourselves for having encouraged such proceedings at first ?
Were there grievous errors in the Prayer Book, something might be
said for beginning, but who can point out any ? cannot we very
well bear things as they are ? does any part of it seriously disquiet
us ? no — we have before now freely given our testimony to its ac
cordance with Scripture.
But it may be said that " we must conciliate an outcry which is
made ; that some alteration is demanded." By whom ? no one
3

18
can tell who cries, or who can be conciliated. Some of the laity 1
suppose. Now consider this carefully. Who are these lay per
sons ? Are they serious men, and are their consciences involuntarily
hurt iay the things they wish altered ? Are they not rather the men
you meet in company, worldly men, with little personal religion, of
lax conversation and lax professed principles, who sometimes per
haps come to Church, and then are wearied and disgusted.? Is it
not so ? You have been dining perhaps with a wealthy neighbor,
or fall in with this great Statesman, or that noble Landholder, who
considers the Church two centuries behind the world, and expresses
to you wonder that its enlightened members do nothing to iniprove
it. And then you get ashamed, and are betrayed into admissions
which sober reason disapproves. You consider too that it is a
great pity so estimable or so influential a man should be disaffected
to the Church ; and you go away with a vague notion that some
thing must be done to conciliate such persons. Is this to bear
about you the solemn office of a Guide and Teacher in Israel, or
to follow a lead ?
But consider what are the concessions which would conciliate
such men. Would immaterial alterations ? Do you really think
they care one jot about the verbal or other changes which some re
commend, and others are disposed to grant ? whether " the unseen
state" is substituted for " hell," " condemnation" for " damnation,"
or the order of Sunday Lessons is remodelled ? No ; — they dislike
the doctrine of the Liturgy. These men of the world do not like
the anathemas of the Athanasian Creed, and other such peculiarities
of our Services. But even were the alterations, which would please
them, small, are they the persons whom it is of use, whom it is be
coming to conciliate by going out of our way ?
I need not go on to speak against doctrinal alterations, because
most thinking men are sufficiently averse to them. But, I earnest
ly beg you to consider whether we must not come to them, if we
once begin. For by altering immaterials, we merely raise without
gratifying the desire of correcting ; we excite the craving, but
withhold the food. And it should be observed, that the changes
called immaterial often contain in themselves the germ of some
principle, of which they are thus the introduction. E. G. If we
were to leave out the imprecatory Psalms, we certainly countenance
the notion of the day, that love and love only is in the Gospel the
character of Almighty God and the duty of regenerate man ;
whereas that Gospel, rightly understood, shows His Infinite Holi
ness and Justice as well as His Infinite Love ; and it enjoins on
men the duties of zeal towards Him, hatred of sin, and separation
from sinners, as well as that of kindness and charity.
To the above observations it may be answered, that changes
have formerly been made in the Services without leading to the
issue I am predicting now ; and therefore they may be safely made

19
again. But, waving all other remarks in answer to this argument,
is not this enough, viz. that there is peril ? No one will deny that
the rage of the day is for concession. Have we not already grant
ed (political) points, without stopping the course of innovation?
This is a fact. Now, is it worth while even to risk fearful changes
merely to gain petty improvements, allowing those which are pro
posed to«be such?
We know not what is to come upon us ; but the writer for one
will try so to acquit himself now, that if any irremediable calamity
befalls the Church, he may not have to vex himself with the recol
lections of silence on his part and indifference, when he might have
been up and alive. There was a time when he, as well as others,
might feel the wish, or rather the temptation, of steering a middle
course between parties ; but if so, a more close attention to passing
events has cured his infirmity. In a day like this there are but two
sides, zeal and persecution, the Church and the world ; and those
who attempt to occupy the ground between them, at best will lose
their labor, but probably will be drawn back to the latter. Be
practical, I respectfully urge you ; do not attempt impossibilities ; .
sail not as if in pleasure boats upon a troubled sea. Not a word
falls to the ground, in a time like this. Speculations about ecclesi
astical improvements which might be innocent at other times, have
a strength of mischief now. They are realized before he who ut
ters them understands that he has committed himself.
Be prepared then for petitioning against any alterations in the
Prayer Book which may be proposed. And, should you see that our
Fathers the Bishops seem to countenance them, petition still. Petition
them. They will thank you for such a proceeding. They do not
wish these alterations ; but how can they resist them without the sup
port of their Clergy ? They consent to them, (if they do,) partly from
the notion that they are thus pleasing you. Undeceive them. They
will be rejoiced to hear that you are as unwilling to receive them as
they are. However, if after all there be persons determined to allow
some alterations, then let them quickly make up their minds how far
they will go. They think it easier to draw the line elsewhere, than
as things now exist- Let them point out the limit of their conces
sions now ; and let them keep to it then ; and, (if they can do this,)
I will say that, though they are not as wise as they might have been,
they are at least firm, and have at last come right.

THE BURIAL SERVICE.
We hear many complaints about the Burial Service, as unsuitable
for the use for which it was intended. It expresses a hope, that the
person departed, over whom it is read, will be saved ; and this is

20
said to be dangerous when expressed about all who are called Chris-
ians as leading the laity to low views of thp spiritual attainments
necessary for salvation; and distressing the Clergy who have to
rf^ufi it " ' "
Now I do not deny, I frankly own, it is sometimes distressing to
use the Service ; but this it must ever be in the nature of things ;
wherever you draw the line. Do you pretend you can discrimmate
the wheat from the tares? of course not. ¦, • a j-
It is often distressing to use this Service, because it js often dis
tressing to think of the dead at all ; not that you are without hope,
but because you have fear also. , j ^ •
How many are there whom you know well enough to dare to give
any judgment about ? Is a Clergyman only to express a hope where
he has grounds for having it ? Are not the feelings of relatives to be
considered ? And may there not be a difference of judgments '. 1
may hope more, another less. If each is to use the precise words
which suit his own judgment, then we can have no words at all.
But it may be said, " every thing of a per^ojiaZ nature maybe left
out from the Service." And do you really wish this ? Is this the
way in which your ffock will wish their lost friends to be treated ?
a cold " edification," but no affectionate valediction to the departed ?
Why not pursue this course of (supposed) improvement, and advo
cate the omission of the Service altogether?
Are we to have no kind and religious thoughts over the good, lest
we should include the bad ?
But it will be said, that, at least we ought not to read the Service
over the ffagrantly wicked ; over those who are a scandal to religion.
But this is a very different position. I agree with it entirely. Of
course we should not do so, and truly the Church never meant we
should. She never wished we should profess our hope of the salva
tion of habitual drunkards and swearers, open sinners, blasphemers,
and the like ; not as daring to despair of their salvation, but thinking
it unseemly to honor their memory. Though the Church is not en
dowed with a power of absolute judgment upon individuals, yet she
is directed to decide according to external indications, in order to hold
up the rules of God's governance, and afford a type of it, and an as
sistance towards the realizing it. As she denies to the scandalously
wicked the Lord's Supper, so does she deprive them of her other
privileges. *
The Church, I say, does not bid us read the Service over open
sinners. Hear her own words introducing the Service. " The office
ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, or excommu
nicate, or have laid violent hands upon themselves." There is no
room to doubt whom she meant to be excommunicated, open sinners.
Those therefore who are pained at the general use of the Service,
should rather strive to restore the practice of excommunication, than
to alter the words used in the Service. Surely, if we do not do this,

21
we are clearly defrauding the religious, for the sake of keeping close
to the wicked.
Here we see the common course of things in this world. We
omit a duty. In consequence our Services become inconsistent.
Instead of retracing our steps we alter the Service. What is this
but, as it were, to sin upon principle? While we keep to our prin
ciples, our sins are inconsistencies ; at length, sensitive of the absur
dity which inconsistency involves, we accommodate our professions
to our practice. This is ever the way of the world ; but it should
not be the way of the Church.
I will join heart and hand with any who will struggle for a resto
ration of that " godly discipline," the restoration of which our Church
publicly professes she considers desirable ; but God forbid any one
should so depart from her spirit, as to mould her formularies to fit
the ctfse of deliberate sinners ! And is not this what we are plainly
doing, if we alter the Burial Service as proposed ? we are recognizing
the right of men to receive Christian Burial, about whom we do not
like to express a hope. Why should they have Christian Burial at all ?
It will be said that the restoration of the practice of Excommuni
cation is impracticable ; and that therefore the other altej-native must
be taken, as the only one open to us. Of course it is impossible, if
no one attempts to restore it ; but if all willed it, how would it be
impossible ? and if no one stirs because he thinks no one else will,
he is arguing in a circle.
But, after all, what have we to do with probabilities and prospects
in matters of plain duty ? Were a man the only member of the
Church who felt it a duty to return to the Ancient Discipline, yet a
duty is a duty, though he be alone. It is one of the great sins of our
times to look to consequences in matters of plain duty. Is not this
such a case ? ¦ If not, prove that it is not ; but do not argue from
consequences. In the mean while I offer the following texts, in evidence of the
duty: Matth. xviii. 15—17. Rom. xvi. 17. 1 Cor. v. 7—13. 2 Thes. iii. 6, 14, 15. 2 Tim. iii
5. Tit. iii. 10, 11. 2 John, 10, 11.

THE PRINCIPLE OF UNITY.
Testimony of St. Clement, the associate of St. Paul, (Phil. iv. 3.)
to the Apostolical Succession.
The Apostles knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that strife would arise for the
Episcopate. Wherefore having received an accurate foreknowledge, they appointed the
men I before mentioned, and have given an orderly succession, that on their death other
approved men might receive in turn their office. Ep. i. 44. ,
Testimony of St. Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter, to Episcopacy.
Your celebrated Presbytery, worthy of GoD, is as closely knit to the Bishop, as the

22

strings to a harp, and so by means of your unanimity and concordant love Jesus Christ U
'There^aJl' who profess to acknowledge a Bishop, but do every thing without him. Such
men appear to lack a clear conscience. Magn. 4. , i, ¦ j i • e  „„,f.i
He For whom I am bound is my witness that I have not earned this doctrme from morta .
man The Spirit proclaimed to me these words; "Without the Bishop do nothing.'^
Phil. 7. *
With these and other such strong passages in the Apostolical Fa
thers, how can we permit ourselves in our present practical disregard
of the Episcopal Authority ? Are not we apt to obey only so far as
the law obliges us ? do we support the Bishop, and strive to move all
together with him as our bond of union and head ? or is not our
every-day conduct as if, except with respect to certain periodical
forms and customs, we were each independent in his own parish?

No. 4.

ADHERENCE TO THE APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION
THE SAFEST COURSE.

We who believe the Nicene Creed, must acknowledge it a high
privilege, that we belong to the Apostolic Church. How is it that
so many of us are, almost avowedly, so cold and indifferent in our
thoughts of this privilege ?
Is it because the very idea is in itself overstrained and fanciful,
apt perhaps to lay strong hold on a few ardent minds, but little in ;
accordance with the general feelings of mankind ? Surely not.
The notion of a propagated commission is as simple and intelligible
in itself, as can well be ; is acted on daily in civil matters, (the ad
ministration of trust property, for example ;) and has found a most
ready, sometimes an enthusiastic, acceptance, in those many nations
of the world, which have submitted, and are submitting themselves
to sacerdotal castes, elective or hereditary. " Priests self-electe^
or appointed by the State," is rather the idea which startles ordi-^
nary thinkers ; not " Priests commissioned, successively, from
heaven." Or is our languor rather to be accounted for by the want of ex
press scriptural encouragement to the notion of a divine ministerial,^
commission ? Nay, Scripture, at first sight, is express ; whether^
we take the analogy of the Old Testament, the words of our Lord,^
or the practice of His Apostles. ThI Primitive Christians read it
accordingly ; and cherished, with all affectionate reverence, the pri
vilege which they thought they found there. Why are we so un
like them ?
I fear it must be owned, that much of the evil is owing to the

Chiiii

23

* s comparatively low ground, which we ourselves, the Ministers of
toBiiijClod, have chosen to occupy in defence of our commission. For
0 nofcmany years, we have been much in the habit of resting our claim
on the general duties of submission to authority, of decency and
fallorder, of respecting precedents long established ; instead of appeal-
isrffjng to that warrant, which marks us, exclusively, for God's Ambas-
sofii^ADORs. We have spoken much in the same tone, as we might,
moffitiad we been mere Laymen, acting for ecclesiastical purposes by a
isnotipommission under the Great Seal. Waving the question, "was
perioithis wise ? was it right, in higher respects ?" — I ask, was it not ob-
paiislpiously certain, in some degree, to damp and deaden the interest,
with which men of devout minds would naturally regard the
Christian Ministry? Would not more than half the reverential
reeling, with which we look on a Church or Cathedral, be gone, if
ive ceased to contemplate it as the House of God, and learned to
3steem it merely as a place set apart by the State for moral and
JSSl'eligious instruction ?
It would be going too deep in history, were one now to enter on
iny statement of the causes which have led, silently and insensibly,
ilmost to the abandonment of the high ground, which our Fathers
)f the Primitive Church, i. e. the Bishops and Presbyters of the first
e it itive centuries, invariably took, in adopting their claim to canonical
visittibedience. For the present, it is rather wished to urge, on plain
¦eiitii)ositive considerations, the wisdom and duty of keeping in view the
imple principle on which they relied.
I km Their principle, in short, was this : That the Holy Feast on our
ut rfaviour's sa(?rifice, which all confess to be " generally necessary to
ifelyi^lvation," was intended by Him to be constantly conveyed through
jtejliie hands of commissioned persons. Except therefore we can
(the^ow such a warrant, we cannot be sure that our hands convey the
,^ J jacrifice ; we cannot \>e sure that souls worthily prepared, receiving
ly jjpe bread which we break, and the cup of blessing which we bless,
^g[j5{]fre Partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ. Piety, then, and
Ifglgj/hristian Reverence, and sincere, devout Love of our Redeemer,
,(|gg(.ay, and Charity to the souls of our brethren, not good order and
,] |xpediency only, would prompt us, at all earthly risks, to preserve
' ^' nd transmit the seal and warrant of Christ.
, j[( If the rules of Christian conduct were founded merely on visible
¦ Ki^pediency, the zeal with which those, holy men were used to main-
L jiin the Apostolical Succession, might appear a strange unaccount-
' Vple thing. Not so, if our duties to our Saviour be like our duties
"""^ S> a parent or a brother, the unalterable result of certain known re-
"', jtions, previous to all consideration of consequences.* Reflect on
'' jiis, and you presently feel what a difference it makes in a pious
^^ '" lind, whether ministerial prerogatives be traced to our Lord's own
jistitution, or to mere voluntary ecclesiastical arrangement. Let
° * Butler's Analogy, p. ii. c. 1.

24
two plans of Government, as far as we can see, be equally good
and expedient in themselves, yet if there be but a fair probability of
one rather than the other proceeding from our Blessed Lord Him-
self, those who love Him in sincerity will know at once which to
prefer. They will not demand that every point be made out by
inevitable demonstration, or promulgated in form, like a State de
cree. According to the beautiful expression of. the Psalmist, they
will consent to be "guided by" our Lord's "eye ;"* the indications
of His pleasure will be enough for them. They will state the mat
ter thus to themselves : " Jesus Christ's own commission is the best
external security I can have, that in receiving this bread and wine,
I verily receive His Body and Blood. Either the Bishops have that
commission, or there is no such thing in the world. For at least
Bishops have it with as much evidence, as Presbyters without them,!
In proportion, then, to my Christian anxiety for keeping as near my
Saviour as I can, I shall of course be very unwilling to separate
myself from Episcopal communion. And in proportion to my,
charitable care for others, will be my industry to preserve and ex
tend the like consolation and security to them."
Consider the analogy of an absent parent, or dear friend in
another hemisphere. Would not such a one naturally reckon it
one sign of sincere attachment, if, when he returned home, he found
that in all family questions respect had been shown especiallyto
those in whom he was known to have had most confidence!
Would he not be pleased, when it appeared that people had .not
been nice in inquiring what express words of command he had
given, where they had good reason to think that su(jh and such a
course would be approved by him ? If his children and dependants
had searched diligently, where, and with whom, he had left com
missions, and having fair cause to think they had found such, had
scrupulously conformed themselves, as far as they could, to the pro
ceedings of those so trusted by him ; would he not think this a bet
ter sign, than if they had been dextrous in devising exceptions^in
explaining away the words of trust, and limiting the prerogatives
he had conferred ?
Now certainly the Gospel has many indications, that our best
Friend in His absence is likely to be well pleased with those who
do their best in sincerity to keep as near to His Apostles as they;
can. It is studiously recorded, for example, by the Evangelists, ini
the account of our Lord's two miraculous Feasts, that all passed^
through His Disciples' hands: (His twelve Disciples; as is in one
instance plainly implied in the twelve baskets full of fragments.);' I
know that minute circumstances like this, in a Parable or symbolical
act, must be reasoned on with great caution. Still, when one con
siders that our Blessed Lord took occasion from this event to deliver
more expressly than at any other time the doctrine of communion
* Ps. xxxii 9.

25
with Him, it seems no unnatural conjecture, that the details of the
miracle were so ordered, as to throw light on that doctrine.
But, not to dwell on what many will question, (although on do
cile and affectionate minds I cannot but think it must have its
weight,) what shall we say to the remarkable promise addressed to
the Twelve at the Pascal Supper ? " Ye are they Which have con
tinued with Me in My temptation : and I appoint unto you a King
dom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me ; that ye may eat and
drink at My table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." Thus much nobody will hesitate to allow,
concerning this Apostolical Charter: that it bound all Christians
whatever to be loyal and obedient to Christ's Apostles, at least as
long as they were living. And do not the same words equally bind
us, and all believers to the world's end, so far as the mind of the
Apostles can yet be ascertained ? Is not the spirit of the enact
ment such, as renders it incumbent on every one to prefer among
claimants to Church authority those who can make out the best title
to a warrant and commission from the Apostles ?
I pass over those portions of the Gospel, which are oftenest
quoted in this controversy ; they will occur of themselves to all
men ; and it is the object of these lines rather to exemplify the oc
casional indications of our Lord's will, than to cite distinct and pal
pable enactments. On one place, however, — the passage in the
Acts, which records, in honor of the first converts, that " they con
tinued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship," — one
question must be asked. Is it really credible, that the privilege so
emphatically mentioned, of being in communion with the Apostles,
ceased when the last Apostle died ? If not, who among living
Christians have so fair a chance of enjoying that privilege, as those,
who, besides Purity of Doctrine, are careful to maintain that Apos
tolical Succession, preserved to them hitherto by a gracious and
special Providence ? I should not much fear to risk the whole con
troversy on the answer which a simple unprejudiced mind would
naturally make to these two questions.
Observe, too, how often those principles, which are usually called,
in scorn, High-Churchmanship, drop as it were incidentally from the
pens of the sacred writers, professedly employed on other subjects.
" How shall they preach, except they be sent ?" — " Let a man so ac
count of us, as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mys
teries of God." — " No man taketh this honor to himself, but he that
is called of God, as was Aaron." I do not think it possible for any
one to read such places as these with a fair and clear mind, and not
to perceive that it is better and more scriptural to have, than to want,
Christ's special commission for conveying His Word to the people,
and consecrating and distributing the pledges of His holy Sacrifice,
if such commission be any how attainable ; better, and more scrip
tural, if we cannot remove all doubt, at least to prefer that commun-
4

26
ion which can make out the best probable title, provided always,
that nothing heretical, or otherwise immoral, be inserted in the terms
of communion. .
Why then should any man here in Britain, fear or hesitate boldly
to assert the authority of the Bishops and Pastors of the Church, on
grounds strictly evangelical and spiritual : as bringing men nearest
to Christ our Saviour, and conforming them most exactly to His
mind, indicated both by His own conduct, and by the words of His
Spirit in the Apostolic writings ? Why should we talk so much of
an establishment, and so little of an Apostolical Succession ? Why
should we not seriously endeavor to impress our people with this
plain truth ;— that by separating themselves from our communion,
they separate themselves not only from a decent, orderiy, useful so
ciety, but from the only Church in this realm which has a
RIGHT TO BE QUITE SURE THAT SHE HAS THE LoRD's BoDY TO GIVE
TO His People ?
Nor need any man be perplexed by the question, sure to be pre
sently and confidently asked, " Do you then unchurch all the Pres
byterians, all Christians who have no Bishops ? Are they to be shut
out of the Covenant, for all the fruits of Christian Piety, which seem
to have sprung up not scantily among them ?" Nay, we are not
judging others, but deciding on our own conduct. We in England
cannot communicate with Presbyterians, as neither can we with Ro
man Catholics, but we do not therefore exclude either from salva
tion. " Necessary to Salvation," and " necessary to Church Com
munion," are not to be used as convertible terms. Neither do we
desire to pass any sentence on other persons of other countries ; but
we are not to shrink from our deliberate views of truth and duty,
because difficulties may be raised about the case of such persons';
any more than we should fear to maintain the paramount necessity
of Christian belief, because similar difficulties may be raised about
virtuous Heathens, Jews, or Mahometans. To us such questions are
abstract, not practical : and whether we can answer them or no, it
is our business to keep fast hold of the Church Apostolical, whereof
we are actual members; not merely on civil or ecclesiastical
grounds, but from real personal love and reverence, affectionate re
verence to our Lord and only Saviour. And let men seriously bear
in mind, that it is one thing to slight and disparage this holy Succes
sion where it may be had, and another thing to acquiesce in the
want of it, where it is, {if^it be any where') really unattainable.
I readily allow, that this view of our calling has something in it too
high and mysterious to be fully understood by unlearned Christians.
But the learned, surely, are just as unequal to it. It is part of that
ineffable mystery, called in our Creed, The Communion of Saints:
and with all other Christian mysteries, is above the understanding
of all alike, yet practically alike within reach of all, who are willing
to embrace it by true Faith. Experience shows, at any rate, that it

27
is far from being ill adapted to , the minds and feelings of ordinary
people. On this point evidence might be brought from times, at first
glance the most unpromising ; from the early part of the 17th cen
tury. The hold which the propagandists of the " Holy Discipline"
obtained on the fancies and affections of the people, of whatever
rank, age, and sex, depended very much on their incessant appeals
to their fancied Apostolical succession. They found persons willing
and eager to suffer or rebel, as the case might be, for their system ;
because they had possessed them with the notion, that it was the sys
tem handed down from the Apostles, " a divine Episcopate ;" so Beza
called it. Why should we despair of obtaining, in time, an influence
far more legitimate and less dangerously exciting, but equally search
ing and extensive, by the diligent inculcation of our true and scrip
tural claim ?
For it is obvious, that, among other results of the primitive doc
trine of the Apostolical Succession, thoroughly considered and fol
lowed up, it would make the relation of Pastor and Parishioner far
more engaging, as well as more awful, than it is usually considered
at present. Look on your Pastor as acting by man's commission,
and you may respect the authority by which he acts, you may vene
rate and love his personal character ; but it can hardly be called a
reZi^ioMs veneration ; there is nothing, properly, McrecZ about him.
But once learn to regard him as " the Deputy of Christ, for reduc
ing man to the obedience of God ;" and every thing about him be
comes changed, every thing stands in a new light. In public and in
private, in church and at home, in consolation and in censure, and
above all, in the administration of the Holy Sacraments, a faithful man
naturally considers, "By this His messenger Christ is speaking to
me ; by his very being and place in the world, he is a perpetual wit
ness to the truth of the sacred history, a perpetual earnest of Coni-
munion with our Lord to those who come duly prepared to His
Table." In short, it must make just all the difference in every part
of a Clergyman's duty, whether he do it, and be known to do it, in
that Faith of his commission from Christ, or no.
How far the analogy of the Aaronical priesthood will carry us,
and to what extent we must acknowledge the reserve imputed to the
formularies of our Church on this whole subject of the Hierarchy ;
and how such reserve, if real, may be accounted for ; these are ques
tions worthy of distinct consideration.
For the present let the whole matter be brought to this short issue.
May it not be said both to Clergy and Laity ; " Put yourselves in
your children's place, in the place ofthe next generation of believers.
Consider in what way they will desire you to have acted, supposing
them to value aright, "^(as you must wish them,) the means of com
munion with Christ ; and as they will then wish you to have^acted
now, so act in all matters aflfecting that inestimable privilege."

28

ON -ALTERATIONS IN THE PRAYER BOOK.

The 36th Canon provides that " no person shall hereafter be re-
ceived into the Ministry  except he shall first subscribe" certain
" three Articles." The second of these is as follows :
" That the Book of Common Prayer, and of Ordering of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons,
containeth in it nothing contrary to the Word of God, and that it may lawftiUy so be used ;
and that he himself vrill use the form in the said Book prescnbed, m pubhc Prayer, and ad
ministration of the Sacraments, and none other."
Now here is certainly a grave question to all who have subscrib
ed this Article. We need not say, it precludes them from acquies
cing in any changes, that are lawfully made in the Common Prayer ;
but surely it makes it most incumbent on them, to inquire carefully
whether the parties altering it have a right to do so ; e. g. should
any foreign Power or Legislature, or any private Nobleman or States
man at home, pretend to reform the Prayer Book, of course we
should all call it a usurpation, and refuse to obey it ; or rather we
should consider the above subscription to be a religious obstacle to
our obeying it. So far is clear. The question follows ; where is the
competent authority for making alterations ? Is it not also clear, that
it does not lie in the British Legislature, which we know to be com
posed not only of believers, but also of infidels, heretics, and schis'
matics ; and which probably in another year may cease to be a Chris
tian body even in formal profession ? Can even a Committee of it,
ever so carefiilly selected, absolve us from our subscriptions?
Whence do laity derive their power over the Clergy? Can even the
Crown absolve us ? or a commission from the Crown ? If then some
measure of tyranny be practised against us as regards the Prayet
Book, HOW ARE WE TO ACT ?

No. 5.
A
SHORT ADDRESS TO HIS BRETHREN
ON THE
NATURE AND CONSTITUTION
OP
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST,
AND OP
THE BRANCH OF IT ESTABLISHED IN ENGLAND.
BY A LAYMAN.

1 believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church. Nic. Ceeed.

There are many persons who have the happiness of being mem
bers of that pure and Apostolical branch of Christ's holy Church,
which, as it is estabhshed in this our country, we call " the Church
of England ;" persons who attend with regularity and devotion to
her services, and have participated in the benefits of her Sacra
ments ; who may yet have no very clear idea either of the nature
of that body which we call " the Church" in general, or of the pe
culiar circumstances and events which have led to the present posi-
tion and constitution of that portion of it to which we belong.
To such persons it may not be unacceptable if we present them
in these pages with a short account of " the Church ;" of that insti
tution which, previous to His return to the regions of His heavenly
glory, our Lord bequeathed to the world, to be cherished and en
joyed as a precious legacy, until His coming again ; of that body
which He framed for the reception of the first gifts of His Almighty
Spirit, and for the transmission of those precious gifts from age to
age, to the end of time. Such an account will naturally lead to a
brief statement of the manner in which it has pleased Providence
to bless us, in this our own island, with a branch of that holy insti
tution ; and thus to have established, and to continue among us, a
body of men bearing a commission direct from Himself, to admit us
into His fold by the waters of Baptism, and to nourish us in the
saflfie, not only with the pure word of His doctrine, but with the
spiritual nourishment of His most blessed Body and Blood.
It would have been in vain that the two Sacraments had been

30
instituted, had no persons, no set of men, been appointed to admin
ister them. You cannot suppose that you or I, (for he who thus
addresses you is a layman like yourselves, that is, has never re
ceived the ordination of a clergyman,) you cannot, I say, suppose
that any one of us might, with no other authority than his own good
pleasure, proceed to baptize, or to administer the bread and wine
in the Lord's Supper. Such a proceeding would, it is evident, in--
volve the highest degree of arrogance and impiety, and would be
nothing short of a mockery of that great and awful Being, of whose
gifts these sacred ordinances are alike the appointed means and
pledges. And if, as men, as simple members of Christ's Church, we have
not this power, the next question to ask is, who could give us this
authority ? If admission into the great Christian congregation, if
the promise, confirmed to us in Baptism, of the assistance of Christ's
Holy Spirit, cannot give it, is it to be supposed that any act eman
ating from men, from sinful creatures like ourselves, should be of
force to convey it? Clearly not ; no command of an earthly king,
no ordinance of an earthly legislature, could invest us with power
over the gifts of the Holy Ghost ; for such may we well term the
power duly to administer the Sacraments which Christ has ordained.
No Act of Parliament, however binding the provisions of such Acts
may be with regard to the temporal affairs of the nation, could
make any one of us a Priest, or clothe us with one jot or one tittle
of power over the things of the unseen world.
As little, surely, could popular election invest us with this power
from on high. Men may express their readiness to receive the gifts
of Heaven at our hands ; but is it not absurd, that those who are
to be the receivers from us of any boon whatsoever, should them
selves be the persons to supply us with the means of bestowing it 1
It cannot be, then, that those to whom we are to administer the
Sacraments should themselves confer upon us the power of their
ministration. To cut this inquiry short. He alone is evidently entitled to confer
the power of conveying, by the appointed means, the gifts of His
Spirit, who Himself gave, in the first instance, that Spirit to His
Church. It is to Him that such commission must be traced in the
case of every individual who would establish his right to this holy
office. He appointed in the first place, as is well known to every reader
of the Scriptures, the Apostles ; to whom He at different periods
intrusted all such powers as were necessary to the formation and
continued protection of His Church, which they, under His Spirit,
Were to establish. He gave them the power of admitting members
mto it ; and He put into their hands that power of expulsion frdm
It, which it was necessary, for the well being of the society, should
be vested somewhere : assuring them, at the same time, that their

31
decrees in this respect should be ratified on high ; that what they
" bound on earth, should be bound in heaven." To them it was
that he intrusted the power of baptizing all nations ; and still more
emphatically the power of celebrating the sacred rite which com
memorates His passion.* They undertook the sacred trust, preach
ed to all, and at first baptiized all converts ; though, when the num
ber of these increased, when the Church could reckon its three
thousand and its five thousand members, and when thus, to borrow
the prophetic language of Daniel, the stone began to swell which
was destined in time to become a great mountain, and to fill the
whole world, it was plainly impossible that the small band of Apos
tles, employed as they were in the business of teaching the word,
should suffice themselves to baptize all who should accept their of
fers of salvation. For this, among other purposes, the formation of
a class of ministers, distinct from, and subordinate to, themselves,
became necessary ; a class, of the first establishment of which we
read in the 6th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The members
of this new class were called " Deacons :" they were at first only
seven in number : they were chosen, at the suggestion of the Apos
tles, by the believers in general, or, in the language of the Church,
by the laity ; but they were ordained to the office by the Apostles
themselves, by the laying of their hands on them, accompanied by
prayer. A principal part of their office, when they were first ap
pointed, was the distribution of the charitable gifts of the more
wealthy believers among their poorer brethren : but that the power
of administering baptism was a part of their commission is evident
from the history of Philip the Deacon, contained in Acts viii. There
were thus two classes of guides and teachers to the Church of Christ,
Apostles and Deacons ; the first bearing authority over the general
flock by the direct word of Christ Himself ; the second by commis
sion from those thus directly authorized ; a commission given by
them when the Holy Spirit was most abundantly poured out upon
them, and solemnly ratified by that Holy Spirit Himself in the
miraculous powers and graces vouchsafed to Stephen and his col
leagues. But as the limits of the Church began to extend, and the believers,
instead of dwelling in one body in the city of Jerusalem, began to
spread over the adjoining regions, the want was felt of another
class, to superintend the scattered' divisions of Christ's flock, to act
in some measure as the substitutes of the Apostles in their absence,
and as their deputies and subordinate officers in their presence.
This class, of higher rank in the Church than the Deacons, and
forming a connecting link between them and the Apostles, bears in
Scripture the name of " Elders" or " Bishops," and is, by one or
* " This do, in remembrance of me," Luke xxii. 19. The commission to baptize, though
delivered to the Apostles, yet was not given in private, but in the presence of the disciples.
Matth. xxviii. 18, 19.

32
other of these names, the subject of frequent mention in the later
•books of the New Testament. The constitution of the Church was
then, for the time being, complete. The Apostles, as, m the exer-,
cise of their high office, they founded congregations from city to
city, ordained (always by the laying on of hands) Elders and Dea
cons ; in whom each congregation recognised the ministers set over
them by their Lord and Master in heaven ; from whom they re
ceived the blessings conveyed in His Sacraments ; and to whom
they looked for guidance and example in the holy course on which
they had entered, the Christian warfare which they had undertaken.
The Apostle himself, however, who had planted each of these con
gregations, continued to exercise over it a general superintending
authority, and to interfere, where the case required it, in the most
solemn and decideo manner. The nature and extent of the power
thus assumed over each local Church, in virtue of his heavenly
commission, by its Apostolic head, will be manifest from a study of
the two Epistles written by St. Paul to the Church of the Corin
thians ; and from a comparison ofthe second of these Epistles with
the first, it will be seen how fully this authority was recogilised,
and the directions thus sanctioned were obeyed, by the primitive
believers. It may not be amiss here to point out a circumstance from which
we may most decidedly infer it to have been the will of the Holy
Spirit that ordination, or the solemn ceremony above mentioned of
the laying on of hands, should be the only mode of admission to the
ministration of His gifts in the Church. Were there any one per
son who might, from the very peculiar circumstances of his call
and conversion, have had grounds for conceiving himself entitled to
dispense with this ceremony, that person was undoubtedly St,
Paul ; yet we find that, favored as he had been, when it was seen
meet to send him as an Apostle to the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost
deigned to give express directions that he should be separated for
the purpose ; ordained, that is to say, to such ministry ; and that, in
compliance with those directions, the heads of the Church at An-
tioch, when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on
them,* sent him and Barnabas away.
The Church, under the government of its Apostles, Elders, and
Deacons, was, as we have already stated, for the time being, com
plete. One thing, however, was still wanting to give perpetuity to
its constitution, and that was, a provision for the supply of ordained
ministers to distribute the gifts of the Spirit to the generations who
should live when the Apostles themselves, and those who had re
ceived ordination from their hands, should have alike passed away
from the scene of their labors. It was necessary that the Apostles
should appoint successors to themselves ; persons to be armed with
at least all that portion of their authority which did not depend on
* Acts xiii 3.

33
their miraculous powers or extraordinary gifts of the Spirit ; with
neither of which was the power of ordination to any rank of the
ministry necessarily connected. They felt this necessity, and they
did appoint such persons ; but from the altered condition of the
Church, and the number of converts in each particular place, it be
came expedient, instead of giving to each person so appointed that
species of general commission with which the Apostles themselves
had commenced their labors, to fix the residence of each in some
particular city, and to give him the peculiar superintendence of the
Church therein, and in the districts adjoining. It was thus that St.
Paul appointed Timothj' to preside, as (what we now call) Bishop,
over the Church at Ephesus ; and Titus over that of Crete : and
the Holy Spirit, by dictating to the Apostle those directions to
them for the discharge of the duties of these offices which form the
Epistles bearing their names, gave the fullest and most solemn rati
fication, not only to their individual appointment, but also to the es
tablishment in perpetuity of the episcopal order in the Church.
Though this event in the history of the Church has been narrated
as occurring subsequently to the appointment of the lower classes
of ecclesiastical ministers, it must not be supposed that it was an
after-thought, or that the Apostles were not from the first aware
that their office was to be perpetuated by succession. Our Lord
ended the sentence in which He endued them with power to bap
tize, with the promise of His assistance in the discharge of their
functions through all time ; " Go," said He, " baptize all nations :
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world :" a
phrase which, as addressed to mortal men, must clearly have been
understood as a promise of continual assistance to them and to
their successors. We find, accordingly, that so far were they from
understanding this gracious promise as applying solely to the indi
viduals to whom the words were spoken, that one of their very first
joint acts, when deprived of the presence of their Lord, was to
select a person to be associated with themselves in the apostolic of
fice, that the number originally named to that office by our Saviour
might be complete. They did not, it is true, ordain him, in the
manner afterwards adopted, by the laying on of hands ; for they
referred the act of ordination to Almighty God by casting lots
" whether of the twain" He would choose ; and in the pouring out
of the gifts of Pentecost upon the head of Matthias, as well as upoa
those of the eleven, the Spirit bore a testimony, which could hardly
be misunderstood, to the will of the Almighty that the Apostles
should from time to time, as it became necessary, nominate such
associates in their general Apostolic toils and powers as they might
select ; associates on whom, as they themselves were gradually
withdrawn from the world, the whole government of the Church,
and the whole care of providing for its further continuance, must
ultimately devolve. 5

34
The miraculous gifts and graces, which God in the first instance
showered upon His Church, answered their purpose in giving it its
first footing in the worid ; and, when no longer necessary for that
purpose, were consequently withdrawn : but it should never be for
gotten, that these, wonderful and striking as they must have been,
were but secondary and subsidiary to those invisible spiritual gifts,
which are the real fulfilment of God's promise of constant aid to
His Church. With regard to these latter, it was indeed necessary
that they should be her portion through all ages ; but the others
derived in truth their chief value from the evidence which they bore
to the existence of these more precious boons ; an evidence which,
though immediately addressed to converts in the first ages, was in
tended to convince, not them alone, but all those to whom their
report of these miraculous gifts should come, of the reality of God's
promises with regard to those gifts which were not palpable to
earthly senses ; of the truth of Christ's saying, already quoted, that
He would be with His Church even unto the end of the worid ;
and of His declaration that the Comforter, whom He would send,
should abide with that Church for ever. ,
What name was originally applied to the office borne by Timothy
and Titus, of destined successors to the Apostles, is not very clear.
There was perhaps at first no one name especially used to designate
it. They may have sometimes been called Evangelists (see 2 Tim.
iv. 5;) sometimes, from their bearing in some measure the charac
ter of heavenly messengers to mankind, the Angels of their respect
ive Churches. By this name, at least, the heads of the different
Churches of Asia are addressed in the 2d and 3d chapters of the
book of Revelations. Consecrated as they were by different Apos
tles in different parts of the world, some little time would neces
sarily elapse, before one general name would be applied by the
whole Christian Church to the associates and successors of its first
inspired governors.
Of the powers intrusted to these persons, a good idea may be
formed from the study of the Epistles addressed to two of them.
Timothy, it appears, had Apostolic authority to superintend and
arrange the celebration of divine service, to prescribe the nature of
prayers to be useH therein, and to give general directions for the
decent and orderly behavior of the congregation. (See 1 Tim. ii.)
Copious instructions were given him as to the persons whom he
should choose to ordain as Bishops (or Elders) and Deacons, (chap.
iii.) He had power to select among the Elders such as should rule,
(ver. 17,) probably over different portions of his congregation ; and
to hear and decide upon any accusations brought against them in
the discharge of their office, (ver. 19.) He was reminded by St.
Paul to stir up the gift that was in him by the putting on of his
hands, (2 Tim. i. 6,) and of the hands of the Presbytery ; (1 Tim.
iv, 14 ;) to ordain no man suddenly, (1 Tim. v. 22,) or without due

3d
examination into his character, but to commit the doctrine which he
had learnt of St. Paul to faithful men, who should be able to teach
others also. (2 Tim. ii. 2.)
Titus was left in Crete that he might set in order the things that
were wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as St. Paul had ap
pointed him. (Tit. i. 5.) He was taught what sort of characters
befitted those whom he should make Bishops ; he was to exhort
and rebuke with all authority, and let no man despise him, (ii. 15.)
He was to be the general instructor of his flock, apd to have the
power of expelling thence obstinate heretics, (iii. 10.) But it is un
satisfactory to quote particular passages ; the whole of these three
epistles should be seriously studied by those who wish to form a
good general idea of the powers with which the Apostles, or rather
the Holy Ghost, by their means, invested those who were to bear
rule in the Church in times when they themselves should have gone
to their reward.
Those times came. — St. John, the last of the glorious company
of the Apostles, entered into his rest, and the Church found itself
committed, under Heaven, entirely to the charge of the three es
tablished orders of its ministers. , To each of these a specific title
was now ascribed, and applied with greater exactness than before.
The title " Bishop," which had at first been used indifferently with
" Elder," became the exclusive property of the highest class of func
tionaries, the colleagues of Timothy and Titus. The word " Elder"
served to designate the second, and from its Greek equivalent,
" Presbuteros," we have formed our English word "Priest," by
which "Elder" is now, in common use, superseded. The third
class preserved its original and appropriate name of " Deacons."
Such, then, was the Constitution of which the Church, when first
deprived of outward supernatural aid, found herself possessed ;
such the machinery at her disposal for the dispensation to mankind
of those glorious gifts and privileges, which it was hers, and hers
alone, to confer. As Priests or Deacons were required for the
ministration of the Word and Sacraments to the different portions
of her flock, the Bishops, in exercise of the heavenly gift confided
to them, laid hands upon such individuals as they deemed suited to
the charge, and as vacancies occurred among the Angels of the
churches, the successors of the Apostles themselves, or as additions
were required to their number, the existing me/nbers of the sacred
band, consecrated new individuals to the participation of their priv
ileges, candidates for the ofllice being presented to them by the laity for
their approval, or fit and proper persons being selected by themselves.
The gift conferred by their ordination was now no longer con
firmed by outward ocular demonstration ; but, while they reverent
ly complied with all the particulars and forms of these holy, rites, as
established under the guidance of inspiration by their predecessors,
they would have held it a most guilty instance of want of faith,

36
had they presumed to doubt the continued fulfilment of the Re
deemer's promise, or the continued abiding, with the Church which
He had framed, ofthe Almighty Comforter.
Since the Apostolic age seventeen centuries have rolled away ;
exactly eighteen hundred years have elapsed since the delivery of
Christ's recorded promise ; and, blessed be God, the Church is with
us still. Amid all the political storms and vicissitudes, amid all the
religious errors and corruptions which have checkered, during that
long period, the worid's eventful history, a regular unbroken suc
cession has preserved among us Ministers of God, whose authority
to confer the gifts of His Spirit is derived originally from the lay
ing on of the hands of the Apostles themselves. Many interme
diate possessors of that authority have, it is true, intervened be
tween them and these, their hallowed predecessors, but " the gifts
of God are without repentance ;" the same Spirit rules over the
Church now who presided at the consecration of St. Paul, and the
eighteen centuries that are past can have had no power to invali
date the promise of our God. Nor, even though we may admit that
many of those who formted the connecting links of this holy chain
were themselves unworthy ofthe high charge reposed in them, can
this furnish us with any solid ground for doubting or denying their
power to exercise that legitimate authority with which they were
duly invested, of transmitting the sacred gift to worthier followers.
Ordination, or, as it is called in the case of Bishops, Consecra
tion, though it does not precisely come within our definition of a
sacrament, is nevertheless a rite partaking, in a high degree, of the
sacramental character, and it is by reference to the proper sacra
ments that its nature can be most satisfactorily illustrated. And
with respect to these, it would lead us into endless difficulties were
we to admit that, when administered by a minister duly authorized
according to the outward forms of the Church, either Baptism or
the Lord's Supper depended for its validity either on the moral and
spiritual attainments of that minister, or on the frame of mind in
which he might have received, at his ordination, the outward and
visible sign of his authority. Did the Sacraments indeed rest on
such circumstances as these for their efficacy in each case of their
ministration, who v^ould there be of us, or of any Christian congre
gation, who could possibly say whether he had been baptized or
not ; or what prepai'ation or self-examination could give to a peni-
itent the confidence t\at he had truly partaken of the Body and
Blood of Christ, were the reality of that partaking to depend upon
somethmg of which he had no knowledge, and over which he could
exercise no control ; upon the spiritual state, not only of the offi
ciating minister himself, but of every individual Bishop through
whom that minister had received his authority, through the long
lapse of eighteen hundred years ? He who receives unworthily, or
m an improper state of mind, either ordination or consecration, may

37
probably receive to his own soul no saving health from the hallow
ed rite ; but while we admit, as we do, the validity of sacraments
administered by a Priest thus unworthily ordained, we cannot con
sistently deny that of ordination, in any of its grades, when bestowed
by a Bishop as unworthily consecrated.
The very question of worth, indeed, with relation to such mat
ters, is absurd. Who is worthy ? Who is a fit and meet dispenser
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit ? What are, after all, the petty dif
ferences between sinner and sinner, when viewed in relation to
Him whose eyes are too pure to behold iniquity, and who charges
His very angels with folly ? And be it remembered that the Apos-
tohc powers, if not transmitted through these, in some instances
corrupt channels, have not been transmitted to our times at all.
Unless then we acknowledge the reality of such transmission, we
must admit that the Church which Christ founded is no longer to be
found upon the eai'th, and that the promise of His protection, so far
from being available to the end of the world, is forgotten and out of
date already.
The unworthiness of man, then, cannot prevent the goodness of
God from flowing in those channels in which He has destined it to
flow ; and the Christian congregations ofthe present day, who sit at
the feet of Ministers duly ordained, have the same reason for rever
encing in them the successors of the Apostles, as the primitive
Churches of Ephesus and of Crete had for honoring in Timothy and
in Titus the Apostolical authority of him who had appointed them.
A branch of this holy Catholic (or universal) Church has been
through God's blessing, established for ages in our island ; a branch
which, as has been already stated, we denominate the Church of
England. Its officiating ministers are divided into the three original
orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and into no other. In the
exercise of that authority which is inherent in every society, of mak
ing salutary laws and regulations for its own guidance, it has been
found expedient to vest in two ofthe principal members ofthe epis
copal order in England, a certain authority over the rest, and to style
them Archbishops, but this is not by any means to be understood as
constituting them another order in the Church. They are but, in
strictness of language, the first and leading Bishops of our land.
The Priests and Deacons, (whom we usually class together under
the common name of Clergymen,) who officiate in the Churches and
Chapels of our Establishment, have each received ordination to the
discharge of their holy office by the laying on of the hands of a
Bishop, assisted, in the case of Priests, by members already admitted
into the presbytery or priesthood, as St. Paul was assisted in the or
dination of Timothy, (iv. 14.)
And each Bishop of our Church has, at the hands of another
Bishop, (himself similarly called to the office,) received in the most
solemn manner the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that Apostolical power

38
over the Church, for the support of which the Redeemer pledged
Himself that His assistance should never be wanting to the end of
time. Wonderful indeed is the providence of God, which has so long
preserved the unbroken line, and thus ordained that our Bishops
should, even at this distance of time, stand before their flocks as the
authorized successors of the Apostles ; — as armed with their power
to confer spiritual gifts in the Church, and, in cases of necessity, to
wield their awful weapon of rejection from the fold of Christ ; — as
commissioned, like Titus, to bid, on heavenly authority, no man de
spise them, and to point out to those who, as a class, as Bishops of
the Church, do despise them, the solemn words, " He that despiseth
you, despiseth Me ; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that
sent Me."
The mode in which new candidates for the episcopal station have
been presented to existing Bishops for consecration, has differed in
different ages and countries. They have sometimes been chosen by
the laity, sometimes selected by other Bishops, and sometimes by
civil magistrates. In our own country the latter mode has for some
centuries prevailed, and the King of England has presented to the
Prelates of its Church persons for their approval and consecration.
As the King and Legislature were the pledged defenders of the
purity and integrity of that Church, this was perhaps a mode as un
objectionable as any which could have been substituted for it, and it
possessed the advantage of being free from the turmoil and party
feeling which have always been generated by proceedings in the way
of popular election.
The mode, however, in which this presentation is made is, after
all, of minor importance, it being understood that it is upon the re
sponsibility of the Bishop himself, that the solemn rite at last takes
place. No earthly authority can compel him to lay his hands upon
what he may conceive an unworthy head, or can presume to dispense
with his concurrence, and arrogantly assume to itself the power to
confer the Holy Ghost. The solemn words in which the offices of
Bishop, Priest, and Deacon, are respectively conferred, are annexed
to these pages, and from their perusal it will be seen how impious it
would be, in any one but the deputed minister of Heaven, to utter
them over a fellow-mortal, or to conceive that he, whatever his
earthly rank or station, could bestow, or even aid in bestowing, the
gifts imparted thereby.
Many ages ago the civil rulers of our country recognised the prin
ciple that a Christian nation should, as such, consider itself a branch
of the Apostolical Church of Christ ; they therefore acknowledged,
and gave temporal dignity, and a voice in the general councils of the
State to her ministers ; privileges which they to the present day
! enjoy. And the Church, on her part, the above principle having
been adopted by the State, acknowledged the head of that State,

39
the King, to be her temporal head ; investing him with that general
supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs, which he already possessed in
civil. But we are not thence to infer that she gave, or that she
could give, to an earthly monarch, or to his temporal legislature, the
right to interfere with things spiritual, with her Doctrines, with her
Liturgy, with the ministration of her Sacraments, or with the posi
tions, relative to each other, of her Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
When corruptions, prevalent among the professedly Christian
world, render it necessary for her to state the substance of her faith
in articles, (as was done in A. D. 1562,) or when circumstances ap
pear to require any change or variation" either in the forms of her
Liturgy, or in her general internal government, the King has the con
stitutional power of summoning the houses of convocation, a sort of
ecclesiastical parliament composed of Bishops or Clergy, from which
alone such changes can fitly or legally emanate.
Such are the circumstances under which a branch of Christ's
Church is domiciled among us, and claims over us, while acting ac
cording to His Spirit, the delegated authority of her Founder. She
makes no pretensions to that immediate inspiration of the Spirit
which, by positively securing her ministers from error, would clothe
her decisions with absolute infallibility. She puts the Bible into the
hand of every member of her communion, and calls upon him to be
lieve nothing as necessary to salvation which shall not appear, upon
mature examination, to be set down therein, or at least to be capa
ble of being proved thereby; but showing, at the same time,
her authority as its appointed interpreter, she cautions him not rash
ly, or without having fully weighed the subject, to dissent from her
expositions, the results of the accumulated learning and labor of cen
turies. She warns him not, without cause, to run the risk of incur
ring the fearful sin of schism, or unnecessary separation from, and
violation of the unity of Christ's fold ; a sin of which, surely, none
can think lightly, who remembers the Saviour's affecting and repeat
ed prayer, (see John xvii.) that His followers might be one, even as
He and His Almighty Father were one. She bids him in that Bible
itself read her credentials ; she there exhibits, in the recorded indi
cations of her Lord and Master's will, the rock on which she is built ;
the foundation which, whatever changes may convulse the globe
around it, is to abide, unmoved and immoveable, till time shall be no
more. The duties which our knowledge of these things. Brethren of the
Laity, makes incumbent upon us, are almost too clear to need reca
pitulation. Filial love and aflfectionate reverence toward the collec
tive Church, and toward those, her Pastors and Masters, who are
set in spiritual authority over us ; a zeal for the inculcation of her
pure doctrine and the extension of her heavenly fold ; a determina
tion in evil report and in good report to stand by her, and to approve
ourselves her faithful members and children ; these, and such feelings

40
as these, are, by our bond of communion with her, peremptorily re
quired of us ; these let us make it the business of our lives to culti
vate and comply with ; and if tempted, as any one of us may be, has
tily and needlessly to forsake her hallowed pale, let us reply to the
temptation by addressing her in words somewhat similar to those of
Peter to his Divine Master, " To whom shall we go ? Thou hast the
words of eternal life ; and we believe and are sure that Thou art the"
Minister and Representative of " Christ, the Son of the living God."

APPENDIX.

The following are the words addressed respectively to Bishops,
Priests, and Deacons, when their offices are conferred upon them by
the laying on of hands.
TO A BISHOP.
" Receive the Holy Ghost, for the Office and Work of a Bishop
in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the Imposition
of our hands ; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen. And remember that thou stir up the grace of
God which is given thee by this Imposition of our hands ; for God
hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and so
berness."
TO A PRIEST.
"Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest in
the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the Imposition of
our hands. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven ; and
whose sms thou dost retain, they are retained. And be thou a faith
ful Dispenser ofthe Word of God, and of His holy Sacraments • in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holv Ghost
Amen."
TO A DEACON.
"Take thou authority to execute the Office of a Deacon in the
Church of God comnnitted unto thee ; in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen "

No. 6.

THE PRESENT OBLIGATION OF PRIMITIVE
PRACTICE.

When we look around upon the present state of the Christian
Church, and then turning to ecclesiastical history acquaint ourselves
with its primitive form and condition, the difference between them so
strongly acts upon the imagination, that we are tempted to think, that
to base our conduct now on the principles acknowledged then, is but
theoretical and idle. We seem to perceive, as clear as day, that as
the Primitive Church had its own particular discipline and political
character, so have we ours ; and that to attempt to revive what is
past, is as absurd as to seek to raise what is literally dead. Perhaps
we even go on to maintain, that the constitution of the Church, as
well as its actual course of acting, is different from what it was ; that
Episcopacy now is in no sense what it used to be ; that our Bishops
are the same as the Primitive Bishops only in name ; and that the
notion of an Apostolical Succession is " a fond thing." I do not wish
to undervalue the temptation, which leads to this view of Church
matters ; it is the temptation of sight to overcome faith, and of course
not a slight one. '
But the following reflection on the history of the Jewish Church,
may perhaps be considered to throw light upon our present duties.
1. Consider how exact are the injunctions of Moses to his people.
He ends them thus : " These are the words of the covenant which
the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in
the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in
Horeb  Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them,
that ye may prosper in all that ye do  Neither with you only do
I make this covenant and this oath ; but with him that standeth here
this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here
with us this day." Deut. xxix.
2. Next, survey the history of the chosen people for the several
first centuries after taking possession of Canaan. The exactness of
Moses was unavailing. Can a greater contrast be conceived than
the commands and promises of the Pentateuch, and the history of
the Judges? "Every man did that which was right in his own
eyes." Judges xvii. 6.
Samuel attempts a reformation on the basis of the Mosaic Law ;
but the effort ultimately fails, as being apparently against the stream
of opinion and feeling then prevalent. The times do not allow of it.
Again, contrast the opulent and luxurious age of Solomon, though
the covenant was then openly acknowledged and outwardly accept-
6

42
ed, more fully than at any other time, with the vision of simple piety
and plain straightforward obedience, which is the scope of the Mo
saic Law. Lastly, contemplate the state ofthe Jews after their re
turn from the captivity ; when their external political relations were
so new, the internal principle of their government so secular, God's
arm apparently so far removed. This state of things went on for
centuries. Who would suppose that the Jewish Law was binding
in all its primitive strictness at the age when Christ appeared ? Who
would not say that length of time had destroyed the obligation of a
projected system, which had as yet never been realized ?
Consider too the impossible nature, (so to say,) of some of its in
junctions. An infidel historian somewhere asks scoffingly, whether
" the ruinous law which required all the males of the chosen people
to go up to Jerusalem three times a-year, was ever observed in its
strictness." The same question may be asked concerning the obser
vance ofthe Sabbatical year; — to which but a faint allusion, if that,
is made in the books of Scripture subsequent to the Pentateuch.
3. And now, with these thoughts before us, reflect upon our Sa
viour's conduct. He set about to fulfil the Law in its strictness, just
as if He had lived in the generation next to Moses. The practice of
others, the course of the world, was nothing to Him ; He received
and He obeyed. It is not necessary to draw out the evidence of this
in detail. Consider merely His emphatic, words in the beginning of
Matth. xxiii. concerning those, whom as individuals He was fearful
ly condemning. " The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat ; all
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do."
Again reflect upon the praise bestowed upon Zacharias and his wife,
that " they were both righteous before God, walking in all the com
mandments and ordinances ofthe Lord blameless." — And upon the
conduct of the Apostles.
Surely these remarkable facts impress upon us the necessity of
going to the Apostles, and not to the teachers and oracles of the pre
sent world, for the knowledge of our duty, as individuals and as
niembers of the Christian Church. It is no argument against a prac
tice being right, that it is neglected ; rather, we are warned against
going the broad way of the multitude of men.
Now is there any doubt in our minds, as to the feelings ofthe Pri
mitive Church, regarding the doctrine of the Apostolical Succession;
Did not the Apostles observe, even in an age of miracles, the cere
mony of Imposition of Hands ? And are hot we bound, not merely
to acquiesce in, but zealously to maintain and inculcate the discipline
which they established ?
_ The only objection which can be made to this view of our duty,
is, that the injunction to obey strictly is not precisely given to us, as
it was in the instance of the Mosaic Law. But is not the real state
of the case merely this ; that the Gospel appeals rather to our love
and faith, our divinely illuminated reason, and the free principle of

43
obedience, than to the mere letter of its injunctions ? And does not
the' conduct ofthe Jews just prove to us, that, though the commands
of Christ were put before us ever so precisely, yet there would not
be found in any extended course of history a more exact attention
to them, than there is now ; that the diflSculty of resisting the influ
ence, which the world's actual proceedings exert upon our imagina
tion, would be just as great, as we find it at present ?

A SIN OF THE CHURCH.

Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first
works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The following extract is from Bingham, Antiq. xv. 9.
In the primitive ages, it was both the rule and practice of all in general, both Clergy and
Laity, to receive the Communion every Lord's day  As often as they met together for
Divine Service on the Lord's day, they were obliged to receive the Eucharist under pain of
Excommunication  And if we run over the whole history of the three first ages, we shall
find this to have been the Church's constant practice  We are assured farther, that in
some places they received the communion every day.
Is there any one who will deny, that the Primitive Church is the
best expounder in this matter of our Saviour's will, as conveyed
through His Apostles ?
Can a learned Church, such as the English, plead ignorance of
His will thus ascertained ?
Do we fulfil it ?
Is not the regret and concern of pious and learned writers among
us, such as Bingham, at our neglect of it, upon record ?
And is it not written, " that servant which knew his lord's
WILL, AND PREPARED NOT HIMSELF, NEITHER DID ACCORDING TO HIS

WILL, SHALL BE BEATEN WITH MANY STRIPES

?"

And, putting aside this disobedience, can we wonder that faith and
love wax cold, when we so seldom partake of the means, mercifully
vouchsafed us, of communion with our Lord and Saviour ?

No. 7.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH APOSTOLICAL.

There are many persons at the present day, who, from not hay
ing turned their minds to the subject, think they are Churchmen in
the sense in which the early Christians were, merely because they
are Episcopalians. The extent of their Churchmanship is, to consi
der that Episcopacy is the best form of Ecclesiastical Polity ; and
again, that it originated with the Apostles. I am far from implying,
that to go thus far is nothing ; or is not an evidence, (for it is,) of a
reverent and sober temper of mind ; still the view is defective. It
is defective, because the expediency of a system, though a very
cogent, is not the highest line of argument that may be taken in its
defence : and because an opponent may deny the fact of the Apos-
tolicity of Episcopacy, and so involve its maintainor in an argument.
Doubtless the more clear and simple principle for a Churchman to
hold, is that of a Ministerial Succession ; which is undeniable as a
fact, while it is most reasonable as a doctrine, and suflSciently coun
tenanced in Scripture for its practical reception. Of this. Episcopa
cy, i. e. Superintendence, is but an accident ; though, for the sake of
conciseness, it is often spoken of by us as synonimous with it. It
shall be the object of the following Tract to insist upon this higher
characteristic of our Church.
My position then is this ; — that the Apostles appointed successors
to their ministerial office, and the latter in turn appointed others, and
so on to the present day ; — and further, that the Apostles and their
Successors have in every age committed portions of their power and
authority to others, who thus become their delegates, and in a mea
sure their representatives, and are called Priests and Deacons. The
result is an Episcopal system, because ofthe practice of delegation ;
but we may conceive their keeping their powers altogether to them
selves, and in the same proportion in which this was done, would
the Church polity cease to be Episcopalian. We may conceive the
Order of Apostolic Vicars, (so to call it,) increased, till one of them
was placed in every village, and took the oflice of parish Priest. I do
not say such a measure would be justifiable or pious ; — doubtless it
would be a departure from the rule of antiquity ; but it is conceiva
ble ; and it is useful to conceive it, in order to form a clear notion
of the Essence of the Church System, and the defective state of those
Christian Societies, which are separate from the Church Catholic. It
is a common answer made to those who are called High Church
men, to say, that " if God had intended the form of Church Govern-

45
ment to be of great consequence, He would have warded His will in
this matter more clearly in Scripture." Now enough has already
been said to show the irrelevancy of such a remark. We need not
deny to the Church the abstract right, (however we may question
the propriety,) of altering its own constitution. It is not merely be
cause Episcopacy is a better or more scriptural form than Presbyte-
rianism, (true as this may be in itself,) that Episcopalians are right,
and Presbyterians are wrong ; but because the Presbyterian Minis
ters have assumed a power, which was never intrusted to them.
They have presumed to exercise the power of ordination, and to
perpetuate a succession of ministers, without having received a com
mission to do so. This is the plain fact that condemns them ; and is
a standing condemnation, from which they cannot escape, except by
artifices of argument, which will serve equally to protect the self-
authorized teacher of religion. If they may ordain without being
sent to do so, others may teach and preach without being sent. They
hold a middle position, which is untenable as destroying itself; for if
Christians can do without Bishops, (i. e. Commissioned Ordainers,)
they may do without Commissioned Ministers, (i. e. the Priests and
Deacons.) If an imposition of hands is necessary to convey one
gift, why should it not be to convey another ?
1. As to the fact ofthe Apostolical Succession, i. e. that our pre
sent Bishops are the heirs and representatives of the Apostles by
successive transmission of the prerogative of being so, this is too no
torious to require proof. Every link in the chain is known from St.
Peter to our present Metropolitans. Here then I only ask, Icjoking
at this plain fact by itself, is there not something of a divine provi
dence in it ? can we conceive that this Succession has been preserv
ed all over the world, amid many revolutions, through many centu
ries, _/br nothing ? Is it wise or pious to despise or neglect a gift thus
transmitted to us in matter of fact, even if Scripture did not touch
upon the subject ?
2. Next, consider how natural is the doctrine of a Succession.
When an individual comes to me, claiming to speak in the name of
the Most High, it is natural to ask him for his authority. If he re
plies, that we are all bound to instruct each other, this reply is in
telligible, but in the very form of it excludes the notion of a minis
terial order, i. c. a class of persons set ap&rt from others for religious
offices. If he appeals to some miraculous gift, this too is intelligible,
and only unsatisfactory when the alleged gift is proved to be a fic
tion. No other answer can be given, except a reference to some
person, who has given him license to exercise ministerial functions ;
then follows the question, how that individual gained his authority to
do so. In the case of the Catholic Church, the person referred to,
i. e. the Bishop, has received it from a, predecessor, and he from
another, and so on, till we arrive at the Apostles themselves, and
thence our Lord and Saviour. It is superfluous to dwell on i

46
so plain a principle, which in matters of this world we act upon
daily. 3. Lastly, the argument frrnn Scripture is surely quite clear to
those, who honestly wish direction ior practice. Christ promised
He would be with His Apostles always, as ministers of his religion,
even unto the end of the worid. In one sense the Apostles were to
be alive till He came again ; but they all died at the natural time.
Does it not follow that there are those now alive who represent them ?
Now who were the most probable representatives of them in the
generation next their death? They sorely, whom they have or
dained to succeed them in the ministerial work. If any persons
could be said to have Christ's power and presence, and the gifts
of ruling and ordaining, of teaching, of binding and loosing, (and
comparing together the various Scriptures on the subject, all these
seem included in His promise to be with the Church always,) surely
those on whom the Apostles laid their hands, were they. And so in
the next age, if any were representatives of the first representatives,
they must be the next generation of Bishops, and so on. Nor does
it materially alter the argument, though we suppose the blessing upon
Ministerial Offices made, not to the Apostles, but to the whole body
of Disciples ; i. e. the Church. For, even if it be the Church that
has the power of ordination committed to it, still it exercises it
through the Bishops as its organs ; and the question recurs, how has the
Presbytery in this or that country obtained the power ? The Church
certainly has from the first committed it to the Bishops, and has never
resumed it ; and the Bishops have no where committed it to the
Presbytery, who therefore cannot be in possession of it.
However, it is merely for argument sake that I make this allow
ance, as to the meaning of the text in Mat. xxviii ; for our Lord's
promise of His presence " unto the end of the world," was made to
the Apostles, by themselves. At the same time, let it be observed
what force is added to the argument for the Apostolical Succession,
by the acknowledged existence in Scripture of the doctrine of a
standing Church, or permanent Body Corporate for spiritual pur
poses. For, if Scripture has formed all Christians into one con
tinuous community through all ages, (which I do not here prove,) it
is but according to the same analogy, that the Ministerial Office
should be vested in an Order, propagated from age to age, on a
principle of Succession. And, if we proceed to considerations of
utihty and expedience, it is plain, that, according to our notions, it is
more necessary that a Ministry should be perpetuated by a fixed law,
than that the comniunity of Christians should be, which can scarcely
be considered to be vested with any powers, such as to require the
visible authority which a Succession supplies.

No. 8.
THE GOSPEL A LAW OF LIBERTY.

It is a matter of surprise to some persons, that the ecclesiastical
system under which we find ourselves, is so faintly enjoined on us in
Scripture. One very sufficient explanation ofthe fact will be found
in considering that the Bible is not intended to teach us matters of
discipline so much as matters of faith ; i. e. those doctrines, the re
ception of which are necessary to salvation. But another reason
may be suggested, which is well worth our attentive consideration.
The Gospel is a law of Liberty. We are treated as sons, not as
servants ; not subjected to a code of formal commands, but addressed
to those who love God, and wish to please Him. When a man gives
orders to those who he thinks will mistake him, or are perverse, he
speaks pointedly and explicitly ; but when he gives directions to
friends, he will trust much to their knowledge of his feelings and
wishes, he leaves much to their discretion, and tells them not so
much what he would have done in detail, as what are the objects he
would have accomplished. Now this is the way Christ has spoken
to us under the New Covenant ; and apparently with this reason,
to try us, whether or not we really love Him as our Lord, and Sa
viour. Accordingly, there is no part, perhaps, of the ecclesiastical sys
tem, which is not faintly traced in Scripture, and no part which is
much more than faintly traced. The question which a reverend
and affectionate faith will ask, is, "what is most likely to please
Christ ?" And this is just the question that obtains an answer in
Scripture ; which contains just so much as intimations of what is
most likely to please Him. Of course different minds will differ as
to the degree of clearness with which this or that practice is en
joined, yet I think no one will consider the state of the case, as I
have put it, exaggerated on the whole.
Many duties are intimated to us by example, not by precept —
many are implied merely — others can only be inferred from a com
parison of passages — and others perhaps are contained only in the
Jewish Law. I will mention some specimens to assist the reflection
of the reader.
The early Christians were remarkable for keeping to the Apos
tles' fellowship. Who are more likely to stand in the Apostles' place
since their death, than that line of Bishops which they themselves be
gan ? for that the Apostles were in some sense or other to remain on i

48
Earth to the end of all things, is plain from the text, " Lo, I am with
you alway," &c.
St. Paul set Timothy over the Church at Ephesus, and Titus over
the Churches of Crete ; i. e. as Bishops ; therefore it is safer to
have Bishops now, it is more likely to be pleasing to Him who has
loved us, and bids us in turn love Him with the heart, not with
formal service.
Our Lord committed the Administration ofthe Lord's Supper to
His Apostles ; " Do this in remembrance of Me ;" — ^therefore the
Church has ever continued it in the hands of their Successors, and
the delegates of these. •
From Christ's words, " Suffer the little children," «Sz;c. and from
His blessing them, we infer His desire that children should be brought
near to Him in baptism ; — as we do also from St. Paul's conduct on
several occasions. Acts xvi. 15, 33. 1 Cor. i. 16.
So also we continue the practice of Confirmation, from a desire
to keep as near the Apostles' rule as possible.
Again, what little is there of express command in the New Tes-
lament for our meeting together in public worship, in large congre
gations ! Yet we see what the custom of the Apostolic Church was
from the book of Acts, 1 Cor. &c. and we follow it.
In like manner, the words in Genesis ii. and the practice of the
Apostles in the Acts, are quite warrant enough for the Sanctifica-
tion of the Lord's Day, even though the fourth Commandment were
not binding on us.
For the same reason we continue the Patriarchal and Jewish rule
of paying tithe to the Church. Some portion of our goods is evi
dently due to God ; — and the ancient Divine Command is a direc
tion to us, which the law of the land has made obligatory, in a case
where reason and conscience have no means of determining.
These may be taken as illustrations of a general principle. And
at this day it is most needful to keep it in view, since a cold spirit has
crept into the Church of demanding rigid demonstration for every
religious practice and observance. It is the fashion now to speak of
those who maintain the ancient rules of the ecclesiastical system, not
as zealous servants of Christ, not as wise and practical expounders
of His will, but as inconclusive reasoners and fanciful theorists,
merely because, instead of standing still and arguing, they have a
heart to obey. Are there not numbers in this day, who think them
selves enlightened believers, yet who are but acting the part of the
husbandman's son in the Gospel, who said, " I go, sir," — ^and went
NOT,

CHURCH REFORM.

Surely, before the blessing of a Millenium were vouchsafed to
us, if it be to come, the whole Christian world has much to confess
in its several branches. Rome has to confess her Papal corruptions,
and her cruelty towards those who refuse to accept them. The
Christian communities of Holland, Scotland, ,and other countries,
their neglect of the Apostolical Order of Ministers. The Greek
Church has to confess its saint-worship, its formal fasts, and its want
of zeal. The Churches of Asia their heresy. All parts of Christen
dom have much to confess and reform. We have our sins as well
as the rest. Oh that we would take the lead in the renovation of
the Church Catholic on Scripture principles !
Our greatest sin perhaps is the disuse of a " godly discipline," Lei
the reader consider
1. The command.
" Put away from yourselves the wicked person." " A man that is a heretic, after the first
and second admonition reject." " Mark them which cause divisions and offences,  and
avoid them."
2. The example, viz. in the Primitive Church.
" The Persons or Objects of Ecclesiastical Censure were all such delinquents, as fell into
great and scandalous crimes after baptism, whether men or women, priests or people, rich
or poor, princes or subjects." Bing. Antiq. xvi. 3.
3. The warning.
" Whosoever .... shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven."

No. 9.
[ad Populum.]
ON SHORTENING THE CHURCH SERVICES.

There is a growing feeling that the Services of the Church are too
long ; and many persons think it a sound feeling, merely because it
is a growing one. Let such as have not made up their minds on the
subject, suffer themselves before going into the arguments against our
Services, to be arrested by the following considerations.
The Services of our Church, as they now stand, are but a very
small part of the ancient Christian worship ; and, though people now-
a-days think them too long, there can be no doubt that the primitive
7

50
believers would have thought them too short. Now, I am far from
considering this as a conclusive argument in the question ; as if the
primitive believers were right, and people now-a-days wrong ; but
surely others may fairiy be called upon not to assume the reverse.
On such points, it is safest to assume nothing, but to take facts as we
find them ; and the facts are these.
In ancient times Christians understood very literally all that the
Bible says about prayer. David had said, " Seven times a day do I
praise thee ;" and St. Paul had said, " Pray always." These texts they
did not feel at liberty to explain away, but complying with them to
the letter, praised God seven times a day, besides their morning and
evening prayer. Their hours of devotion were, in the day time, 6,
9, 12, and 3, which were called Horae Canonicae ; in the night, 9,
12, and 3, which were called the Nocturns ; and besides these the
hour of day-break and of retiring to bed ; not that they set apart
these hours in the first instance for public worship, — this was impos
sible ; but they seem to have aimed at praying with one accord, and
at one time, even when they could not do so in one place. " The
Universal Church," says Bishop Patrick, " anciently observed certain
set hours of prayer, that all Christians throughout the world might
at the same time join together to glorify God ; and some of them
were of opinion, that the Angelical Host, being acquainted with those
hours, took that time to join their prayers and praises with those of
the Church." The Hymns and Psalms appropriated to these hours,
were, in the first instance, intended only for private meditation ; but
afterwards when Religious Societies were formed, and persons who
had withdrawn from secular business, lived together for purposes of
devotion, chanting was introduced, and they were arranged for con
gregational worship. Throughout the Churches which used the Latin
tongue, the same Services were adopted with very little variation ;
and in Roman Catholic countries they continue in use, with only a
few modern interpolations, even to this day.
The length of these Services will be in some degree understood
from the fact, that in the course of every week they go through the
whole book of Psalms. The writer has been told by a distinguished
person, who was once a Roman Catholic Priest, that the time re
quired for their performance averages three hours a day throughout
the year.
The process of transition from the primitive mode of worship to
that now used in the Church of England, was gradual. Long before
the abolition of the Latin Service, the ancient hours of worship had
fallen into disuse ; in religious Societies the daily and nightly Services
had been arranged in groups, under the names of Matins and Ves
pers ; and those who prayed in private were allowed to suit their
hours of prayer to their convenience, provided only that they went
through the whole Services each day. Neither is it to be supposed
that this modified demand was at all generally complied with. Thus,

51
in the course of time, the views and feelings, with which prayer had
been regarded by the early Christians, became antiquated ; the forms
remained, but stripped of their original meaning; Services were
compressed into one which had been originally distinct ; the idea of
united worship, with a view to which identity of time and language
had been maintained in different nations, was forgotten ; the identity
of time had been abandoned, and the identity of language was not
thought worth preserving. Conscious of the incongruity of primitive
forms and modern feelings, our Reformers undertook to construct a
Service more in accordance with the spirit of their age. They
adopted the English language ; they curtailed the already compress
ed ritual of the early Christians, so arranging it that the Psalms
should be gone through monthly, instead of weekly ; and carrying
the spirit of compression still further, they added to the Matin Ser
vice what had hitherto been wholly distinct from it, the Mass Ser
vice or Communion.
Since the Reformation, the same gradual change in the prevailing
notions of prayer has worked its way silently, but generally. The
Services, as they were left by the Reformers, were, as they had been
from the first ages, daily Services ; they are now weekly Services.
Are they not in a fair way to become monthly ?

SUNDAY LESSONS.

There are persons who wish certain Sunday Lessons removed
from our Service, e. g. some of those selected for Lent, — nay, Jere
miah V. xxii. : and fhis, on the ground that it is painful to the feelings
of Clergymen to read them. Waving other considerations which
may be urged against innovation in this matter, may we not allow
some weight to the following, which is drawn from the very argu
ment brought in favour of the change ? Will not the same feeling
which keeps men from reading the account of certain sins and their
punishment from the Bible, much more keep them from mentioning
them in the pulpit 1 Is it not necessary that certain sins, which it is
distressing to speak of, should be seriously denounced, as being not
the less frequent in commission, because they are disgraceful in lan
guage ? And if so, is it not a most considerate provision of the
Church to relieve her Ministers ofthe pain of using their own words,
and to allow them to shelter their admonitions under the holy and
reverend language of Inspired Scripture ?

No. IQ.
HEADS OF A WEEK-DAY LECTURE,
delivered to a country congregation in  shire.

Before we meet again, we shall have celebrated the feast of St.
Simon and St. Jude, the Apostles. You will be at your daily work,
and will not have the opportunity to attend the service in church.
For that reason, it may be as well, you should lay up some good
thoughts against that day ; and such, by God's blessing, I will now
attempt to give you.
As you well know, there were twelve Apostles ; St. Simon and
St. Jude were two of them. They preached the Gospel of Christ ;
and they were like Christ, as far as sinful man may be accounted
like the blessed Son of God. They were like Christ in then-
deeds and in their sufferings. The Gospel for the festival* shows
us this. They were like Christ in their works, because Christ
was a witness of the Father, and they were witnesses of Christ.
Christ came in the name of God the Father Almighty ; He " came
and spoke," and "did works which none other man did." In
like manner, the Apostles were sent " to bear witness of Christ, to
declare His power. His great mercy. His sufferings on the cross
for the sins of all men. His willingness to save all who come to
Him." But again, they were like Christ in their sufferings. " If the
world hate you," He says to them, " you know that it hated Me,
before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own ; but because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Re
member the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater
than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also per
secute you ; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also."
Thus they were like Christ in office. I do not speak of their
holiness, their faith, and all their other high excellences, which God
the Holy Ghost gave them. I speak now, not of their personal gra
ces, but of their office, of preaching, of witnessing Christ, of suflTer
ing for being His servants. Men ought to have listened to thera,
and honoured them ; some did ; but the many, the world did not —
they hated them ; they hated them, for their office-sake ; not because
they were Paul, and Peter, and Simon, and Jude, but because they
bore witness to the Son of God and were chosen to be His Ministers.
* John zv. 17.

53
Here is a useful lesson for us at this day. The Apostles indeed
are dead ; yet it is quite as possible for men still to hate their preach
ing and to persecute them, as when they were alive. For in one
sense they are still alive ; I mean they did not leave the world
without appointing persons to take their place ; and these persons
represent them, and may be considered with reference to us, as ii
they were the Apostles. When a man dies, his son takes his pro
perty, and represents him ; that is, in a manner he still lives in the
person of his son. Well, this explains how the Apostles may be
said to be still among us ; they did not indeed leave their sons to
succeed them as Apostles, but they left spiritual sons ; they did not
leave this life, without first solemnly laying their hands on the heads
of certain of their flock, and these took their place, and represented
them after their death.
But it may be asked, are these spiritual sons of the Apostles still
alive ? no ; — all this took place many hundred years ago. These
sons and heirs of the Apostles died long since. But then they in
turn did not leave the world without committing their sacred office
to a fresh set of Ministers, and they in turn to another, and so on
even to this day. Thus the Apostles had, first, spiritual sons ; then
spiritual grandsons ; then great grandsons ; and so on from one
age to another down to the present time.
Again, it may be asked, who are at this time the successors and
spiritual descendants of the Apostles ? I shall surprise some people
by the answer I shall give ; though it is very clear, and there is no
doubt about it ; the bishops. They stand in the place of the Apos
tles ; and, whatever we ought to do, had we lived when the Apostles
were alive, the same ought we to do for the Bishops. He that
despises them, despises the Apostles. It is our duty to reverence
them for their office-sake'; they are the shepherds of Christ's flock.
If we knew them well, we should love them for the many excellent
graces they possess, for their piety, loving kindness, and other virtues.
But we do not know them ; yet still, for all this, we may honour
them as the ministers of Christ, without going so far as to consider
their private worth ; and we may keep to their " fellowship,"* as we
^should to that ofthe Apostles. I say, we may all thus honour them
even without knowing them in private, becau.se of their high office ;
for they have the marks of Christ's presence upon them, in that
they witness for Christ, and suffer for Him, as the Apostles did.
I will explain to you how this is.
There is a temptation which comes on many men to honour no
one, except such as they themselves know, such as have done a fa
vour or kindness to them personally. Thus sometimes people speak
against those who are put over them in this world's matters, as the
King. They say, " What is the King to me ? he never did me any
good." Now, I answer, whether he did or not, is nothing to the
* Acts a 42.

54
purpose. We are bound fw Christ's sake to honour him because
he is King, though he lives far from us ; and this all well-disposed
right-minded people do. And so, in just the same way, though for
much higher reasons, we must honour the Bishop, because he is the
Bishop;— for his oj^ce-sake ;— because he is Christ's Minister,
stands in the place of the Apostles, is the Shepherd of our souls on
earth while Christ is away. This is Faith, to look at things not
as seen, but as unseen ; to be as sure that the Bishop is Christ's
appointed Representative, as if we actually saw upon his head a
cloven tongue like as of fire, as you may read in the second chapter
ofthe Acts ofthe Apostles.
'But you will say, how do we know this, since we do not see it.
I repeat, the Bishops are Apostles to us, from their witnessing
Christ, and suffering for Him.
' 1. They witness Christ in their very name, for He is the true
Bishop of our souls, as St. Peter says, and they are Bishops. They
witness Christ in their station ; — there is but one Lord to save us,
and there is but one Bishop in each place. The meetingers have
no head, they are all of them mixed together in a confused way ;
but we of Christ's Holy Church have one Bishop over us, and our
Bishop is the Bishop of  . Many of you have seen him lately,
when he confirmed in our church. That very confirmation is ano
ther ordinance, in which the Bishop witnesses Christ. Our Lord
confirms us with the Spirit in all goodness ; the Bishop is His figure
and likeness, when he lays his hands on the heads of children. Then
Christ comes to them, to confirm in them the grace of Baptism.
Moreover, the Bishop rules the whole Church here below, as Christ
rules it above ; and here again the Bishop is a figure or witness of
Christ. And further, it is the Bishop who makes us Clergymen
God's Ministers. He is Christ's instrument ; and he visibly chooses
those whom Christ chooses invisibly, to serve in the Word and
Sacraments of the Church. And thus it is from the Bishop that the
news of redemption and the means of grace have come to all men ;
this again is a witnessing Christ. I, who speak to you concerning
Christ, was ordained to do so by the Bishop ; he speaks in me, —
as Christ wrought in him, and as God sent Christ. Thus the
whole plan of salvation hangs together. — Christ the true Mediator
above ; His servant, the Bishop, His earthly likeness ; mankind the i
subjects of His teaching ; God the Author of Salvation.
2. But I must now mention the more painful part of the subject,
i. e. the sufferings ofthe Bishops, which is the second mark of their
being our living Apostles. The Bishops have undergone this trial
in every age. As the first Apostles were hated and persecuted, so
have they ever been. Time was, when they were cruelly slain by
fire and sword. That time, (though God avert it !) may come
again. But whether or not Satan is permitted so openly to rage,
certainly some kinds of persecution are to be expected in our day ;

65
nay, such have begun. It is not so very long since the great men
of the earth told them to prepare for peisecutvm ; it is not so very
long since the mad people answered the summons, and furiously
attacked them, and seemed bent on destroying them, in all parts of
the country.
Yes I the day may come, even in this generation, when the Re
presentatives of Christ are spoiled of their sacred possessions, and
degraded from their civil dignities. The day may come when each
of us inferior Ministers — when I myself, whom you know — may have
to give up our Churches, and be among j'ou, in no better temporal
circumstances than yourselves ; with no larger dwelling, no finer
clothing, no other fare, with nothing different beyond those gifts,
which I trust we gained when we were made Ministers ; and those
again, which have been vouchsafed to us before and after that time,
for the due fulfilment of our Ministry. Then you will look at us,
not as gentlemen, as now ; not as your superiors in worldly station,
but still, nay, more strikingly so than now, still as messengers from
Him, who seeth and worketh in secret, and who judgeth not by out
ward appearance. Then you will honour us, with a purer honour
than you do now, namely, as those who are intrusted with the keys
of heaven and hell, as the heralds of mercy, as the denouncers of
wo to wicked men, as intrusted with the awful and mysterious gift
of making the bread and wine Christ's body and blood, as far
greater than the most powerful and the wealthiest of men in our un
seen strength and our heavenly riches. This may all come in our
day ; and I can hardly wish it should not come, painful as is the
thought of the great wickedness, which those men must show forth,
who persecute us ; painful as is the thought of the sufferings, which
that persecution will cause us. And, after all, if God's loving kind
ness spares both us and you the trial, still it will have been useful
to have steadily thought about it beforehand, and to have prepared
our hearts to meet it.

NO 11.
THE VISIBLE CHURCH.
(In Letters to a Friend.)

LETTER I.
My Dear — ^You wish to have my opinion on the doctrine of
" the Holy Catholic Church," as contained in Scripture, and taught
in the Creed. So I send you the following lines, which perhaps
may serve, through God's blessing, to assist you in your search after

56
the truth in this matter, even though they do no more ; indeed no
remarks, however just, can be much more than an assistance to you.
You must search for yourself, and God must teach you.
I think I partly enter into your present perplexity. You argue,
that true doctrine is the important matter for which we must con
tend, and a right state of the affections is the test of vital religion in
the heart ; and you ask, " Why may I not be satisfied if my Creed
is correct, and my affections spiritual ? Have I not in that case
enough to evidence a renewed mind, and to constitute a basis of
union with others like minded? The love of Christ is surely
the one and only requisite for Christian communion here, and the
joys of heaven hereafter." Again you say, that  and  are
constant in their prayers for the teaching of the Holy Spirit ; so
that if it be true, that every one who asketh receiveth, surely they
must receive, and are in a safe state.
Believe me, I do not think lightly of these arguments. They are
very subtle ones ; powerfully influencing the imagination, and diffi
cult to answer. Still I believe them to be mere falacies. Let me
try them in a parallel case. You know the preacher at  , and
have heard of his flagrantly immoral life ; yet it is notorious that he
can and does speak in a moving way of the love of Christ, «Sz;c. It
is very shocking to witness such a case, which (we will hope) is
rare ; but it has its use. Do you not think him in peril, in spite of
his impressive and persuasive language ? Why ? — You will say, his
life is bad. True ; it seems then that more is requisite for salvation
than an orthodox creed, and keen sensibilities ; viz. consistent
conduct. — Very well tlien, we have come to an additional test
of true faith, obedience to God's word, and plainly a scriptural
test, according to St. John's canon, " He who doeth righteousness is
righteous." Do not you see then your argument is already proved
to be unsound ? It seems that true doctrine and warm feelings are
not enough.. How am I to know what is enough ? you ask. I re
ply, by searching Scripture. It was your original fault that, instead
of inquiring what God has told you is necessary for being a true
Christian, you chose out of your own head to argue on the subject ;
— e. g. " I can never believe that to be such and such is not enough
for salvation," &c. Now this is worldly wisdom.
Let us join issue then on this plain ground, whether or not the
doctrine of " the Church," and the duty of obeying it, be laid down
in Scripture. If so, it is no matter as regards our practice, whether
the doctrine is primary or secondary, whether the duty is much or
little insisted on. A Christian mind will aim at obeying the whole
counsel and will of God ; on the other hand, to those who are tempt
ed arbitrarily to classify and select their duties, it is written, " Who
soever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven."
And here first, that you may clearly understand the ground I am

57
taking, pray observe that I am not attempting to controvert any one
of those high evangelical points, on which perhaps we do not alto
gether agree with each other. Perhaps you attribute less eflacacy
to the Sacrament of Baptism than I do ; bring out into greater sys
tem and prominence the history of an individual's warfare with his
spiritual enemies ; fix more precisely and abruptly the date of his
actual conversion from darkness to light ; and consider that Divine
Grace acts more arbitrarily against the corrupt human will, than I
think is revealed in Scripture. Still, in spite of this difference of
opinion, I see no reason why you should not accept heartily the
Scripture doctrine of " the Church." And this is the point I wish
to press, not asking you to abandon your present opinions, but
to add to them a practical belief in a tenet which the Creed teaches
and Scripture has consecrated. And this surely is quite possible.
The excellent Mr.  , of  , who has lately left  , was both
a Calvinist, and a strenuous High-Churchman.
You are in the practice of distinguishing between the Visible and
Invisible Church. Of course I have no wish to maintain, that those
who shall be saved hereafter are exactly the same company that are
under the means of grace here ; still I must insist on it, that Scrip
ture makes the existence of a Visible Church a condition of the ex.
istence of the Invisible. I mean, the Sacraments are evidently in
the hands of the Church Visible ; and these, we know, are general
ly necessary to salvation, as the Catechism says. Thus it is an un
deniable fact, as true as that souls will be saved, that a Visible
Church must exist as a means towards that end. The Sacraments
are in the hands of the Clergy ; this few will deny, or that their ef
ficacy is not diminished by the personal character of the administra
tor. What then shall be thought of any attempts to weaken or ex
terminate that Community, or that Ministry, which is an appointed
condition of the salvation of the elect ? But every one, who makes
or encourages a schism, must weaken it. Thus it is plain, schism
must be wrong in itself, even if Scripture did not in express terms
forbid it, as it does.
But further than this ; it is plain this Visible Church is a standing
body. Every one who is baptized, is baptized into an existing com
munity. Our service expresses this when it speaks of baptized in
fants being incorporated into God's Holy Church. Thus the Visi
ble Church is not a voluntary association of the day, but a continu
ation of one which existed in the age before us, and then again in
the age before that; and so back till we come to the age of the
Apostles. In the same sense, in which Corporations of the State's
creating, are perpetual, is this which Christ has founded. This is
a matter of fact hitherto ; and it necessarily will be so always, for
is not the notion absurd of an unbaptized person baptizing others ?
which is the only way in which the Christian community can have
a new beginning. 8

58
Moreover, Scripture directly insists upon the doctrine of the Visi
ble Church as being of importance. E. g. St.' Paul says ;— " There
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of
all." Ephes. iv. 4—6. Thus, as far as the Apostle's words go, it
is as false and unchristian, (I do not mean in degree of guilt, but in
its intrinsic sinfulness,) to make more bodies than one, as to have
many Lords, many Gods, many Creeds. Now, I wish to know,
how it is possible for any one to fall into this sin, if Dissenters are
clear of it? What is the sin, if separation from the Existing Church
is not it ?
I have shown that there is a divinely instituted Visible Church,
and that it has been one and the same by successive incorporation
of members from the beginning. Now I observe further, that the
word Church, as used in Scripture, ordinarily means this actually
existing visible body. The exceptions to this rule, out of about 100
places in the New Testament, where the word occurs, are four pas
sages in the Epistle to the Ephesians ; two in the Colossians ; and
one in the Hebrews. (Eph. i. 22. iii. 10, 21. v. 23—32. Col. i. 18,
24. Heb. xii. 23.) — And in some of these exceptions the sense is
at most but doubtful. Further, our Saviour uses the word twice,
and in both times of the Visible Church. They are remarkable pas
sages, and may here be introduced, in continuation of my argument.
Matth. xvi. 18. " Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now I am certain, any
unprejudiced mind, who knew nothing of controversy, considering
the Greek word 'sxxXrjrfia means simply an assembly, would have no
doubt at all that it meant in this passage a visible body. What right
have we to disturb the plain sense ? why do we impose a meaning,
arising from some system of our own ? And this view is altogether
confirmed by the other occasion of our Lord's using it, where it can
only denote the Visible Church. Matt, xviii. 17. "If he (thy brother)
shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church ; but if he neglect
to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a
publican." Observe then what we gain by these two passages ; — the grant of
power to the Church ; and the promise of permanence. Now look
at the fact. The body then begun has continued ; and has always
claimed and exercised the power of a corporation or society. Con
sider merely the article in the Creed, " The Holy Catholic Church ;"
which embodies this notion. Do not Scripture and History illus
trate each other ?
I end this first draught of my argument, with the text in 1 Tim.
iii. 15., in which St. Paul calls the Church "the pillar and ground
of the Truth," — which can refer to nothing but a Visible Body ; else
martyrs may be invisible, and preachers, and teachers, and the whole
order of the Ministry.

59
My paper is exhausted. If you allow me, I will send you soon a
second Letter ; meanwhile I sum up what I have been proving from
Scripture thus ; that Almighty God might have left Christianity as
a sort of sacred literature, as contained in the Bible, which each
person was to take and use by himself; just as we read the works
of any human philosopher or historian, from which we gain practi
cal instruction, but the knowledge of which does not bind us to be
Newtonians, or Aristotelians, «Sz;c. or to go out of our line of life in
consequence of it. This, I say. He might have done ; but, in mat
ter of fact, He has ordained otherwise. He has actually set up a
Society, which exists even at this day all over the world, and which,
(as a general rule,) Christians are bound to join ; so that to believe
in Christ, is not a mere opinion or a secret conviction, but a social
or even a political principle, forcing one into what is often stigma
tized as party strife, and quite inconsistent with the supercilious
mood of those professed Christians of the day, who stand aloof, and
designate their indifference as philosophy. Ever yours.

LETTER II.
My Dear — I am sometimes struck with the inconsistency of
those who do not allow us to express the gratitude due to the Church,
while they do not hesitate to declare their obligation to individuals
who have benefited them. To avow that they owe their views of
religion and their present hopes of salvation to this or that distin
guished preacher, appears to them as harmless, as it may be in itself
true and becoming ; but if a person ascribes his faith and knowledge
to the Church, he is thought to forget his peculiar and unspeakable
debt to that Saviour who died for him. Surely, if our Lord makes
man His instrument of good to man, and if it is possible to be grate
ful to man without forgetting the Source of all grace and power,
there is nothing wonderful in His having appointed a company of
men as the especial medium of His instruction and spiritual gifts, and
in consequence of His having laid upon us the duty of gratitude to
it. Now this is all I wish to maintain, what is most clearly, (as I
think,) revealed in Scripture, that the blessings of redemption come
to us through the Visible Church ; so that, as we betake ourselves
to a Dispensary for medicine, without attributing praise or intrinsic
worth to the building or the immediate managers of its stores, in
something of the like manner we are to come to that One Society,
to which Christ has intrusted the oflice of stewardship in the distri
bution of gifts of which He alone is the Author and real Dispenser,

60
In the letter I sent you the other day, I made sorne general re
marks on this doctrine ; now let me continue the subject.
First, the Sacraments, which are the ordinary means of grace, are
clearly in possession of the Church. Baptism is an incorporation
into a body ; and invests with spiritual blessings, because it is the
introduction into a body so invested. In 1 Cor. xii. we are taught
first, the Spirit's indwelling in the Visible Church or body ; I do
not say in every member of it, but generally in it ; — next, we are
told that the Spirit baptizes individuals into that body. Again, the
Lord's Supper carries evidence of its social nature even in its name ;
it is not a solitary individual act, it is a joint communion. Surely
nothing is more alien to Christianity than the spirit of Independence ;
the peculiar Christian blessing, i. e. the presence of Christ, is upon
tux) or three gathered together, not on mere individuals.
But this is not all. The Sacraments are committed, not into the
hands of the Church Visible assembled together, (though even this
would be no unimportant doctrine practically,) but into certain defi
nite persons, who are selected from their brethren for that trust. I
will not here determine who these are in each successive age, but
will only point out how far this principle itself will carry us. The
doctrine is implied in the original institution of the Lord's Supper,
where Christ says to His Apostles, " Do this." Further, take that
remarkable passage in Matth. xxiv. 45 — 51, Luke xii. 42 — 46, " Who
then is that faithful and wise Steward, whom his Lord shall make
ruler over His household, to give them their portion of meat in due
season ? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh,
shall find so doing !" &c. Now I do not inquire who in every age are
the stewards spoken of, (though in my own mind I cannot doubt the
line of Bishops is that Ministry, and consider the concluding verses
fearfully prophetic of the Papal misuse of the gift ; — by the bye, at
least it shows this, that bad men may nevertheless be the channels
of grace to God's " household,") I do not ask who are the stewards,
but surely the words, when He cometh, imply that they are to con
tinue till the end of the world. This reference is abundantly con-
firnned by our Lord's parting words to the eleven ; in which, after
giving them the baptismal commission. He adds, " Lo 1 1 am with you
always, even unto the end of the world." If then He was with the
Apostles in a way in which he was not present with teachers who
were strangers to their " fellowship," (Acts ii. 42.) which all will
admit, so, in like manner, it cannot be a matter of indifference in any
age, what teachers and fellovs^ship a Christian selects ; there must
be those with whom Christ is present, who are His 't Stewards,"
and whom it is our duty to obey.
As I have mentioned the question of faithfulness and unfaithful
ness in Ministers, I may refer to the passage in 1 Cor. iv. where St.
Paul, after speaking of himself and others as " Stewards of the mys
teries of God," and noticing that " it is required of Stewards, that a

61
man be found faithful," adds, " With me it is a very small thing that
I should be judged of you or of man's judgment .... therefore
judge nothing before the tijne."
To proceed : consider the following passage : " Obey them that
have rule over you, and submit yourselves." Heb. xiii. 17. Again
I do not ask who these are ; but whether this is not a duty, however
it is to be fulfilled, which. multitudes in no sense fulfil. Consider the
number of people, professing and doubtless in a manner really actu
ated by Christian principle, who yet wander about from church to
church, or from church to meeting, as sheep without a shepherd, or
who choose a preacher merely because he pleases their taste, and
whose first movement towards any clergyman they meet, is to exa
mine and criticise his doctrine, what conceivable meaning do they
put upon these words of the Apostle ? Does any one rule over them ?
do they in any way submit themselves ? Can these persons excuse
their conduct, except on the deplorably profane plea, (which yet I
believe is in their hearts at the bottom of their disobedience,) that it
matters little to keep Christ's " least commandments," so that we
embrace the peculiar doctrines of His gospel ?
Some time ago I drew up a sketch of the Scripture proof of the
doctrine ofthe Visible Church ; which with your leave I will here
transcribe. You will observe, I am not arguing for this or that form
of Polity, or for the Apostolical Succession, but simply the duties of
order, union, and ecclesiastical obedience ; I limit myself to these
points, as being persuaded that, when they are granted, the others
will eventually follow.
I. That there was a Visible Church in the Apostles' day.
1. General texts. Matt. xvi. 18. xviii. 17. 1 Tim. iii. 15. Acts
passim, «fec.
2. Organization of the Church.
(1) Diversity of ranks. 1 Cor. xii. Eph. iv. 4 — 12. Rom.
xii. 4— 8. 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11.
(2) Governors. Matt, xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15, 16. John
XX. 22, 23. Luke xxii. 19, 20. Gal. ii. 9, «Sz;c.
(3) Gifts. Luke xii. 42, 43. John xx. 22, 23. Matt, xviii.
18.
(4) Order. Acts viii. 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 17. xi. 22, 23. xi. 2,
4. ix. 27. XV. 2, 4, 6, 25. xvi. 4. xviii. 22. xxi. 17—19.
conf. Gal. i. 1, 12. 1 Cor. xiv. 40. 1 Thes. v. 14.
(5) Ordination. Acts vi. 6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. v. 22. 2 Tim.
i. 6. Tit. i. 5. Acts xiii. 3. cf. Gal. i. 1,12.
(6) Ecclesiastical obedience. 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. Heb. xiii. 17.
Tim. V. 17.
(7) Rules and discipline. Matt, xxviii. 19. Matt, xviii. 17.
1 Cor. v. 4—7. Gal. v. 12, &c. 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. 1 Cor.
xi. 2, 16, &c.

62
(8) Unity. Rom, xvi, 17, 1 Cor. i. 10. iii, 3. xiv, 26, Col.
ii. 5. 1 Thes. v. 14. 2 Thes. iii. 6.
II. That the Visible Church, thus instituted by the Apostles, was
intended to continue.
1. Why should it not ? The onus probandi lies with those who
deny this position. If the doctrines and precepts already cited
are obsolete at this day, why should not the following texts ?
e. g. 1 Pet. ii. 13. or, e. g. Matt. vii. 14. John iii. 3.
2. Is it likely so elaborate a system should be framed, yet with
no purpose of its continuing 1
3. The objects to be obtained by it are as necessary now as then.
(1.) Preservation of the faith. (2.) Purity of doctrine. (3.) Edi
fication of Christians. (4.) Unity of operation. Vid. Epists.
to Tim. & Tit. passim.
4. If system were necessary in a time of miracles, much more is
it now.
5. 2 Tim. ii. 2. Matt, xxviii. 20, &c.
Take these remarks, as they are meant, as mere suggestions for
your private consideration, and believe me, &c. &c.

No. 12.
BISHOPS, PRIESTS, AND DEACONS.
RICHARD NELSON:
I.

" It IS evident unto all men diligently reading the Holy Scripture and ancient authors,that
from the Apostles' tune there have been these orders of Ministers m Christ's Church •
Bishops, Pnests, and Deacons."— Pre/, to the Ordmation Service.
In the course of this last summer of 1833,1 had the pleasure of a
vi.sit from an old and valued friend, one of the most respectable
merchants in the city of Bristol, (and this, in my opinion, is no small
praise.) We were discussing one day the subject of National Schools, their
merits and demerits. He was pleading strenuously for them ; and
to confirm his argumdhts, " I will mention," said he, " a circumstance
which happened to me when I was in this part of the worid about
eleven or twelve years ago. I was travelling on a coach some
where between Sheffield and Leeds, when we took up a lad of

63
fourteen or fifteen years of age ; a rough country-looking boy, but
well-mannered and of an intelligent countenance.
" I found upon conversation with him, that he belonged to a Na
tional School in the neighbourhood, which he was, he said, on the
point of leaving. This gave me occasion to ask him various ques
tions, which he answered with so much readiness and vivacity, yet
without any self-conceit in his manner, that when the coach stopped
(I think it was at Barnsley) for a short time, I took him with me
into a Bookseller's shop, and desired him to select some book which
I might give him as a testimony of my approbation. After looking
at a few which the bookseller recommended, he fixed on a ' Selec
tion from Bishop Wilson's Works,' whose name, he said, he had
often heard. He begged me to write his name in it, which I did,
and we parted with mutual expressions of good-will ; and I will be
bold to prophesy that that boy (or young man as he must now be,
if he is still alive) is giving by his conduct stronger testimony in
favour of the National School System than a thousand of your spe
culating philosophers can bring against it."
" Well," said I, " you are apt to be sanguine in your views, but
as I must confess they are very often right, so I will hope you may
not have been deceived in this instance."
It so happened that two or three days after this conversation we
were taking a walk together, and discussing various topics, such as
the present state of things might well suggest, when we met a young
man, a neighbour of mine, a mason, who detained us two or three
minutes, while he asked my directions about some work he was
doing for me.
After he was out of hearing, — " That," said I, " is one of the most
respectable young men I know. Soon after I came here, more than
four years ago, he married a young woman of a disposition similar
to his own ; and they live in that cottage that you see there, to the
right of that row of beeches."
" I see it, I believe," said he, hardly looking the way I pointed,
and not altogether seeming pleased at having our conversation thus
interrupted. " He has two or three little children, and I believe sometimes it
goes hard with them, as in the winter work is short hereabouts, and
he does not like beating about far from honje. I sometimes tell
him he ought to look farther ; but he is so fond of his home, his
wife and children, that I verily think he would rather live on pota
toes seven days in the week with them, than have meat and beer
by himself. And besides, I know he does not relish the companions
he must work with at the town. However, on the whole, they do
tolerably well, as they have a garden of a fair size, and he never
spends an unnecessary penny."
" I am glad to hear it," said he ; " but we were talking about the
value of an apostolical succession in the ministry, were we not ?

64
and of the great ignorance and neglect now prevailing on the sub-
" We were," said I ; " but to tell you the truth, though I have
bestowed considerable attention on the subject, and examined the
various opinions which have been put forth on it, yet I have scarcely
learned so much hereon from the works of learned theologians, as
I have from repeated conversations with that very young man we
just now met."
" You surprise me," said he.
" You may be surprised, but it is however true, and, (if you have
no objection,) I will tell you how it was."
" By all means," he answered.
" When I first came to the parish I looked about for some person
to take charge of the Sunday School, as the master was old, and so
deaf as to be unequal to the work. I was recommended to apply
to Richard Nelson, (that is the man's name.") — Here my friend in
terrupted me, saying, " RichardNelson ? why, now I remember, that
was the very name of the boy I travelled with." " Indeed !" said
I, " then doubtless it is the same person : for his age will agree with
your account very well, and I know he was bred at  National
School." " Well," said he, " I am quite delighted to find myself a
true prophet in this instance." " Perhaps," said I, " you will be still
more pleased, when you have heard all I have to tell you : you will
find that your little present was by no means thrown away." " Go
on," said he, " I am all attention."
" I was telling you, I believe, that I requested Nelson to become
master of the Sunday School. After some little hesitation, he de
clined my oflfer, under the plea that he could not give constant and
regular attendance ; though he was willing to attend occasionally,
and render what assistance he could. So it was arranged that the
old master should still remain ; and I afterwards discovered that an
unwillingness to deprive him of the little emolument, was Nelson's
real reason for declining my offer. As the Sunday School is nearly
three-quarters of a mile from my house, in a direction beyond
Nelson's, along the Beech Walk, as we call it, it frequently happened
that we joined in company as we went to and fro. We generally
talked over such subjects as had reference to the School, or to the
state of religion in general : and, amongst other topics, that on which
you and I are conversing, — ^the authority of Christian ministers. I
remember it was on the following occasion that the subject was
started between us. I thought that I had observed, one Sunday,
that he was making the boys of his class, (our School professes to
be on the Bell System,) that he was, I say, making his boys read
the nineteenth and some other of the Thirty-nine Articles relating
to the ministerial office : and that afterwards he was explaining and
illustrating them, after his usual manner, by referring them to suita
ble parts of Scripture. On our walk homewards, I inquired if I

65
was right in my conjecture. He said. Yes : and that, in the pre
sent state of things, he could not help thinking it quite a duty to
direct the minds of young persons to such subjects. And on this
and many subsequent occasions, he set forth his opinions on the
matter, which I will state to you, as far as I can remember, in his
own words.
" My good mother," he said, " not long before her death, which
happened about half a year before I came to live here, said to me
very earnestly one day, as I was sitting by her bedside, — ' My dear
Richard, observe my words : never dare to trifle with God Al
mighty.' By this I understood her to mean, that in all religious ac
tions we ought to be very awful, and to seek nothing but what is
right and true. And I knew that she had always disapproved of
people's saying, as they commonly do, ' that it little matters what a
man's religion is, if he is but sincere ;' and ' that one opinion or one
place of worship is as good as another.' To say, or think, or act so,
she used to call ' Trifling with God's truth :' and do you not think.
Sir, (addressing himself to me,) that she was right ?"
" Indeed I do," said L
" And," he said, " I was much confirmed in these opinions oy con
stantly reading a very wise, and, as I may say to you, precious book,
which a gentleman gave me some years ago, whom I met by chance
when I was going to see my father in the infirmary. It is called a
Selection from Bishop Wilson's Works, and there are many places
in it which show what his opinions were on this subject ; and I sup
pose, sir, there can be no doubt that Bishop Wilson was a man of
extraordinary judgment and piety."
" He has ever been considered so," I answered.
" I could not think much of any one's judgment or piety either,
who should say otherwise," he replied ; " and what Bishop Wilson
says, is this, or to this effect : — That ' to reject the government of
Bishops, is to reject an ordinance of God.' "*
That " our salvation depends, under God, upon the ministry of
those whom Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost have appointed to
reconcile men to GoD."t
That " the personal failings of ministers do not make void their
commission."^ That " if the Unity ofthe Church is once made a light matter, and
he who is the centre of Unity, and in Christ's stead, shall come to
be despised, and his authority set at nought, then will error and infi
delity get ground ; Jesus Christ and His Gospel will be despised,
and the kingdom of Satan set up again here as well as in other na-
tions."|j With many other expressions like these.
" And yet, Sir," he continued, " the gentleman who lives over there,
(pointing to a great house in sight four or five miles off down the
valley,) who is said to be a person of much learning, and who does
* Sacr. Priv. t Senn, 88. t Ibid. || Charge 1721.
9

66
a great deal of good, he does not take the matter in the same light.
For he told a man of  whom I was working with, that if a per-
f son preached what was right and good, that was the best sign of hig
being ordained a minister, without the ceremony of laying on a
Bishop's hands upon his head. And the man that told me, very
much admired the opinion, in regard (he said) of its being so very
liberal, or some such word. Though I confess I could not exactly
see what there was so much to admire. Because, if the opinion
were true, it was good, and if it were false, it was bad, equally as
much (to my thinking) whether it were called liberal or bigoted."
" Doubtless you were right," said I. " And," he proceeded, " it
seemed to me, (and I told the man so,) like going round and round
in a wheel, to say. If he is God's minister, he preaches what is good ;
and if he preaches what is good, he is God's minister. For still the
question will be, what is right and good ? and some would say one
thing and some another ; and some would say there is nothing right
nor good at all in itself, but only as seems most expedient to every
person for the time being. So for my own satisfaction, and hoping
for God's blessing on my endeavour, I resolved to search the mat
ter out for myself as well as I could. My plan was this. First, to
see what was said on the subject in the Church Prayer Book, and
then to compare this with the Scriptures ; and if, after all, I could
not satisfy myself, I should have taken the liberty of consulting you.
Sir, if I had been here, or Mr.  , who was the minister at  ,
where I came from."
"Yours was a good plan," I said; "but I suppose you had for
gotten that the chief part of the Church Services which relate to
these subjects, is not contained in the Prayer Books which we com
monly use."
" I was aware of that," he answered, " but my wife's father had
been clerk of  parish, and it so happened that the churchwarden
had given him a large Prayer Book in which all the Ordination Ser
vices were quite perfect, though the book was ancient, and in some
parts very ragged. This book my wife brought with her when we
came here, and indeed she values it very highly on account of her
poor father having used it for so many years. Thus you see. Sir,
with the Bible and Prayer Book, and, (as I hoped,) God's blessing
on my labours, I was not, as you may say, unfurnished for the
work." ,
" Indeed, Richard, you were not," I replied,
" Well then," he proceeded, " I first observed, that the cnurch is
very particular in not allowing any administration of the Sacra
ments, or any public service of Almighty God to take place, ex
cept when there is one of her Ministers to guide and take the lead
m the solemnity. Thus not only in the administration of Baptism,
and of the Lord's Supper, but in the daily Morning and Evening
Prayers, m the Public Catechizing of Children, in the Solemnization.

67
of Marriage, in the Visitation of the Sick, and in the Burial of the
Dead ; — in all these cases the Christian congregation is never sup
posed complete, nor the service perfect, unless there be also present
a minister authorized to lead the devotions of the people. And yet
I also observed that neither minister nor people, not even with the
leave of the Bishop himself, had power or authority given them to
alter or vary from the Rules set down in the Prayer Book. And
often have I thought how well it would be if Ministers and people
tod would be more careful to keep to the rules,"
" Yes," said I, " it is too true ; we are all to blame,"
• " But," he proceeded, taking a small Prayer Book out of his pocket,
" the question I had next to ask was, — who are meant by these Mi
nisters so often referred to in the Church Service. To this question
I found a general answer in the Twenty-third, Twenty-sixth, and
Thirty-sixth Articles ; where the judgment of the Church is thus
plainly given : —
1st. "That it is not lawful for any man to take upon him the
oflSce of public preaching, or ministering the Sacraments in the
Congregation, before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the
same." 2dly, " That those are lawfully called and sent, who are chosen
and called to the work by men who have public authority given
them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lord's
vineyard," 3dly. " That though sometimes evil men may have chief authority
in the ministration of the Word and Sacraments; yet, forasmuch, as
they do not the same in their own name but in Christ's, and do
minister by His commission and authority, we may use their minis
try with full hope of God's blessing,"
4thly, " That whosoever are consecrated and ordained according
to the Rites there prescribed, are rightly, orderly, and lawfully con
secrated and ordained,"
" But here. Sir, I will take occasion to ask you whether it would
not have been better, instead of calling the second order of Minis
ters Priests, to have used the word which is frequently found in the
New Testament applied to them, " Elders," or " Presbyters,"
" Why," I said, " I have no doubt the wise and good men who
framed the Prayer Book had a good reason for retaining the title
of Priests, But in truth it is one of the very words you mentioned,
only somewhat shortened by our forefathers, in their pronunciation
of it — Presbyter was made Prester, and that by degrees became
Prest, or Priest."
" That," said he, " is very remarkable, and proves that we ought
to inquire before we find fault. But to go on with what I was
saying — I next proceeded to read over, and I assure you. Sir, I
did it with great care, the three Services in oui* Great JPrayer
Book — ^namely, for, Consecration of Bishops, Ordaining of Priests,

68
and Making of Deacons. And I must confess to you that I could
not but greatly admire them ; and at the same time feel much
astonishment at two considerations which they brought to my
mind." « What were they, Richard ?" I inquired.
"The one was," he said, "to think that after such a solemn dedi
cation to the ministry, there should be such a thing as a careless or
a wicked Clergyman. And yet. Sir, is it not also astonishing that
after such a solemn dedication of ourselves as we all make to God
in Baptism, there should be such a thing as a careless or a wicked
Christian ?"
" So it is," I said, " when we judge others we condemn ourselves.
But what was the other ground of your surprise ?"
" Why, it was this ; that there should be any doubt what the opi
nion of the Church is respecting the Christian Ministry. Comparing
the Ordination Service with the Liturgy and Articles, it seems to me
quite clear, that in the judgment of the Church, none can show
themselves duly authorized Ministers of Christ, who do not belong
to one or other of the three orders, of Bishops, Priests or Deacons.
" But, said I to myself, other Churches have erred, why may not
this then be the misfortune of the Church of England also ? and
this very opinion may be one of her errors. You see then. Sir, the
next thing I had to do was to consult the Scriptures on the subject,
and (if it be not too bold in such a one as I to say so) to try the
Prayer Book by the Bible,"
" Your method was the best possible," I said, " But, if you please,
do not use the expression, the Church of England, but the Church
in England."
"Why indeed. Sir," said he, "in the present state of things per
haps it would be more proper. But to proceed with my inquiiy.
I first observed, that in the History of the Jews, as contained in the
Old Testament, as well as in that of Christians in the New, the Al
mighty seems almost or quite always to have communicated His
will to mankind through some chosen Minister ; some one, whether
it were angel or man, who could give suitable evidence of the au
thority by which he spoke or acted. But there seemed to me to be
this great diflference between Jews and Christians, in this as in other
cases ; that in the Jews' religion, all the rules and regulations were
set down so plainly and distinctly, that no one could mistake their
meaning; for instance, in the Levitical laws concerning the priest
hood ; of what family and tribe the Priests and High Priest should
be, what their respective duties, and what their dress, &c. Whereas
in the Christian religion, the rules and regulations, however impor
tant, and even necessary, are yet not so exactly set down. And I
remember hearing a very good and wise Clergyman say in a Ser
mon at  Church, that this is probably what St, James means,
when he calls the Gospel ' a Law of Liberty ;' namely, that its rules

#9
and directions are not so plainly set down, on purpose, that Chris
tians might have freer space, (I remember that was his expression,)
and opportunity, to exercise their Faith and Love for their Redeem
er. And I have sometimes thought myself, that what St. P£^ul
says about the difference between walking by faith and by sight,
seems to suit the different cases of Jews and Christians. They
walked by sight, we must walk by faith ; and faith, in this world, we
are told, can see but as through a glass darkly."
" It seems, so," I said.
He proceeded.
" With this view I went on to examine the New Testament, ex
pecting to find therein some general instruction respecting the instir
tution and authority of Ministers in the Christian ChurOh. But I
did not expect that these rules should be as particular and distinct
as those on the same subject in the Old Testament, any more than
I should expect to find a command to Christians to observe the
Lord's Day set down as distinctly as the command to observe the
Sabbath was set down for the Jews. And yet. Sir, I suppose all
will agree, that no one who wilfully neglects the Lord's Day can be
a true Christian."
" There are strange opinions now afloat," said I ; " and if niany
despise the Lord's Ministers, it is no wonder if many also despise
the Lord's Day."
" Indeed, Sir," said he, " it is not to be wondered at. But to gc
on with my statement. On carefully perusing the New Testament
History, I remarked that our Lord did not grant ministerial authority
to His disciples in general, but first to twelve, and then to seventy ;
that of those twelve, one was among the wickedest of mankind, and
that our Lord knew (St. John vi. 64. xiii. 18.) his character when
he appointed him ; that possibly some of those seventy also niight
be unworthy persons ; that our Lord just before His departure, gave
what may be called a fresh commission to His Apostles, which they
should act upon after His ascension ; that after that event, the twelve
Apostles were the leading persons in the Christian Church, having
under them two orders or degrees, viz. Bishops (sometimes called
Elders) and Deacons ; that this threefold division of Ministers in the
Church lasted as far as the New Testament History reaches, the
Apostles having set men over different Churches with Apostolical-
authority to preside during their absence, and to succeed them after
their decease. This sufficiently appears from places in St. Paul's
Epistles to Timothy and Titus."
"Do you remember any ofthe passages?" I asked him.
" I cannot," he said, " call to mind chapter and verse, but I have
with nie a little paper of memorandums which I use at th6 school, and
which, if it be not too much trouble, I will thank you to look at."
"The paper was as follows : — for I thought it well to copy what
he had written into my pocket meniorandum-book.

70
It appears that Timothy had authority at Ephesus to check false or unedi-
fying Teachers. 1 Tim. i. 3, 4 ; — to select persons proper to be ordained
Bishops, iii. 1 — 7 ; — and also Deacons, iii. 8 — 13.
That he should have particular regard to the Elders who ruled well. v. 17,
That he should be cautious of receiving accusations against Elders, v, 19,
That if any [Elders] were convicted, it was- Us duty to reprimand them
publicly, V, 20,
That in his decisions he should be strictly impartial, v. 21.
That he should be very cautious on whbm he laid his hands, v, 22,
That Timothy was in a station, which even the rich and great might re
spect, vi. 17.
That Timothy had been ordained by St, Paul himself, once, if not twice,
2 Tim, i, 6.
That at his ordination or consecration there was something remarkable
in the sermon. 1 Tim, iv, 14, i, 18,
That he was to commit what he had heard from St, Paul to faithful men,
who should be able to pass it on to others, 2 Tim, ii, 2,
That Titus had authority to set in order what was wanting in the .Cretan
Church ; Tit, i, 5 : and to ordain Bishops in every city ; i, 5, 7,
That he was to be cautious whom he selected for this office, i, 6 — 9.
That he should rebuke false teachers sharply, i, 13,
That if Titus himself was a pattern of good works and a teacher of truth,
the whole Church would gain credit, ii, 7, 8,
That he should rebuke with all authority, ii, 15,
That he should suffer no man to despise him. ii. 15.
That after one or two admonitions he should reject heretical persons, iii. 10,
"Now, Sir, it seems to me evident, from'these and other similar
passages, that there were certainly in the Church, as far as the Tes
tament History reaches, three different ranks or orders of Ministers,
one above the other."
" It is plainly so," I said.
" But," said he, " there was one point which rather perplexed me,
and I was some time before I could make out such an explanation
of it as was satisfactory to myself."
" What was that ?" I asked
" Why," said he, " it was this. I considered that any person to
whom the Apostles granted apostolical authority, (Timothy for in
stance,) was from that time higher than a Presbyter or Bishop, and
yet could not properly be called an Apostle, What then could he he
called ? I at last remembered a place in Bishop Wilson's little book,
which led me to reflect, that surely as there were Angels, (whether
it might mean guardians, or heavenly messengers, or missionary
Bishops, as we might say,) ofthe seven Churches in Asia, — so Tim
othy might have been called the Angel of the Ephesian Church ;
and "Titus, of the Church of Crete ; and the same in other cases.
And it came into my thoughts, that, perhaps, after St. John's de-

71
cease, whether out of humility, or because, (the Churches being set
tled,) the ministers need no longer be missionaries, the title of Apos
tles or Angels was laid aside, and that of Bishops limited to the high
est of the three orders.
Thus I seemed to myself every where to have traced the three
fold order, down from the beginning of the Gospel ; the authority
and distinction peculiar to each being preserved, a difference in name
only taking place.
Thus at first they were .... Apostles, Elders, Deacons.
After the decease of some of the
Apostles, or at least, while
St. John was yet living . . . Angels, Bishops, Deacons.
At some period, after St. John's
decease  Bishops, Priests, Deacons.
" I do not see how what you have said can be contradicted,"
I replied. " But," he proceeded, " there is one thing I must. Sir, confess to
you, and it is this ; — that I have often said to myself, what a com
fort it would be, if it had pleased God to preserve to us some few-
writings of the good men who lived close after the Apostles, that so
we might have known their opinion on matters of this kind ; and we •
might have known, too, by what names they distinguished the dif->
ferent orders of Ministers, one from another. For, surely, what they
would think most proper in such cases, must be safest of all rules for
us to follow ; unless, (which is a thing not to be supposed,) their rules
should be contrary to those of the Apostles, as set down in Scrip
ture. So, Sir, I have often thought, if any such writings could be
found, what a precious treasure they would be."
" What," said I, " Riphard, did you never hear of those who are
called the Apostolic Fathers : Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius ?"
" I believe I have heard of them," he answered ; " but I ob
served that you. Sir, and other Clergymen, scarcely ever notice
them in your sermons ; and the man I mentioned just now told me
that Mr. Cartwright, who is the minister of the Independent Chapel
at the Town, and who is reckoned to be a very learned man and an
admired preacher,-;-that he should sky in a Sermon, that the works
of the Fathers were very imperfect, and their opinion not much to
be trusted to."
" But," said I, " Richard, if a person, whose word you could take,
were to show you an old book written by persons who had seen our
Saviour ; who had heard St. John and St. Paul preach, and had
been well acquainted with them ; should you not value such a book,
and wish to know whether there was any thing in it, which could
throw light on the history of those early times of the Church, and
especially with reference to the subjects you and I have been now
conversing on ?"
" Indeed, Sir, I should," he said. " But if what Mr. Cartwright eaid

72
is true, it is too much to expect that any such treasure should be
found by us,"
" No, Richard," I said, " it is not too much. The kind Provi
dence of God has permitted some of the writings of those good
men to be preserved to this day. And there is no more doubt that
they are their genuine writings, than that Bishop Ken wrote the
Evening Hymn, or Bishop Wilson that little book you like so
much." " If this is indeed as you say," he replied, " we have great reason to
be thankful for such a proof of God's care for His Church. But I
beg you. Sir, to tell me, whether there is any thing in these writings
you speak of, which confirms what I have been venturing to state to
you as my opinion gathered from Scripture, concerning the three
fold distinction of Christian Ministers."
" Next Sunday," said I, " you shall see and judge for yourself."
As we came home from Church in the afternoon of the following
Sunday, he reminded me of my promise ; and I gave him a written
paper, containing a few extracts, which I had translated from the
works of the Apostolical Fathers, telling him, that I might possibly
have made a mistake here and there in the rendering, but that he
might depend on such being the general force and meaning of the
passages. The extracts I gave him were the following : —
« Clement, with other my fellow labourers." — Fhil. iv. 3,
" Ignatius and the holy Polycarp, the Bishop of the Smyrmasans, had for
merly been disciples of the holy Apostle John," — Martyrdom of S. Ignatius.
« The Apostles, preaching throughout countries and cities, used to appoint
their first fruits, after they had proved them by the Spirit, to be Bishops
and Deacons of those who should hereafter believe," — S. Clement to ike
Cor. " The Apostles knew that there will be dispute about the name of Bisho-
prick or Episcopacy, wherefore they appointed the aforementioned, and
gave them authority beforehand, in order that if themselves should fall
asleep, other approved men might succeed to their ministerial office,"—
The same,
"All of you follow the Bishop as Jesus Cheist followed the Fathee;
and the Presbytery as the Apostles ; and reverence the Deacons as God's
ordinance. Let no man do any of those things which pertain to the Church
without the Bishop, He that honoureth the Bishop, is honoured of God ;
he that doeth any thing without the privity of the Bishop, doeth service to
the Devil." — S. Ignat. to the Smyrm.
« Have regard to the Bishop, that God also may regard you. My sou.
for theirs who are subject to the Bishops, Elders, and Deacons ; and may
it be my lot to have a portion with them in God,"— S, Ignat. to Polycarp.

73
« The Bishops who were appointed in the farthest regions are according
to the "(sdll of Jesus Christ ; whence it becometh you to go along with the
will ofthe Bishop," — S. Ignat. to the Ephes.
« That ye may obey the Bishop and the Presbytery, having your mind
without distraction, breaking one bread," — The same.
« Some indeed talk of the Bishop, yet do every thing without him : bat
such persons do not appear to me conscientious ; on account of their con
gregations not being assembled strictly according to the commandment." 
S. Ignat. to the Magnes.
« I exhort you to be zealous to do all things in divine concord : the Bishop
presiding in the place of God, and the Presbyters in the place of the coun
cil of A-postles, and the Deacons, (in whom I most delight,) intrusted with
the service of Jesus Christ," — The same.
« For as many as are God's and Jesus Christ's, these are with the
Bishop," — S, Ignat. to the Philadelph.
" Be ye earnest to keep one Eucharist, for the flesh of our Lord Jesus
Christ is one, and there is one cup in the unity of His blood, one altar, as
one Bishop, together with the Presbytery, and Deacons, my fellow-ser
vants," — The same.
« Hold to the Bishop, and to the Presbytery, and Deacons, Without
the Bishop do nothing," — The same.
« When you are subject to the Bishop as to Jesus Christ, ye appear to
me as living not according to man's rule, but according to Jesus Christ."
— S. Ignat. to the Trail.
« He that withoiit the Bishop, and Presbytery, and Deacon, doeth ought,
that person is not pure in his conscience," — The same.
, « Polycarp, and the Presbyters, who are with him, to the Church of God,
sojourning at Philippi," — S. Polyc. to the Philipp.
« Being subject to the Presbyters and Deacons, as to God and Christ."
— The same.
Two or three weeks afterwards, as we were walking homewards
after Evening Service, he gave me back the paper, with expressions
of great satisfaction and thankfelness ; and added that, he blessed
God for having led him to make the inquiry ; and that he was sure,
if many religiously-disposed persons, who now think little of such
matters, would turn their minds to them writhout partiality, they
would fear to separate from a Church like ours, which, whatever
may be its imperfections, is substantially pure in its doctrine, and in
the Apostolical Succession of its Ministry.
" Sir," said he, " I am a poor hard- Working man, as you know ;
but the interests of my soul and of those dear to me, are of as great
importance in the sight of Almighty God, and ought to be to me also,
as if my lot had been cast in a higher station. It is to me, therefore,
no matter of indifference, (as many have told me it should be,) what
10

74
is the truth on these great subjects ; but I am more and more sure
that it is a Christian duty first to inquire into them, and, when we
have found the truth, to act up to it, humbly but resolutely.
" The times are bad, I confess ; but yet, young though I am, I do
not expect, as the world now goes, to see them much better.
" What our Lord said about iniquity abounding, and love grow
ing cold, seems to be but too suitable to our present state. I have
often thought it and said it, though I have seldom met with any one
who would agree with me in the opinion. The Church of England
I can plainly see, more plainly perhaps than a person in a higher
station, is in a manner gone. The Church in England, God be
thanked, however afflicted, remains, and ever will, I trust, — whether
the world smiles or frowns upon her.
" I have therefore determined. Sir, by God's grace, to look to my
self, my wife, and children ; and not to trust the world to do us any
good, either in time, or in Eternity.
" And if by following the truth now, we shall all be together
hereafter in the Society of Prophets, Apostles, Saints, and Martyrs,
you know then. Sir, we shall have nothing more to wish for, no
thing more to fear ; every doubt will be satisfied, every difficulty
removed. And I assure you. Sir, it is the very comfort of my life
to spend a portion of every Sunday, in looking forward to that hap
py time,"
" God bless you, Richard," said I, as we parted at his garden gate.
And, when I came home, I could not but fall on my knees and thank
God for having given me such a Parishioner,

No. 13.
\ad Populum.'] .
SUNDAY LESSONS.
the principle of selection.

Among projected alterations in the Liturgy, not the least popular
seems to be a very considerable change in the selection of the Sun
day Lessons. People do not see, first of all, why such and such
chapters are chosen out of the Old Testament, in preference to
others, which they think more edifying. Secondly, they see no rea
son why the Church should not assign Proper Lessons to every
Sunday from the New Testament, as well as from the Old.
One who hopes that he sht)uld not be found froward, were a change

76
to be made by competent Spiritual Authority, begs leave, neverthe
less, to submit, to all considerate lovers of the Prayer-Book, the fol
lowing remarks on the two points specified above.
1, Before people find fault with the selection of particular chap
ters, they ought to be tolerably certain that they understand the
principle, on which the Lessons in general were selected. It is to
be regretted, that we have remaining little, if any, historical evidence,
touching the views of the Compilers of the Liturgy in that portion of
their task. What we do know, amounts to this : —
In King Edward's Prayer-Books no distinction was made, as to
appointing Lessons, between Sundays and other days of the week.
The chapter of the Old Testament set down for the day of the
month was read in course for the Sunday Lesson ; as is the case
still in regard of the New Testament. With a view to this, pro
bably, the well-known notice was prepared, which now stands pre
fixed to the Second Book of Homilies, but in Strype's opinion* be
longs rather to the First Book. " Where, (i. e. whereas,) it may so
chance, some one or other chapter of the Old Testament to fall in
order to be read upon the Sundays or Holidays, which were better
to be changed with some other of the New Testament for more edi
fication, it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of
such chapters beforehand." This came out first, as it seems, in
1560 ; and about the same time a Commission was given to Arch
bishop Parker, Bishop Grindal, and others, " to peruse the order of
the Lessons, throughout the whole year, and to cause new Calendars
to be printed." In pursuance of which the present Table of Sun
day Lessons was prepared, and came out the same year. We may
then consider it as Archbishop Parker's ; and surely not one among
the Reformers might be more thoroughly depended on for a sound
practical view of things. Farther than this, we have no direct in
formation. We must be guided, therefore, entirely by the internal
evidence ofthe Lessons themselves.
The series begins from Septuagesima Sunday, because it was the
custom of the early Church to read the Book of Genesis in Lent,t
Let us examine them in their order, ending with the 6th Sunday after
Epiphany in the following year. We shall find, if I mistake not,
that the selection may be accounted for on this supposition, viz.
That the arrangers desired to exhibit God's former dealings with
His chosen people collectively, and the return made by them to God,
in such manner as might best illustrate His dealings with each indi
vidual, chosen now to be in His Church, and the snares and tempta
tions most apt to beset us as Christians.
Certainly, there does exist a very wonderful analogy between
these two cases, that of the Jewish nation delineated in the Bible,
« Life of Parker, i. 167. 8to.
f See Wheatley on the Common Prayer, ch. iii sect. x. ^ i.

76
and that of a baptized Christian, as known by daily experience ; an
analogy most striking in itself, most clearly pointed out more than
once in the New Testament, and very serviceable, if rightly under
stood, in many great points of faith and practice. This analogy
arises out of the fact, that Christians severally are, what the Jews
collectively were, partakers of an especial Covenant.
It is to be supposed, that the Great Enemy has his peculiar way
of dealing with souls placed in such a relation, as with parents, chil
dren, subjects, and others, according to their several relations. To
exhibit such his purpose and proceedings, and to exemplify also the
counteracting methods of Providence, seems to be one especial pur
pose of the historical portions of the Old Testament : in which the
prophetical are here included.
To give an instance of what is here meant. One of the most pre
vailing temptations to unbelief and careless practice is the daily ex
perience we have, of Christians behaving ^so very differently from
what one should expect, a priori, in God's elect. It does not seem
as if, left to ourselves, we should have any adequate idea of the kind
of hypocrisy described by Bishop Butler, in his Sermon on Self-
deceit, and elsewhere ; I mean, the temper which leads men to act '
towards God Almighty, (whom in theory and understanding they
own,) as if it were in their power to deceive Him. To explain this
for the benefit of those most in danger, seems one great purpose of
the Old Testament ; to explain it, I say, for the benefit of unworthy
Christians, who may discern themselves, by anticipation, in the faith
less demeanour of the Jews.
It is conceivable, that a series of extracts might be made, to illus
trate this matter more particularly ; i. e. on a principle of admonition.
Would not such a series coincide, very nearly, with the Sunday
Lessons ?
Thus, the first and second chapters of Genesis represent man as
at first placed in covenant with his Maker ; the third, sixth, and
ninth represent his fall, and the wonderful mixture of judgment and
mercy which prepared him for the recovery, which God had in
store for him, by virtue of a New Covenant. Then, (Gen. xii.) fol
lows the first definite step towards the establishment of that New
Covenant : the call of Abraham, to be the select pattern and spiri
tual progenitor of all who shall ever be saved by it. And here again
judgment is shown mingled with mercy, and thorough probation ac
companying both, by the two selected chapters of Abraham's his
tory ; the fall of Sodom,* and the sacrifice of Isaacf Then begins
the account of Jacob and his family, the other great section of the
Patriarchal History ; displaying on the one hand, the great danger
of taking liberties with moral duty, under the notion of being favour
ites with God ; (for the subsequent misfortunes of Jacob's family are
* Gen. xix. t Gen. xxii.

77
clearly traceable to that first want of faith ;) on the other hand, the
mysterrous ways of Providence, turning those misfortunes and errors
into means for the great purpose of preparing a covenanted nation
to take the place ofthe covenanted family^
With Exodus begins the history of that nation, which may per
haps not improperly be styled the appropriate type of each back-
sliding Christian, as Abraham we know was the type of the faith
ful. The chapters selected show, first, God preparing the way for
their election^; then their reluctant acceptance ofthe favour'; next,
the actual process of their deliverance*; the whole being so ar
ranged, Ihat this latter shall correspond with the season of Easter;
which is indeed (so to speak) the point of sight of the whole Chris
tian Calendar, as the passover is of the Jewish.
But to proceed: — The Lessons from Easter to Whit-Sunday,
(taking into account the great days of Easter-week and Ascension,)
are so many specimens of the transgressions of the elect people, and
of the methods taken to chastise or reclaim them^ The case of
Balaam, most evidently, needs not to be excepted from this ac
count ; for never was a clearer analogy than between him and the
Jewish people : they murmuring and rebelling with the Shechinah
before their eyes ; he coveting the reward of iniquity, perhaps plot
ting seduction in his heart, while he heard the words of God, and
saw the vision of the Almighty. No analogy can be more exact ;
except it be that between the same miserable man and a Christian
baptized, sinning against faith and knowledge.
The Lessons for Trinity-Sunday, as was natural, interrupt for one
week the progress of the history, for the purpose of reviewing the
whole course. The mind is carried back, first, to God's original in
tent in creating man after his own image* ; next, to the appointed
condition or mean, by which that image is to be regained ; viz. the
imitation of Abraham's faith''. In effect, they rehearse to us both
Covenants ; that of Paradise, and that of the Gospel.
Resuming our view of the covenanted people, we contemplate
them first victorious®, peaceful, and comparatively innocent, renew
ing their engagements with their Maker in the days of Joshua® ;
m the days of the Judges backsliding and factious, but not yet de
liberately unbelieving^" ; next, trained by Eli's sons to irreverence
for holy things" ; and so, not ill-prepared to apostatize, by choosing
a king on principles of accommodation and worldly policy^^.
The gradual degeneracy and downfall of that unhappy king^', (the
emblem of the Jews of his time, as Balaam had been of a former
generation,) and the substitution of one of better mind, are continu-
1 Gen. xxvii. xxxiv. xxxix. xiii. xliii. xiv. 2 Exod. iii. 3 Exod. v. 4 Exod.
ix. X. xii. xiv. 5 Exod. xvi. xvii. xx. xxxii. Num. xvi. xxii. xxiii. xxiv. xxv. Deut.
iv. V. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. vii. xiii. xvi. xxx. 6 Gen. i. 7 Gen. xviii. 8 Josh. x.
9 Josh, xxiii. 10 Judges iv. v. 11 1 Sam. ii. iii. 12 1 Sam. xii. 13 1 Sam.
xiii. xv. xvii.

78
ed through a chain of Lessons, to the excision, long after his death,
of almost all that remained of his family^.
But, in the mean time, a new source of sin and misery had arisen
in the family of David himself. His personal sins, indeed, were fast
followed by sincere repentance, and therefore obtained speedy par
don* ; but because they were the sins of one with whom a peculiar
covenant had been made', they drew down the severest temporal
judgments ; the sword never departed from his house ; and, by the
dissensions which arose in his time^ a way was prepared for the
schism and two-fold apostacy, first heretical and afterwards infidel,
of the greater part of the chosen people. These, with God's endea
vours to reclaim them by the warnings of Elijah and Elisha^ and
by the sword of Jehu", are traced in the chapters taken from the
Books of Kings, from the first curse on Jeroboam's schismatical al
tar, till the final reprobation and captivity of the ten tribes''. In the
course of which history, especial emphasis is laid, first on the misfor
tunes incurred by the nameless prophet from Judah, by king Jeho-
shaphat and others, for their licentious communication with the -he
retical and idolatrous tribes^, secondly, on the extension of God's fa
vour to the Gentiles, in two instances" for ever memorable ; which
extension, we may believe, was virtually a signal warning to His
then elect people.
At length we arrive at the last sad scene of the history ; the
downfall of the Church of Judah also. We behold a temporary
amendment in the days of Hezekiah, occasioned by the combination
of miraculous mercy to herself, with judgment on Samaria in her
sight^". But we presently read of her thorough relapse ; of her re
sistance to the example and efforts of good Josiah^' ; of her sensu
ality^ and oppression", her neglect" and contempt'^ of warnings, all
accompanied with high pretences to civilization, and a certain kind
of orthodoxy. All these, her dealings with God, are delineated at
large by Jeremiah. In the Lessons from Ezekiel we have revealed
more of God's dealings with her. He peremptorily orders his mes
sage to be delivered, whether men will hear, or whether they will
forbear'". He denounces the false prophets, preaching peace where
there was no peace ; and discovers their secret and vulgar artifi
ces". He answers pretences from feigned conformity, from reli
ance on the remnants of good in the land'^ ; and again from an af
fected perplexity at the supposed inequality of his proceedings^'.
He recapitulates, by special message, all their past conduct, as His
chosen people^" : a summary, answering with marvellous exactness
1 2 Sam. xxi. 2 2 Sam. xii. xxiv. 3 Ps. Ixxxix. 2 Sam. xii. 14. 4 2 Sam.
xix. 5 1 Kings, xiii. xvii. xviii. xix. xxi. xxii. 2 Kings, v. 6 2 Kings, ix. x.
7 2 Kings, xviii. 8 1 Kings, xiii. xxii. 2 Kings, ix. x. 9 1 Kings, xvii. 2 Kings, v.
10 2 Kings, xviii. xix. 11 2 Kings, xxiii. 12Jerem. v. 13 Jerem. xxii. 14Jerein.
XXXV. 15 Jerem. xxxvi. 16Ezek. ii. 17 Ezek. xiii. ISEzek. xiv. 19 Ezek. xviii,
20 Ezek. XX.

79
to the sad experience of the Christian world. When all these had
failed. He utters, in two fearful parables, a final sentence of direct
reprobation^. All this we have set before us from Ezekiel, The
Lessons from DanieP serve to show that the chosen people were
not yet abandoned ; they keep alive hope, and exemplify faith, tri
umphing in the worst of times ; which is also the drift of the pro
phecy selected from Joel, Then Micah is introduced, like Samuel
and Ezekiel, recapitulating the whole course of the probation of the
elect' ; and Habakkuk*, extending the judgment to their oppressors,
and reasserting the condition required on their part to make their
election not a curse but a blessing, ^" The just by his faith shall
live," Finally, the readings from the Proverbs^ of Solomon bring
the warning home, so to speak, to every man's own door. Taken
in connexion with all that had gone before, they turn God's miracu
lous proceedings with the Jews into an available sanction of righte
ousness, for the meanest man's use on the slightest occasion.
And now, the year drawing to a close, and the mysterious time
of Christmas approaching, our Mother, with true parental anxiety,
takes up, as it were, the thread of her instructions anew, at that point
of the fortunes of Israel, to which the circumstances of civilized and
Christian Europe, especially those of our own country, during the
comparatively few years which have passed since the arrangement
ofthe Prayer-Book, may reasonably be thought to correspond most
nearly. The Church reverts to the; time of Hezekiah, and selects
the prophecy of Isaiah as the fittest to prepare the mind for Christ's
two Advents. By the confession of some, who are most apt to find
fault, her selection here has been most appropriate. Witness the
sins reproved in the Jews; their formality", pride''', oppression,
drunkenness, presumption, sophistical self-deceit^ ; their impatience
of primitive truth, and reliance upon mere worldly expedients*.
Witness again the wonderful mixture of triumph and desolation,
judgments and mercies, foretold}^ ; such as might seem impossible
to be accomplished together, at one and .the same time, among
one and the same people. Yet we seem to behold both accom
plished; the one in the tendencies of the Gospel, and what it
performs for the faithful privately ; the other, in men's ordinary
way of receiving it, and what may be called its public failure. The
very denunciations against idolatry'^, by some, perhaps, accounted
an outward sin, how well do they apply to the various apostacies,
which men contrive for themselves now, and say, to one after ano
ther. Deliver me, for thou' art my God ! The summaries of past
national mercies'*, how truly do they represent what is now done
for each redeemed and sanctified soul ! And as to the anticipation
1 Ezek. xxiv. 2 Dan. iii. vi. Joel ii. 3 Micah vi. 4 Habak. ii. 5 Prov.
i. iii. xi. — xvii. xix. 6 Isai. i. 7 Isai. ii. 8 Isai. v. 9 Isai. xxx. 10 Isai.
xxiv. xxvi. xxxii. xii. xliii. xUx. Iv. Ix. Ixiv. Ixv. Ixvi. 11 Isai. xliv. Ixvi. 12 Isai.
xliii. Ii.

80
of mercies and judgment to come\ they do not only correspond to
the revelations of the New Testament, but we have the express au
thority of our Lord and St. Paul* for beheving, that, of both, Ian-
guage was purposely used, (in the purpose, I mean, of the Holy Spi
rit,) which literally refers to the life and death everlasting, the
sanctions of God's covenant with every Christian singly.
This hasty and brief sketch may serve to point out the thread of
warning, which, it is conceived, runs through the Sunday Lessons.
and renders it very improper to deal with them as if they had been
taken at random, or might fitly be changed at will, for others sup
posed in themselves more edifying.
Whether Archbishop Parker and his coadjutors had this connex
ion in view, as it is not, perhaps, possible to ascertain, so neither is
it very material* Perhaps the fact of its spontaneous evolution,
(if such an expression may be allowed,) would make it appear so
much the more delicate, and tampering with it so much the more
perilous. For, on that supposition, it must be more than humanly
interwoven with the very staple of the Scripture History. But,
supposing it designed, it may have been suggested by the tenour of
the Invitatory Psalm, commonly called Venite exultemus; which
Psalm had been used daily in the Church quite down from primitive
times. Many persons, probably, have asked themselves, why that
Psalm in particular should be preferred above the many of the same
general tenour, for unremitting use in the Church daily. The an
swer probably may be found in the grave monitory warnings at the
end ; which, by the case of the Jews in the wilderness, describe so
forcibly the position and peculiar danger of a chosen people. That
one Psalm may, on reflection, give the key to the arrangement of
the Lessons ; allowing, of course, for the interruption sometimes
caused by the special matter of some great Christian Festival. In
general, however, the course of the Lessons will be found adapting
itself, with exquisite felicity, to the course of the Festivals also.
Occasionally, the Archbishop's choice may have been influenced,
(in subordination, however, to the great principle,) by the connexion
of the portion of history with some offence which required warning,
but, from the weakness of human nature, was very likely to pass un
noticed. The thirty-fourth of Genesis, and the fifth of Jeremiah,
are instances. When men shrink from reading those chapters, they
bear witness instinctively to the wisdom and kindness of the Church
in ordering them to be read.
1 Isai. Ixv. Ixvi. 2 St. Mark. ix. 44 ; comp. Isai. Ixvi. 24. 1 Cor. ii. 9 ; comp. Isai. Inv. 4.
* But that they must have had some special rule of selection in their minds is plain,
from the fact mentioned above, that they had just before authorized the Clergy, provi
sionally, to read what each thought, prima facie, most edifying. The idea, therefore,
' according to which it is now wished to new-model the Lessons, had occurred to them,
and the result shows that they did not think it, on the whole, the most instructive way.

81
Whatever may be one's private opinion, it is not necessary here
to maintain, that the general principle suggested above was the
very best on which selection might proceed, or that the very aptest
chapters of all have been selected in each instance. But clearly, if
such a principle be at all recognised, it ought to be most carefully
kept in view, whatever insertions or omissions are proposed. Many
persons seem to think, that questions of this sort are settled, if on
merely comparing the present Lesson with the proposed substitute,
it appear that the one, taken singly, is more edifying than the other.
But this will not hold, if it be a mistake altogether to take any one
singly and apart. The quantity of edification may be greater on the
whole by completing the proposed narrative or argument, though on
this or that particular day the impression made may be less. To
neglect this consideration partakes of the same error, as if one
should reckon all preaching nugatory which did not expressly place
the highest matters of faith in the most affecting point of view. If
Christianity be a great system, such a test of preaching must be in
correct : and if the Sunday Lessons be a series, it will never do to
censure any one chapter as unedifying, except you can produce one
more edifying, which would come in equally well at the same point
ofthe series.
I will take the example which appears to myself the most doubt
ful in the whole Calendar. At first sight, almost any one would
say, that 2 Sam. xxi. might with great advantage be changed for
1 Kings, iii. or viii. the dream of Solomon, or the dedication of the
Temple. Not so, perhaps, when we come to recollect, that the me
lancholy tale of the ruin of Saul's family is completed in the first-
mentioned chapter, and with it the denunciation of such perverse
conduct as drew down the curse upon him. The other chapters,
however instructive in themselves, can hardly with so much pro
priety be said to make part of the system of warning.
And surely those who, in whole or in part, are for disturbing that
system, should look to it, that they be well provided with somewhat,
on the wJiole, more edifying, in its room. Else they may go far to
wards depriving the Church of a great help to practical knowledge,
and to the true use of the Old Testament. Inadequate views of
that portion of God's Word have ever been found fruitful in heresy,
filling men's hearts with perplexity and irreverence. Can it be de
nied, that our own times show fearful symptoms in that quarter?
There is room for not a little anxiety, surely, lest a clew to many
Scripture difficulties, so necessary to the people's welfare, and, (may
we not say ?) so providentially put into the Pastor's hands, should
be let drop, because some of us do not always clearly see which
way it is leading them.
It may be said, the alterations proposed would not amount to a
disturbance of the general system. This the writer begs leave to
doubt ; since it is conceived a very moderate alteration, which shall
II

• 82
include all the following particulars, " some, (at least three I sup-
pose,) of the Proper Lessons for the Sundays in Lent, five chapters
in Deuteronomy, two in Jeremiah, four in Ezekiel," and the princi
ples on which these are made specimens of " omittenda," would as
well justify the omission of at least twenty more. Either, therefore,
the rule of selection adopted by Archbishop Parker must be re
nounced, or other chapters must be found, completing his idea as
accurately as these do : which latter, it is imagined, would prove a
difficult task.
2. The other matter proposed for inquiry is less important, and
may be dismissed in a few words. Why, it is asked, should there
not be Lessons from the New Testament proper for every Sunday
in the year, as well as for a few great days ? In answer to which
it may be observed, first, that there are, generally, two such Les
sons, always one, read in the Communion Service. Only that which
is called The Second Lesson, varies with the day ofthe month. Of
the reasons which, in point of fact, led to the continuance of this
latter arrangement, I am not aware that any record remains. But
it appears to be accompanied with two incidental advantages, which
some may think considerable enough to render alteration unad-
visable, without very clear proof of greater benefit hkely to arise
from it.
One of these advantages is, the standing memorial thus afforded
to the people, that there was once such a thing as a Daily Service ;
that such is the system and wish of our Church, and the theory on
which the Prayer-Book is constructed. It is an intelligible hint, that
a Churchman's devotion was not meant to be all narrowed into the
Sunday. The Services of that holy day were but to be a continu
ance and an expansion of those due on the other days ; not a totally
distinct thing. This we are weekly reminded of, by the very place
in the Calendar, where we must look for the Second Sunday Les
son. The value of the hint people of course will estimate more or
less highly, according to their sense of the importance of a Daily
Service, and of the responsibility which Churchmen have incurred
by letting it drop so very quietly in almost every parish of the king
dom. The other advantage of these varying Second Lessons, (and it
will be found in practice a very considerable one,) is this ; that it
presents the Old and New Scriptures in endless variety of mutual
combinations, the more striking because they are unforeseen, and in
a certain sense casual. The thought is happily expressed by Her
bert, thus addressing Holy Scripture : —
" 0 that I knew how all thy lights combine,
And the configurations of their glory ;
Seeing not only how each verse doth shine.
But all the constellations of the story!"
Very much help, both for pastors and people, both for giving and re
ceiving instruction, may be gathered, (if the writer deceives himseJ*"

83 •
not concerning the results of his own experience,) by attending to
this hint yearly, as the varying Psalms and Second Lessons come
successively into conjunction with the unvarying First Lessons,
Epistles, and Gospels. To note and collect the scattered lights will
be found in itself a most engaging and interesting task, and it will
serve in no slight degree to impress considerate minds, from time to
time, more deeply with the fulness, the harmony, the condescension,
of the Word of Life.
These reasons are respectfully addressed to those, who, in their
anxiety for immediate visible edification, appear somehow to over
look the fact, that the Church Lessons are a series, arranged accord
ing to certain general principles. Scruples, and feelings of different
kinds, occurring to this or that person as to the use of particular
passages, must be met, of course, on their own grounds ; except so
far as they ought to be silenced by the overpowering advantage,
which may appear to arise by adhering to the general principle of
selection. At any rate, it is much to be wished, that very free talking, and
very cheap publishing, in behalf of such changes, were carefully
avoided. Is there not something even cruel, in raising scruples and
niceties, and unpleasant associations of various kinds, among those
who as yet happily have never dreamed of criticising the Bible ? If
change is wanted, let proper reasons be quietly submitted to compe
tent authorities. But let us not appeal lightly, and at random, to
the sense of an irreverent presumptuous age, on one of the most sa
cred of all subjects.

Tio. 14.
THE EMBER DAYS.

In reading the Epistles of St. Paul we cannot but observe how
earnestly he presses upon those to whom he was writing, the duty
of praying for a blessing on himself and his ministry. We not
only find his request contained in general terms, (I Thess. v. 25.)
" Brethren, pray for us ;" but when he feels he stands in need of any
particular support, he mentions it as an especial subject of prayer for
the Churches. For instance, in writing to the Romans, at a time
when he was looking forward to trouble from Jewish unbelievers,
he says to them, (c. xv. 30.) " Strive together with me in your
prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do
not believe in Judsea;" and in Phil i. 19, he expresses a confidence

84
that the very opposition he was meeting with would, through the in
tercession of the Saints, be turned into a good to himself.^^ " I know
that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer." It is the
same when he has any object at heart which he desires to see ac
complished. He longs much for the spread of the Gospel and there
fore, in 2 Thess. iii. I. he says, "Finally, Brethren, pray for us, that
the word of God may have free course and be glorified." And feel
ing his own weakness to discharge the sacred trust committed to
him, he asks the Ephesians (c. vi. 15. 19.) to make supplication in
his behalf, " that utterance might be given unto him, that he might
open his mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel."
I shall mention but one passage more, that in 2 Cor. i, II, ; for here
not only the duty of praying for their Apostle is pressed upon the
people, but they are bidden to do so for the express purpose that
they might also join in expressing thanks that their prayer had been
graciously heard. " Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that,
for the gift bestowed on us by the means of many persons, thanks
may be given by many on our behalf." (Compare Col. ii. 4, Heb.
xiii. 19. Philem. 22.)
These texts show clearly, that it is the Christian's duty to pray at
all times for the Ministers of the Gospel. There are other texts
which teach that supplication ought particularly to be made for them
at the time of their Ordination. We find, that, when our Lord was
about to send forth His twelve Apostles to preach His kingdom, " He
went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer
to God." (Luke vi. 12.) And when one of those Apostles had by
transgression fallen from His Ministry, the whole Church united in
supplication to God, that He would show whom He had chosen to
succeed him. (Acts i. 24, 25.) The same is observable in the Ordina
tion of the first Deacons, where it is said, (Acts vi. 6.) the multitude
set them before the Apostles, and " when they had prayed, they laid
their hands on them." Again, when Paul and Barnabas are sent
forth on their special mission, " the Cfiurch fasted and prayed" for
them. (Acts xiii. 3.) And St. Paul in turn observed the same prac
tice, when he ordained Elders in the Churches where he had
preached. " They prayed with fasting, and commended them to
the Lord, on whom they believed." Acts xiv. 23.
In conformity to this Apostolical custom, the Church of England
views with peculiar solemnity the times at which her Ministers are
ordained ; and invites all her members to join, at these sacred sea
sons, in prayer and fasting in their behalf. It is the object of these
pages to bring this subject especially before the reader's notice ; for
the observance of this ordinance of the Church has fallen so gener
ally into disuse, that few comparatively feel the value of it ; and
some perhaps are not even aware of its existence. To those who
may be in this case, I would say briefly that the Ordination Sun-
dj(y's occur four times a year, and that the days of fasting, or Em

86
ber Days, (as they are called,) are in the week immediately before
those respective Sundays. These days are as follows ; the Wed
nesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent ; after
the Feast of Pentecost ; after Sept. 14 ; after Dec. 13 ; as may be
seen by referring to the Prayer-Book. And particular prayers are
ordered during the whole of the weeks in which these days occur ;
that the Bishops may make a wise and faithful choice, and that those
who are to be called to the Ministry, may especially be blessed
with God's grace and heavenly benediction.
That such a practice is good and right in itself, and could not fail
to produce a large benefit, cannot be doubted by those who believe
that prayer is the appointed channel whereby God is pleased to
send mercies on mankind. He that feels the truth of " Ask, and
it shall be given you," cannot deny, that he is losing a great privilege,
whenever he neglects this duty. And if there is any Order of men
who more especially need the help of others' supplications, it is that
of those, who are called to the high office of ministering the Word
of Life to their fellow-creatures, and of being labourers together
with their Divine Master in bringing men to salvation. I would go
further than this, and say, that if there is any time when the Minis
ters ofthe Gospel more particularly call for the prayers ofthe Church,
it is at these seasons of Ordination. Whether we consider the solemn
office which the Bishops are performing, or the solemn vows which
the Priests and Deacons are taking on themselves, we must allow
that it is an occasion of the greatest importance. Here are a num
ber of men going forth for the great work of winning back to Christ
souls which have gone astray from the right path, and of fighting in
the first ranks against the world, the flesh, and the devil ; and in
most cases going forth young and inexperienced in their work, not
knowing (for who can know till he has tried ?) the dangers and
difficulties which beset them. Surely it is the duty of every Chris
tian to give them what help he can, and send them forth strengthened
for the labours of their journey. ,
I doubt not that there are many in this kingdom, who are in the
habit of making supplication to God for their Ministers ; many who
join heartily in the several prayers of the Church Services, where
mention is made of them, as well as remember them in their private
devotions. And some of these may ask, of what advantage it is to
appoint particular days for such intercession. They may say, " we
pray daily for the Clergy, and not unfrequently for those who are
just entering their Ministerial life. Why should one day be flxed
upon as better than another for this purpose ? Let each do as he
finds opportunity." I would answer, first, that if it was the custom
of the Apostles to set apart the times of Ordination for especial
prayer, as well as the regulation of our own Church, it is no longer
a matter of indifference to us whether we adopt this method or not.
The example of the one, and the injunction of the other, niark plainly

86
for us what we ought to do. But, secondly, there will be advanta
ges to ourselves in taking the course so recommended ; I would
mention one or two which appear to be of importance.
I. When men have been at all careless and indifferent about any
duty, (and how few are there who can say that they have not been
careless in this matter ?) it is very useful to have some settled way
for beginning it aright. What has long been put oflT from time to
time is seldom properiy attended to, if we leave the performance of
it to any chance opportunity that may be oflTered. The convenient
season will seldom come, or at least will not come to us in so profit
able a way. For setting apart a particular occasion for solemn
prayer, brings with it more seriousness and attention, and makes us
think far more of the value of the blessing for which we ask.
2. And secondly, I would remind all those who value the pro
mises of the Bible, that there is an especial blessing promised to
united prayer. Our Lord says, (Matt, xviii. 19.) "If two of you
shall agree on earth, as touching any thing they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of My Father which is in Heaven." And when a
good is sought for all, all ought to be seeking for it, and " striving to
gether," that it may be obtained. Now this could not be done, ex
cept days were appointed, which all may know of as a standing
Ordinance ; and to be able to join together in spirit, however far
apart they are in body. We might thus not only in all parts of this
kingdom, but in distant lands, wherever our Brethren are residing,
unite in sending up supplications, which our common Father would
not fail to hear and answer abundantly. And vvhen engaged in
prayer we should have the great comfort and support of knowing
that we are not single, but that others are perhaps mentioning what
we are leaving out ; and that others have more earnestness and de
votion than we feel in ourselves.
Should this paper fall into the hands of any who have never be
fore heard or thought seriously of this Institution, it may be useful
to offer a few hints for its better observance. Let each consecrate
the days as much as possible to prayer and holy meditation, adding
to them religious Fasting, if health permit. The true end of fasting
is beautifully expressed in the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent;
" using such abstinence that our Flesh being subdued to the Spirit,
we may ever obey our Lord's godly motions in righteousness and
true holiness." It is to give the mind liberty and ability to consider
and reflect while it is actually engaged in Divine Service, or prepar
ing for some solemn part of it ; to humble ourselves before God un
der a sense of our sins, and the misery to which they expose us ; to
deprecate his anger, and to supplicate His mercy and favour.* We
tnust use it in the same spirit in which Daniel did, when he set
himself to pray for pardon for his own and his brethren's sins, and
* Nelson's Festivals and Fasts, p. 358.

87
sought " the Lord God with prayer and supplication, and fasting,
and sackcloth, and ashes." Dan. ix. 3.
The subjects for prayer on the Ember days will be the Church of
God of which we are members ; especially those who are called to
bear office in the same ; and of these, more particularly those who
are either ordaining or being ordained. But our Petitions need not
stop with these. These are seasons, in which every Minister should
be remembered before the throne of grace, in which every Bishop,
Priest, and Deacon, claim the prayers of the People. We may ask
for them, that their doctrine may be sound and pure, and may come
to the hearts of their hearers ; that they may diligently labour in
their several spheres of action, for the glory of God and the good
of mankind ; above all, that they may themselves lead holy lives,
such as are consistent with their high profession. And, because we
are so much more earnest in prayer when we are asking for parti
cular things, and those which we feel to need ourselves, we may
make especial mention of our own Clergyman, and our own Bishop,
praying that the light, which shines on them, may be reflected on
our own neighbourhood. For the same reason, if we happen to
know of any trouble or trial, to which the Sacred Ministry near us
is exposed, we may mention this also. Additional subjects of medi
tation will arise according to the particular Ember days which we
are celebrating. In those in Lent, we shall have more particularly
before us our Lord's example of prayer and fasting, and ask for
His Ministers, that they may be like Him, in retiring from the world,
and overcoming worldly snares and temptations. In those in Whit-
sun-week, we shall remember our Saviour's words, that His dis
ciples would fast when He was taken from them, think much of the
Holy Spirit, which is vouchsafed to them to supply His absence,
and implore God that on us in our day this precious Blessing may
be given abundantly. And again in those in Advent, we shall re
flect on the near approach of the anniversary of our Lord's birth,
reflect on His forerunner, the self-denying Baptist, who was flUed
with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, and pray that the
" ministers and stewards of His mysteries may like him prepare the
way for Christ's second coming."
The times in which we live will furnish additional ground for sup
plication. We cannot but see, that there is a great struggle going
on between good and evil ; and that, while we trust true Religion
is increasing, it cannot be denied that Infidelity and Opposition to
lawful authority, whether of God or man, is increasing likewise.
And, especially, as regards our own Church, we cannot shut our
eyes to the fact, that she has many and powerful enemies, both visi
ble and invisible, and that wicked spirits and wicked men are seek
ing to undermine and overthrow her. The thought of these evils on

88
all sides will naturally lead us to Him, who alone can protect us
from them.
These remarks are written, in the hope that those w|^o read them
will ask themselves honestly, whether they have not been guilty of
neglecting the proper observance of the Ember days ; and whether
the revival of the primitive custom of keeping them might not be
attended with a great national blessing ; whether it might not be a
means under God of averting the dangers which surround us. Many
are now lamenting that we have in some respects lost sight of that
"godly discipline," which the Church orders for the good of her
members. But ought we not to seek a restoration of what is lost,
as well as lament for it ; and seriously set ourselves to the most ef
fectual way of gaining what we need ? And again, many are cry
ing out against the faults of the Church ; but have any a right to do
so, till they themselves have tried every means in their power of
amending what they feel to be an evil ? And can we say that we
have tried every means, as long as an Institution like that of which I
have been speaking, so edifying, and so likely to gain a blessing, is
so generally neglected ?

No. 15.

ON THE APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION IN THE ENG
LISH CHURCH.

When Churchmen in England maintain the Apostolical Com
mission of their Ministers, they are sometimes met with the objec
tion, that they cannot prove it without tracing their orders back to
the Church of Rome ; a position, indeed, which in a certain sense
is true. And hence it is argued, that they are reduced to the dilem
ma, either of acknowledging they had no right to separate from the
Pope, or, on the other hand, of giving up the Ministerial Succession
altogether, and resting the claims of their Pastors on some other
ground; in other words, that they are inconsistent in reprobating
Popery, while they draw a line between their Ministers and those
of Dissenting Communions.
It is intended in the pages that follow, to reply to this supposed
difficulty ; but first, a few words shall be said, by way of preface,
on the doctrine itself, which we Churchmen advocate.
The Christian Church is a body consisting of Clergy and Laity;
this is generally agreed upon, and may here be assumed. Now,
what we say is, that these two classes are distinguished from each

89
other, and united to each other, by the commandment of God Him
self; that the Clergy have a commission from God Almighty
through regular succession from the Apostles, to preach the Gospel,
administer the Sacraments, and guide the Church ; and, again, that
in consequence the people are bound to hear them with attention.
receive the Sacraments from their hands, and pay them all dutiful
obedience. I shall not prove this at length, for it has been done by
others, and indeed the common sense and understanding of men, if
left to themselves, would be quite sufficient in this case. I do but
lay before the reader the following considerations.
1. We hold, with the Church in all ages, that, when our Lord,
after His resurrection, breathed on His Apostles, and said, " Receive
ye the Holy Ghost — as My Father hath sent Me, so send I you ;"
He gave them the power of sending others with a divine commis
sion, who in like manner should have the power of sending others,
and so on even unto the end ; and that our Lord promised His con
tinual assistance to theise Successors of the Apostles in this and all
other respects, when He said, " Lo, I am with you" (that is, with
you, and those who shall represent and succeed you,) " alway, even
unto the end of the world."
And, if it is plain that the Apostles left Successors after them, it
is equally plain that the Bishops are these Successors. For it is
only the Bishops who have ever been ca,lled by the title of Succes
sors ; and there has been actually a perpetual succession of these
Bishops in /the Church, wbo alone were always esteemed to have
the power of sending other Ministers to preach and administer the
Sacraments. . So that the proof of the doctrine seems to lie in a very
small space.
2. But, perhaps, it may be as well to look at it in another point
of view. I suppose no man of common sense thinks himself entitled
to set about teaching religion, administering Baptism and the Lord's
Supper, and taking care of the souls of other people, unless he has
in some way been called to undertake the office. Now, as religion
is a business between every man's own conscience and God Al
mighty, no one can have any right to, interfere in the religious con
cerns of another with the authority of a teacher, unless he is able to
show, that God has in some way called and sent him to do so. It
is true, that men may as friends encourage and instruct each othei; '
with consent of both parties ; but this is something very different
from the office of a Minister of religion, who is eAtitled and called
to exhort, rebuke, and rule, with all authority, as well as love and
humility. You may observe that our Lord Himself did not teach the Gos
pel, without proving most plainly that His Father had sent Him.
He and His Apostles prove their divine commission by miracles.
As miracles, however, have long ago come to an end, there must be
some other way for a man to prove his right to be a Minister of re-
12

90
ligion. And what other way can there possibly be, except a regu
lar call and ordination by those who have succeeded to the Apos
tles? 3. Further, you will observe, that all sects think it necessary that
their Ministers should be ordained by other Ministers. Now, if this
be the case, then the validity of ordination even with them rests on
a succession ; and is it not plain that they ought to trace that suc
cession to the Apostles ? Else, why are they ordained at all ? And,
any how, if thei) Ministers have a Commission, who derive it from
private men, much more do the Ministers of our Church, who actu
ally do derive it from the Apostles. Surely those who dissent from
the Church have invented an ordinance, as they themselves must
allow ; whereas. Churchmen, whether rightly or wrongly, still main
tain their succession not to be an invention, but to be God's ordi
nance. If Dissenters say, that order requires there should be some
such succession, this is true, indeed, but still it is only a testimony to
the mercy of Christ, in having, as Churchmen maintain, given us
such a succession. And this is all it shows ; it does nothing for
them ; for, their succession, not professing to come from God, has
no power to restrain any fanatic from setting up to preach of his
own will, and a people with itching ears choosing for themselves a
teacher. It does but witness to a need, without supplying it.
4. I have now given some slight suggestions by way of evidence
for the doctrine of the Apostolical Succession, from Scripture, the
nature of the case, and the conduct of Dissenters. Let me add a
word on the usage of the Primitive Church. We know that the
Succession of Bishops, and ordination from them, was the invariable
doctrine and rule of the early Christians. Is it not utterly incon
ceivable, that this rule should have prevailed from the first age,
everywhere, and without exception, had it not been given them by
the Apostles ?
But here we are met by the objection, on which I propose to make
a few remarks, that, though it is true there was a continual Succes
sion of pastors and teachers in the eariy Church who had a divine
Commission, yet that no Protestant can have it ; that we gave it up,
when our communion ceased with Rome, in which Church it still
remains ; or, at least, that no Protestant can plead it without con
demning the Reformation itself, for that our own predecessors then
revolted and separated from those spiritual pastors, who, according
to our principles, then had the commission of Jesus Christ.
Our reply to this is a flat denial of the alleged facts on which it
rests. The English Church did not revolt from those who in that
day had authority by succession from the Apostles. On the con
trary it is certain that the Bishops and Clergy in England and Ire
land remained the same as before the separation, and that it was
these, with the aid of the civil power, who delivered the Church of

91
those kingdoms from the yoke of Papal tyranny and usurpation,
while at the same time they gradually removed from the minds of
the people various superstitious opinions and practices which had
grown up during the middle ages, and which, though never for
mally received by the judgment of the whole Church, were yet
very prevalent. I do not say the case might never arise, when it
became the duty of private individuals to take upon themselves the
office of protesting against and abjuring the heresies of a corrupt
Church. But such an extreme case it is unpleasant and unhealthy
to contemplate. All I say here is, that this was not the state of
things at the time of the Reformation. The Church then by its
proper rulers and officers reformed itself. There was no new
Church founded among us, but the rights and the true doctrines
of the Ancient existing Church were asserted and established.
In proof of this we need only look to the history of the times.
In the year 1534, the Bishops and Clergy of England assembled in
their respective Convocations of Canterbury and York, and signed
a declaration that the Pope or Bishop of Rome had no more juris
diction in this country by the word of God, than any other foreign
Bishop ; and they also agreed to those acts of the civil government,
which put an end to it among us.*
The people of England, then, in casting off the Pope, but obeyed
and concurred in the acts of their own spiritual Superiors, and com
mitted no schism. Queen Mary, it is true, drove out after many
years the orthodox Bishops, and reduced our Church again under
the Bishop of Rome, but this submission was only exacted by force,
and in itself null and void ; and, moreover, in matter of fact it lasted
but a little while, for on the succession of Queen Elizabeth, the true
Successors of the Apostles in the English Church were reinstated
in their ancient rights. So, I repeat, there was no revolt, in any
part of these transactions, against those who had a commission from
God ; for it was the Bishops and Clergy themselves, who main
tained the just rights of their Church,
But it seems, the Pope has ever said, that our bishops were bound
by the laws of God and the Church to obey him ; that they were
subject to him ; and that they had no right to separate from him, and
were guilty in doing so, and that accordingly they have involved the
people of England in their guilt ; and at all events, that they cannot
complain of their flock disobeying and deserting them, when they
have revolted from the Pope, Let us consider this point.
Now that there is not a word in Scripture about our duty to obey
the Pope, is quite clear. The Papists indeed say, that he is the
Successor of St. Peter ; and that therefore he is Head of all Bishops,
because St, Peter bore rule over the other Apostles, But though
the Bishop of Rome was often called the Successor of St, Peter in
* Vid. ColKer, Ecol. Hist. v. ii. p; 94.

93
the early Church, yet every other bishop had the same title. And
though it be true, that St. Peter was the foremost of the Apostles,
that does not prove he had any dominion over them. The eldest
brother in a family has certain privileges and a precedence, but he
has no power over the younger branches of it. And so Rome has
ever had what is called the primacy of the Christian Churches ; but
it has not therefore any right to interfere in their internal adminis
tration ; not more of a right, than an elder brother has to meddle
with his younger brother's household.
And t|iis is plainly the state of matters between us and Rome, in
the judgment of the Ancient Church also, to which the Papists are
fond of appealing, and by which we are quite ready to stand or fall.
In early times, as is well known, all Christians thought substantially
alike, and formed one great body all over the world, called the
Church Catholic, or Universal, This great body, consisting of a
vast number of separate Churches, with each of them its own
Bishop at its head, was divided into a number of portions called
Patriarchates ; these again into others called Provinces, and these
were made up of the separate Dioceses or Bishopricks. We have
among ourselves an instance of this last division in the Provinces of
Canterbury and York, which constitute the English Church, each
of them consisting of a number of distinct Bishopricks or Churches,
The Head of a Province was called Archbishop, as in the case of
Canterbury and York ; the Bishops of those two sees being, we
know, not only Bishops with Dioceses of their own, but having,
over and above this, the place of precedence among the Bishops jn
the same. Province. In like manner, the Bishop at the head of a
Patriarchate was called the Patriarch, and had the place of honour
and certain privileges over all other Bishops within his own Patri
archate. Now, in the early Christian Church there were four or
five Patriarchates ; e. g. one in the East, the Head of which was
the Bishop of Antioch ; one in Egypt, the Head of which was the
Bishop of Alexandria ; and, again, one in the West, the Head of
which was the Bishop of Rome, These Patriarchs, I say, were the
Primates or head Bishops of their respective Patriarchates ; and
they had an order of precedence among themselves, Rome being
the First of them all. Thus the Bishop of Rome, being the firsi of
the Patriarchs in dignity, might be called the honorary Primate of
all Christendom,
However, as time went on, the Bishop of Rome, not satisfied with
the honours which were readily conceded to him, attempted to gain
power over the whole Church. He seems to have been allowed
the privilege oi arbitrating in cases of appeal from other Patriarch
ates. If, e, g, Alexandria and Antioch had a dispute, he was a pro
per referee ; or if the Bishops of those Churches were at any time
unjustly deprived of their sees, he was a fit person to interfere and
defend them, •Rut, I say, he became arhbitibus, and attempted to

93
hrd it over God's heritage.- He interfered in the internal manage
ment of other Patriarchates ; he appointed Bishops to sees, and
Clergy to parishes which were contained within them, and imposed
on them various religious and ecclesiastical usages illegally. And
doing so, surely he became a remarkable contrast to the Holy
Apostle, who, though inspired, and a universal Bishop, yet suffered
not himself to control the proceedings even of the Churches he
founded ; saying to the Corinthians, " not for that we have dominion
over your faith, but are helpers of your joy ; for by faith ye stand."
2 Cor, i, 24. This impressive declaration, which seems to be in
tended almost as a prophetic warning against the times of which we
speak, was neglected by the Pope, who, among other tyrannical
proceedings, took upon him the control of the Churches in Britain,
and forbade us to reform our doctrine and usages, which he had no
right at all to do. He had no right to do so, because we were alto
gether independent of him ; the English and Irish Churches, though
in the West, being exterior to his Patriarchate, Here again, how
ever, some explanation is necessary.
You must know, then, that from the first there were portions of
the Christian world, which were not included in any Patriarchate,
but were governed by themselves. Such were the Churches of
Cyprus, and such were the British Churches, This need not here
be proved ; it is confessed by Papists themselves. Now, it so
happened, in the beginning of the 5th century, the Patriarch of An
tioch, who was in the neighbourhood of Cyprus, attempted against
the Cyprian Churches what the Pope has since attempted against
us ; viz. took measures to reduce them under his dominion. And,
as a sign of his authority over them, he claimed to consecrate their
Bishops. Upon which the Great Council of the whole Christian
world assembled at Ephesus, A, D. 431, made the following decree,
which you will find is a defence of England and Ireland against the
Papacy, as well as of Cyprus against Antioch,
" An innovation upon the Rule of the Church and the Canons
ofthe Holy Fathers, such as to affect the general liberties of Chris
tendom, has been reported to us by our venerable brother Rheginus,
and his fellow Bishops of Cyprus, Zeno, and Evagrius. Wherefore,
since public disorders call for extraordinary remedies, as being more
perilous, and whereas it is against ancient usage, that the Bishop of
Antioch should ordain in Cyprus, as has been' proved to us in this
Council both in words and writing, by most orthodox men. We
therefore decree, that 'the Prelates of the Cyprian Churches shall
be suffered without let or hindrance to consecrate Bishops by them
selves ; and moreover, that the same rule shall be observed also in
other dioceses and provinces every where, so that no Bishop shall
interfere in another province, which has not from the very first been
under himself and his predecessors ; and further, that, if any one
has so encroached and tyrannized, he must relinquish his claim,

94
that the Canons of the Fathers be not infringed, nor the Priesthood
be made an occasion and pretence for the pride of worldly povver,
nor the least portion of that freedom unawares be lost to us, which
our Lord Jesus Christ, who bought the worid's freedom, vouch
safed to us, when He shed His own blood. Wherefore it has
seemed good to this Holy Ecumenical Council, that the rights of
every province should be preserved pure and inviolate, which have
always belonged to it, according to the usage which has ever obtain
ed, each Metropolitan having full power to act according to all just
precedents in security. And, should any rule be adduced repug
nant to this decree, it is hereby repealed."
Here we have a remarkable parallel to the dispute between Rome
and us ; aud we see what was the decision of the General Church
upon it. It will be observed, the decree is past for' all provinces in
all future times, as well as for the immediate exigency. Now this
is a plain refutation of the Romanists on their own principles.
They profess to hold the Canons of the Primitive Church ; the very
line they take is to declare the Church to be one and the same in all
ages. Here then they witness against themselves. The Pope has
encroached on the rights of other Churches, and violated the Canon
above cited. Herein is the diflference between his relation to us,
and that of any civil Ruler, whose power was in its origin illegally
acquired. Doubtless we are bound to obey the Monarch under
whom we are born, even though his ancestor were an usurper.
Time legitimises a conquest. But this is not the case in spiritual mat
ters. The Church goes by fixed laws ; and this usurpation has all
along been counter to one of her acknowledged standing ordinances,
founded on reasons of universal application.
After the Canon above cited, it is almost superfluous to refer to
the celebrated rule of the First Nicene Council, A. D. 325, which,
in defending the rights of the Patriarchates, expresses the same prin
ciple in all its simple force and majesty.
" Let the ancient usages prevail, which are received in Egypt,
Libya, and PentapoUs, relative to the authority of the Bishop of
Alexandria ; as they are observed in the case of the Bishop of Rome,
And so in Antioch too, and other provinces, let the prerogatives of
the Churches be preserved,"
On this head of the subject, I will but notice, that, as the Council
of Ephesus controlled the ambition of Antioch, so in like manner did
St. Austin rebuke Rome itself for an encroachment of another kind
on the liberties of the African Church,
Bingham says,
" When Pope Zosimus and Celestine took upon them to receive
Appellants from the African Churches, and absolve those whom
they had condemned, St, Austin and all the African Churches sharply
remonstrated against this, as an irregular practice, violating the Laws
of Unity, and the settled rules of ecclesiastical commerce ; which

95
required, that no delinquent excommunicated in one Church should
be absolved in another, without giving satisfaction to his own Church
that censured him. And therefore, to put a stop to this practice, and
check the exorbitant power which Roman Bishops assumed to
themselves, they first made a Law in the Council of Milevis, That
no African Clerk should appeal to any Church beyond sea, under
pain of being excluded from communion in all the African Churches.
And then, afterwards, meeting in a general Synod, they despatched
letters to the Bishop of Rome, to remind him how contrary this prac
tice was to the Canons of Nice, which ordered. That all contro
versies should be ended in the places where they arose, before a
Council and the Metropolitan."*
Thus I have shown, that our Bishops, at the time ofthe Reforma
tion, did but vindicate their ancient rights; were but loyal, grateful,
and therefore jealous champions of the honour of the old Fathers, and
the sanctity of their institutions ; were but acting in the magnani
mous spirit of that Apostle, who bade us " stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free." — For true magnanimity con
sists in neither encroaching nor indolently suffering encroachment ;
in taking our rights as we find them, and using them ; or rather in
regarding them altogether as trusts, the responsibility of which we
cannot avoid. As the same Apostle says, " Let every man abide in
the same calling, wherein he is called." And, if England and Ire
land had a right to assert their freedom under any circumstance,
much more so, when the corruptions imposed on them by Rome even
made it a duty to do so.
I shall answer briefly one or two objections, and so bring these
remarks to an end.
1. First, it may be said, that Rome has withdrawn our orders, and
excommunicated us ; therefore we cannot plead any longer our
Apostolical descent. Now I will not altogether deny, that a Minis
terial Body might become so plainly apostate, as to lose its privilege
of ordination. But, however this may be, it is a little too hard to
assume, as such an objection does, the very point in dispute. When
we are proved to be heretical in doctrine, then will be the time to
begin to consider, whether our heresy is of so grievous a character
as to invalidate our orders ; but till then, we may fairly and fear
lessly maintain, that our Bishops are still invested with the power
of ordination,
2, But it may be said, on the other hand, that, if we do not admit
ourselves to be heretic, we necessarily must accuse the Romanists
of being such ; and that therefore, on our own ground, we have
really no valid orders, as having received them from an heretical
Church. True, Rome is heretical now ; nay, grant she has thereby
forfeited her orders ; yet at least she was not heretical in the primi-
* Bingh. Antiq. xvi 1, 1) 14.

96
five ages. If she has apostatized, it was at the time of the Council
of Trent. Then indeed, it is to be feared, the whole Roman Com
munion bound itself by a perpetual bond and covenant to the cause
of Antichrist.* But before that time, grievous as were the corrup
tions in the Church, no individual Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, was
bound by oath to the maintenance of them.f Extensively as they
were spread, no Clergyman was shackled with obligations which
prevented his resisting them ; he could but suffer persecution for so
doing. He did not commit himself in one breath to two vows, to
serve faithfully in the Ministry, and yet to receive all the supersti
tions and impieties which human perverseness had introduced into
the most gracioU'S and holiest of God's gifts. On the contrary, we
may say with the learned Dr. Field, " that none of those points of
false doctrine and error which Romanists now maintain, and we
condemn, were the doctrines of the Church before the Reformation
constantly delivered or generally received by all them that were of
it, but doubtfully broached, and devised without all certain resolu
tion, or factiously defended by some certain only, who as a danger
ous faction adulterated the sincerity of the Christian verity, and
brought the Church into miserable bondage."J Accordingly, ac
knowledging and deploring all the errors of the dark ages, yet we
need not fear to maintain, that after all they were but the errors of
indi\'iduals, though of large numbers of Christians ; and we may
safely maintain, that they no more interfere with the validity of the
ordination received by our Bishops from those who lived before the
Reformation, than errors of faith and conduct in a priest interfere
with the grace of the Sacraments received at his hands.
3. It may be said, that we throw blame on Luther, and some of
the foreign Reformers, who did act without the authority of their
Bishops. But we reply, that it has been always agreeable to the
principles of the Church, that, if a Bishop taught and upheld what
was contrary to the orthodox faith, the Clergy and people were not
bound to submit, but were obliged to maintain the true religion ; and
if excommunicated by such Bishops, they were never accounted to
be cut off from the Church. The true Faith is prior in importance
to the Church, which is but built upon it, (Matth. xvL 18.) Luther
and his associates upheld the truth ; and though it is not necessary
* The following is from the Life of Bernard GUpin, vid. Wordsworth's Ecclesiastical
Biography, vol. iv. p. 94. " Mr. Gilpin would often say that the Churches of the
Protestants were not able to give any firme and sohd reason of their separation besides
this, to wit, that the Pope is Antichrist .... The Church of Rome kept the rule of
faith intire, until! that rule was changed and altered by the Council of Trent, and frrnn
that time it seemed to him a matter of necessitie to come out of the Church of Rome that . •
w> that Church which is true and called out from thence might follow the word of'ood.
But he did not these things violently, but by degrees."
+ The creed of Pope Pius IV., in which every Roman Priest professes and promises
to maintain all the errors of Popery, was only imposed after the Council of Trent.
t See Field on the Church, Appendix to book iii., where he proves all this. See also
Birbeck's Protestant's Evidence.

97
to defend every act of fallible men like them, yet we are fully justi
fied in maintaining, that their conduct generally in defending it
against the Romish party, even in opposition to their spiritual rulers,
was worthy of great praise. At the same time it is impossible not
to lament, that they did not take' the first opportunity to place them
selves under orthodox Bishops of the Apostolical Succession, No
thing, as far as we can judge, was more likely to have preserved
their communion from that great decline of religion, which has taken
place on the Continent ; as seems indeed to be a growing feeling
among the Lutherans of the present day. Therefore, instead of
viewing them as a body formed and settled, and therefore at vari
ance with Apostohcal usage, it is more accurate, as well as more
charitable, to consider them as Episcopal Churches, sede vacante,
or with the Episcopate in commission, protesting communities which
have fallen back on their own spiritual rights, the basis of Faith, and
are but waiting the time, unhappily delayed, when they may com
plete what is wanting in their organization, and develop themselves
into their just and original dimensions.

No 16.
ADVENT,

The name Advent, which means Coming, is given to the four
Sundays immediately before Christmas-day, the feast which cele
brates our Lord's coming in the flesh to suffer for us. This season,
then, is set apart by the Church, in accordance with ancient and
venerable usage, in the first place, to prepare the minds of her chil
dren, by holy meditation, for welcoming, with more devout and
heartfelt joy, that great day, the day of Christ's Nativity, But her
services at this solemn time are also directed to another object, very
closely connected with the former ; viz. to lead our thoughts onward
to that second coming of our Lord and Master " in His glorious
Majesty to judge the quick and the dead," which the Church is still
expecting and anxiously looking for. These two subjects are very
closely blended in the services of this season, as indeed there is
much naturally to unite them in our thoughts and feehngs ; for the
promise of Christ's second coming is to us, what the hope of His
first coming was to the Jews. And therefore, while we go back in
our thoughts to the time when Christ appeared in the flesh, and to
the state of the Jewish Church at that time, we must apply all to
the searching out of our own spirits, whether we are like 1^"'- '^'
meon ?ind Anna, and the faithful few who « wai*"^ " ^,y si-
'' ..a tor redemption

98
in Jerusalem," or rather like the great mass of the people, who
thought only of worldly and temporal things, and so rejected their
King when he appeared among them. Let us here examine, what
help the Church will give us in comparing our own privileges and
condition with those of God's ancient people.
The Collects for the Sundays in Advent, those at least for the first
three Sundays, are very much formed upon the language of the
Epistles, with more or less reference to the Gospels, It will be right,
then, to look first to the Epistles, and from them try to learn, how,
as members of the Christian Church, we are to prepare for the se
cond awful coming of our Lord and Master,
I, We are awakened then, in the Services of the first Sunday,
by the warning voice of an Apostle, that, " now it is high time to
awake out of sleep ;" that, " the night is far spent, the day is at
hand ;" that we must therefore, without delay, " cast oflF the works
of darkness, and put on the armour of light." Just so the Jewish
Church was awakened by the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
"Prepare ye .the way ofthe Lord;" the message of John the Bap
tist was the same as the Apostles to us — " Repent ye, for the king
dom of heaven is at hand." He was to " turn the heart of the fa-
thers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ;'
he was to be the Elias who was " to restore all things ;" and accord
ingly the prophecy in which his mission was foretold, after vehement
rebukes and warnings to the Jewish people, concluded with a so
lemn exhortation to them to " remember the law of" God's " servant
Moses, which he commanded in Horeb for all Israel, with the sta
tutes and the judgments." (Mai. iv.) In like manner St. Paul
urges upon us the solemn Law which has been given to the Chris
tian Church, the " new commandment," by which we shall be tried,
when the Messenger of the Covenant comes again to His Temple.
The Apostle has been giving many precepts of Christian practice,
(ch. xii. xiii.) but it seems as if he heard his Master's voice, " Be
hold, I come quickly," and so the more anxiously sounded in our ear
the simple commandment which He left us, to " love one another."
" He that loveth another, hath fulfilled the Law — Love is the fulfill
ing of the Law. And that, knowing the time ; the day is at hand ;
let us therefore walk honestly as in the day, not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." And now, having seen
and felt what Christ will seek for, when He comes into His Tem
ple, we may profit duly by the awful lesson which we learn in the
Gospel. The Jews had long been looking impatiently for the pro
mised DeUverer ; (Mai. ii. 17, iii. 1,) and when they saw Him riding
into Jerusalem, as the Prophet had foretold, they cried, saying, "Ho-
sanna to the Son of David : Blessed is He that cometh in the name
of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest I" Meanwhile, what wtre the
thoughts of the " meek and lowly" King ? His forerunner had been

99
despised, the Law of Moses had not been "remembered," the hearts
ofthe fathers were not turned to the children, nor the hearts of the
children to the fathers ; — and He was now coming to " smite with a
curse." (Mai. iv, 6.) And when He came near. He beheld the city
and wept over it. He went into the temple, and cast out the buyers
and the sellers and the money changers, as a type and signal of that
still more fearful clearing of His temple, when He laid Jerusalem
even with the ground, and her children within her, and gave the
privileges of His chosen to the Gentile world. Such fearful ven
geance was taken of those who " refused Him that spake on earth ;"
how then " shall we escape if we turn away from Him that speaketh
from heaven ?" — we, who have " received the kingdon which cannot
be moved ;" we who are come not to Horeb, but unto Mount Sion,
" unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem." Surely
it becomes us to listen to the affectionate warnings of the Church, as
she awakens us from our slumber, and recounts our high duties and
our inestimable privileges.
2. In the services ofthe Second Sunday we have the first great
privilege of the Church brought before us, viz. that in the Church
we have preserved to us those Holy Scriptures, in which is set be
fore us " the blessed hope of everlasting life." " The promises made
to the fathers" have now been fulfilled ; and as they " through pa
tience and comfort of the Scriptures" had " hope" of Christ's first
coming, and through Him of life and immortality, so we, having the
same sure word of prophecy, may look onward to the day of the
Church's final redemption, and, anticipating that coming of Christ's
kingdom for which we daily pray, and that " life everlasting," in
which we daily profess our belief, may " abound in hope through the
power of the Holy Ghost." Meanwhile the influence which Holy
Scripture is intended to have upon the Christian Church, is strikingly
put before us in the context of the Epistle. St, Paul has been en
forcing the duty of mutual forbearance by the argument of Christ's
example ; " for even Christ pleased not Himself. , . . Now the
God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one
towards another according to Christ Jesus ; that ye may with one mind
and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to
the glory of God." The faith of the Holy Catholic Church, ground
ed upon God's " Holy Word," is the bond of unity ; a link which sa
binds together the congregation of the faithful every where, that
there is but " one body and one spirit." And in that Christian Tem
ple the worshippers so speak " as one, to make one sound to be heard
in praising and thanking the Lord" — the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of Sabaoth" — that " the house is filled with a cloud," the special
presence of the Great Author of Peace and Lover of Concord, " the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of

100
Peace."* And when we think of the deep and earnest tones of
Christ's last solemn prayer before He suffered, that the Church
might be one in itself and in Him through the faith which He had
given it ; and then again remember, that the sentence of His judg
ment-seat, when He shall come the second time in His glory, will
be grounded on the relation between Himself as the Head of the
Church, and His brethren as its members, — a relation so close, that
what has been done unto them. He considers as done unto Him, and
what has been denied to them, as denied to Him ; (St, Matt, xxv.)
we shall surely return with a feeling of deeper humiliation to the
Church's Advent Prayer, that we may have " grace to cast off the
works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light ;" that so, when
" He shall come again in His glorious Majesty to judge the quick
and the dead," those Holy Scriptures, which were given to His
Church for our learning, may not rise up in judgment against us
for our neglect of that new and great commandment, the observance
of which was to be the distinctive characteristic of His disciples,
3, But fresh privileges and responsibilities are brought before us
in the services of the Third Sunday in Advent, For we have in the
Church not merely " Holy Scriptures written for our learning," but
" Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God," sent
to prepare and make ready the way for His second coming, that we
may then be found an acceptable people in His sight. We might
have been left to derive from Scripture by our own unaided efforts
its rich and glorious contents " for doctrine, for reproof, for correc
tion, for instruction in righteousness ;" but our merciful Father has
dealt otherwise with His Church under each dispensation. For the
Baptist, who heralded Ciirist at His coming, though " more than a
prophet," was but the successor of a " goodly companj"-," whom God
had raised up from time to time to vindicate the Law and to foreshow
the Gospel. " But he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater
than he." The prophet of the ancient Church had for his main
office to enforce the Law, to show God's people their transgression
and their sin ; if he spoke of the Gospel, it was in prospect only,
and seen afar off. The Messengers sent to us are a " Ministry of
reconciliation," Ministers and Stewards of the mysteries of redemp
tion, with power and commandment, as ambassadors of Christ, to
declare and pronounce to God's people, being penitent, the blessed
tidings of forgiveness, and in the preaching of His word and the dis
tribution of His sacraments to convey and apply its benefits to each
individual member of Christ's body. And does not this great bless
ing entail upon us a heavy responsibility ? Let us learn from the
Church how such a gift should be received ; she instructs us in the
words of St. Paul's admonition to the proud and schismatical Church
of Corinth. The Apostle bids them look upon himself and his fello w-
* Prayer for Unity.

101
labourers as Ministers of Christ, responsible to their own Master,
and to be judged by Him alone ; as men who thought it a very small
thing that even their own consciences acquitted them, or that in
man's judgment they were preferred and made the head of a party ;
who were Stewards, and therefore required to be faithful to Him
who gave them their commission ; and who sought to have " praise"
no(; of men but " of God," in that solemn day of His appearing, when
He should " bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make
manifest the counsels of the heart." And if we had imbibed more
deeply St. Paul's spirit, we should less resemble than (it is to be
feared) we sometimes do, the contentious Corinthians, or the multi
tudes who flocked to the wilderness to the Baptist's preaching, as if
it had been some spectacle for idle curiosity. (Matt, xi.) Wisdom
would be justified of all her children, even in our judgment ; we
should see them all to be Ministers and Ambassadors of God, and
our commendations and censures would be turned into prayers on
their behalf, such as the Church has taught us, that like the Baptist
they " may likewise so prepare and make ready Christ's way, by
turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that
at His second coming to judge the world, we may be found an ac
ceptable people in His sight." And in this way too, as well as in
giving greater heed to His holy Word, we should better fulfil
Christ's commandment of love ; for it was for this purpose that He
commissioned the Ministers and Stewards of His word and sacra
ments. St. Paul tells us, " He gave some. Apostles ; and some,
prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ;
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ ; till we all come in the unity of faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ; that we hence
forth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, inay grow up
unto Him in all things which is the Head, even Christ ; from whom
the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which
every jomt supplieth, according to the effectual working in the mea
sure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love." (Eph. iv. 11—16.)
4. And now, having reviewed the privileges with which we are
favoured in Christ's Holy Church until His coming again, we are
solemnly warned in the Epistle of the fourth Sunday, as before in
that of the first, of His near approach ; " The Lord is at band."
And if we indeed lived answerably to our privileges as members of
Christ's Church and household, we should be able to, await the ful
filment of the promise in the spirit of calm confidence and joy,
which St. Paul describes in the verses that follow ; " the peace of
God which passeth all understanding," keeping our hearts and minds
by Christ Jesus. The passage which is chosen for the Gospel,

102
places us at the point of time when Christ was on the eye of ap
pearing as " the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the
world." He had been baptized, and was now returning from the
wilderness ; for it was " the next day," we read, that the Baptist
pointed Him out to the notice of His disciples. He was already
standing among them, though they knew Him not, ready to baptize
them with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And so now, in these
latter days, the Heralds of Christ's second coming are warning the
people that He is at hand, and like the Baptist referring to the
Scripture for a proof that they are duly commissioned to prepare
His way before Him. Like him they tell the Church of a " salva
tion ready to be revealed," of " times of refreshing" to come " from
the presence of the Lord," of " times of the restitution of all things,"
and of the more glorious establishment of Christ's kingdom ; and,
in earnest looking for the promise, they offer up the prayer of the
Church that God would be pleased to raise up His power and come
among us, and with great might succour us. But, while we hope
for the promise, we must not forget the threatening. . The Baptist
spoke of Christ's coming with His fan in His hand, and of the sepa
ration which He would make between the chaff and the wheat ;
(comp. Mai iv.) but what were the days of vengeance upon the
Jewish Church, compared with those whjch we must expect, when
the time is at length come that judgment must begin at the
house of God, and the heavenly Reaper thrusts in his sharp sickle
and reaps the earth ? " The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to His temple ; behold He shall come, saith the Lord of
Hosts ; but who may bide the day of His coming, and who shall
stand when He appeareth ?" We find that when Jesus was com
ing nigh to Jerusalem, on the day of His triumphant entry, because
they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He added and spake a parable ; it was the parable of the talents.
(Luke xix.) And so, when we are disposed to indulge in bright an
ticipations of coming glory to the Church, let us rather turn our
thoughts inward to our own individual privileges and individual re
sponsibility, remembering that the kingdom of God is within us, and
that to whomsoever much is given, of him will be much required.
And especially let us remember, that among the gifts given to us,
for which we must give account, are, the New Commandment of
love, the Inspired Word of God written, for our learning, and His
duly appointed Ministers sent before Him, to prepare us for His
coming.

No. IT.
THE MINISTERIAL COMMISSION
A TRUST FROM CHRIST FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS PEOPLE.

It will be acknowledged by all who have followed the Jewish
Church through her days of suffering, and who have learnt the deep
feeling of our own impressive Litany, that the main strength of the
Church of God, in her times of trial and danger, is in the lowliness
of her humiliation before her heavenly Guardian, for her many im
perfections and sins. But there is another element of her strength,
which, it is to be feared, is sometimes forgotten, though»not less es
sential to her character ; I mean, her firm and unshaken rehance
upon the promises of God made to her. We find in Daniel's prayer
the most heart-broken confessions of sin in the name of his Church
and people ; but, at the same time, there is throughout a steadfast
hope of God's mercy, as pledged to His holy city and temple. " O
Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of
face, as at this day ; to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers,
because we have sinned against Thee." " O Lord, according to all
Thy righteousness, I beseech Thee, let thine anger and thy fury be
turned away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holymountaim ; because
for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy
people are become a reproach to all that are about us. O Lord,
hear ; O Lord, forgive ; O Lord, hearken and do ; defer not,
for Thine own sake, O my God : for Thy city and Thy people are
called by Thy Name." It can scarcely be necessary to remind the
members of our own Church, how beautifully the close of her Lit
any breathes the spirit of Daniel's prayer ; how, in the midst of re
iterated supplications for God's forgiveness and mercy, now ad
dressed more especially to the Son, now to the Father, now to
every Person of the Blessed and Holy Trinity, now in the prevail
ing words which Christ Himself has taught us — supplications so
deeply expressive of " the sighing of a contrite heart, the desire of
such as be sorrowful," — there still breaks in a gleam of faith and
hope in the memory of the noble works which we have heard with
our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, a strong yet humble
confidence, that God will yet again arise and help us, and defiver
us for His Name's sake, and for His Honour.
Now this is a point which it is of great importance to have
strongly impressed upon our minds ; because it is to be feared, that
there are many of our brethren in the present day, who allow the

104
thought of present and past transgressions, of our own sins, and
those of our fathers, to banish entirely the remembrance of the
glorious promises and privileges which belong to us. They see so
much neglected, and so much to be done, that they think it were
better for us each to work apart in lonely humiliation, " in fear and
in much trembling," than to endeavour to magnify our oflice, and
cheer one another with the songs of Zion. Now, I would ask, if
this notion exist in any of our brethen, whether, under the sem
blance of good, it does not argue something of mistaken feeling, and
that in more than one essential point.
1. Does not this opinion seem to imply the supposition that the
dignity conferred on the Ministerial Oflice is something given for
the exaltation of the Clergy, and not for the benefit of the people 1
as if there were a different interest in the two orders, and, in main
taining their Divine appointment, the Clergy would make themselves
" lord's over God's heritage ?" I do not now enter upon the point
that to magnify the office is not necessarily to exalt the individual
who bears it ; nay, that the thought which will most deeply humble
the individual, most oppress him with the overwhelming sense of
his own insufficiency, is the consciousness " into how high a dignity,
and to how weighty an office and charge" he has been called ; an
office " of such excellency, and of so great difficulty." I would now
rather ask for whose benefit this high and sacred Office has been in
stituted ? For the Clergy, or for the people ? The Apostle will de
cide this point : " He gave some. Apostles ; and some, Prophets ;
and some. Evangelists; and some. Pastors and Teachers ; for the,
perfecting ofthe saints for the work ofthe ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ." (Eph. iv. II, 12.) "All things are yours,
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas." (1 Cor. iii. 21.) And this,
it should be well observed, the Apostle says on purpose to put an
end to that exaltation of individuals, which the Church of Corinth
had fallen into from forgetting that their pastors and teachers were
all " Ministers of Christ," Ministers by whom they believed " even
as the LiOKD gave to every man." And so again to the same Church,
and in reference to the same subject, St. Paul says, " All things are
for YOUR sokes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanks
giving of many, redound to the glory of God." (2 Cor. iv. 15.)
Scripture then is express upon this point, that whatever power and
grace Christ has given to His Ministers, He has given them for the
good of His people, and the glory of His heavenly Father. And
do not our own understandings and consciences bear witness to the
same truth ? For what is our commission ? Is it not a " Ministry
of reconciliation ?" — " to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto Himself;" and hath committed to us the proclamation
of the pardon ? Let us put the case on which the Apostle's lan
guage is founded ; the case, I mean, of a people in rebellion against
their Sovereign, visited with the news that their King is willing, nay.

105
even anxiously desirous to grant them forgiveness an'd favour. In
such a case, would not the first question be, what authority does
this report go upon 1 who are the persons who bring it ? is it merely
a matter of their individual belief, or are they duly authorized and
commissioned from the Court ? are they come as volunteers, or have
they been sent by their Master ? " Now then we are Ambassadors
for Christ ;" we are sent to " bring good tidings and to publish
peace," " to preach deliverance to the captives, and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound ;" and, if we allow our commis
sion to be questioned, nay, if we do riot most unequivocally and
prominently assert it, whom are we robbing? not ourselves of
honour, but the people, to whom we are sent, of the blessedness
and joy of knowing, that God " desireth not the death of a sinner,
but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live ;" and
that, in token of this desire. He " hath given power and command
ment to His Ministers to declare and pronounce to His people, being
penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins." We are sent
to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted,
to comfort all that mourn ; and it is the meek, and the broken
hearted, and the mourners, that will feel the loss, if our blessed
OflSce be set at nought, or disregarded. Let us well consider this
point. There is an humble and fearful member of Christ's flock,
who desires to strengthen and refresh his soul by the Body and
Blood of Christ ; but he cannot quiet his own conscience ; he
requires further comfort and counsel. Surely it is to his comfort,
that there is a duly commissioned Minister of God's Word at hand ;
to whom he may come and open his grief, and receive the benefit
ofthe sentence of God's pardon, and so prepare himself to approach
the holy Table " with a full trust in God's mercy, and with a quiet
conscience ;" and thus draw near with faith, and take that holy
Sacrament to his comfort. And then, again, when he lieth sick
upon his bed, does not his Saviour " make all his bed in his sick
ness," when His Minister comes to him, to receive the confession
of his sins, and to relieve his conscience of the " weighty" things
which press it down ; and then, (" if he humbly and heartily desire
it,") by virtue of Christ's authority committed to him, assures him
of the pardon of all his sins, that so, as his suflTerings ai^ound, his
consolation also may abound through Christ ; and as his outward
man perisheth, the inward man may be renewed day by day. How
then ought we to look upon the power which has been given us by
Christ, but as a sacred treasure, of which we are Ministers and
Stewards ; and which it is our duty to guard for the sake of those
little ones, for whose edification (2 Cor. xiii. 10) it was that our
Lord left power with His Church. And if we suffer it to be lost
to our Christian brethren, how shall we answer it, not only to those
who might now rejoice in its holy comfort, but to those also that are
to come, after us ? " For the promise is unto you and to your chil-
14

106
dren, and unto all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call,"
2. But if we are thus bound by our duty to the Christian flock,
are we not also stiU more solemnly bound by our obligation to its
Chief Shepherd, and Bishop ? For we are " Ministers of Christ and
Stewards of the mysteries of God ;" and " in Stewards it is requir
ed that a man be found faithful." It becomes us, therefore, well to
consider and know, what is the full amount ofthe riches which have
been committed to our care ; what is the height and depth of the
Mysteries which have been entrusted to our keeping ; for we serve
a Master who will strictly require at our hands every talent that He
has left with us, and rigorously examine whether we have been
afraid and hid it in a napkin, or have diligently put it out to usury
and turned it to full account. Let us turn our thoughts again to
the representation, which St. Paul gives us, of our character and
calling. " We are Ambassadors for Christ." Now what should
we think of the Ambassador of an earthly King, who when he came
among the people to whom he was sent, should seem to regard it as
a matter of slight importance, whether he were indeed commission
ed or not, or appear willing to conceal the full powers with which
he was vested, and speak only as an individual ? Would this be to
be faithful to him that appointed him ? would his Master own
him as a " good and faithful servant ?" And if we are Ambassadors
for Christ, His " deputies for the reducing of man to the obedience
of God," we must follow the example which our Master has set us,
and, as he was, so must we be in this world. For He has Himself
declared to us, " as My Father hath sent me, even so send I you."*
How then did Christ fulfil the office which his Father had com
mitted to Him ? Let us look to his discourses as recorded in St.
John's Gospel, and to the solemn prayer with which He concluded
His earthly Ministry. We there find Him again and again proclaim
ing that He had been sent from the Father ; it was for this end
that He prayed so earnestly for the unity and holiness of His Church,
that the world might believe that the Father had sent Him ; it was
because His chosen disciples had believed that the Father had sent
Him, that he poured forth such fervent thanksgivings on their be
half, f "I am not come of Myself, but He sent Me." "I have
not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me, He gave
Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak."
" They have known that all things are of Thee ; they have known
that / came out from Thee ; they have believed that Thou didst send
Me."X Thus did Christ stand in the midst of His generation as an
* St. John XX. 91. Comp. xvii. 18. " As thou hast sent Me into the world, so have
I also sent them into the world."
t St. John xvii. 8. 91. 93. 95.
X St. John xii. 49, 50. Comp. xiv. 10. 94. comp. also our Loan's remarkable words.
ch. V. 31. 43.

107 t
Apostle, as one sent from God ; and so must His deputies likewise
stand among their brethren ; as men sent to a rebellious house,
whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, speaking with
authority — " as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God." And if we are asked
by what authority we speak, and who gave us this authority, we
have our credentials at hand ; " whose soever sins ye remit, they
are remitted, and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
" Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind^ on earth shall be
bound in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven." " He that heareth you, heareth Me ; and he that
despiseth you, despiseth Me ; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth
Him that sent Me." (Vid. St. John xx. St. Matt, xviii. St. Luke x.)
If ever, then, we are tempted to be ashamed of Christ and of
His words, or to allow His high and heavenly mission to be thought
lightly of in the person of His Deputies and Ministers, let us remem
ber, that it is no matter of personal consideration, that two sacred
interests are involved, the glory of God and the edifying of His
people. Let us remember that, as Christ received of the Father
" a commandment," so we too have received a commandment from
Him, the " commandment" as well as the " power" to declare to His
people the message of forgiveness ; that Christ has commanded us
to teach all nations to observe whatsoever He has commanded us, and
then He will be with us alway, even to the end of the world. And
above all, let us not be silenced by the sense of past unworthiness
and neglect, whether in ourselves individually, or in the Church at
large ; this would be but to add sin to sin. Rather, seeing we have
this Ministry, this glorious ministration of righteousness, (2 Cor. iv.
1. comp. ch. iii.) let us not faint ; but strive how we may show our
selves " dutiful and thankful to that Lord who hath placed us in so
high a dignity." The world would fain silence our glorying, and
would have Christ rebuke His disciples, but let us not be ashamed
of the good confession ; for with such powers and graces, given to
us by Christ Himself, as Ambassadors for Him, and Workers to
gether with God, if we should hold our peace, the very stones would
immediately cry out.

No. 18.
THOUGHTS
ON THE BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM OF FASTING,
ENJOINED BY OUR CHURCH.

To a person but little accustomed to observe any stated Fasts,
the directions given by our Church on this subject, would probably
occasion two very opposite feehngs. On the one hand, he would
be struck by the practical character and thoughtfulness evinced by
some of the regulations ; on the other, he would probably feel repell
ed by the number of days, and the variety of occasions, which the
Church has appointed so to be hallowed. Most Christians, who
really loved their Saviour, (unless prevented by the habits of early
education,) would probably see something appropriate and affec
tionate in the selection of the Friday, for a weekly commemoration
of the Saviour's sufferings, and of humiliation for their own sins,
which caused them ; or, at all events, they would feel thert there was
some thoughtfulness in the direction annexed, that this weekly Fast
should not interfere with the Christian joyousness brought back by
the Festival of their Lord's Nativity, when these should in the cycle
of years coincide. Again, if they should fail to appreciate the wis
dom of appointing certain days to be kept sacred in memory of the
holy men who left all to follow Christ, and consequently should be
rather deterred than attracted, by observing that many of these days
were ushered in by a preceding Fast ; still they would hardly fail
to be struck by the provision, that this previous Fast should not in
terfere with the Christian's weekly Festival of his Lord's Resurrec
tion, but, that " if any of these Feast-days should fall upon a Mon
day, then the Fast-day should be kept on the Saturday, not upon
the Sunday next before it."* Again, he must observe, that during
certain periods of the Church's year, which are times of especial joy
to the faithful Christian, those, namely, which follow the Nativity
and the Resurrection, these preparatory Fasts are altogether omit
ted. Some or other of these regulations would probably strike most
thoughtful minds, as instances of consideration and reflection in those
who framed them. The Clergy, more especially, would appreciate,
abstractedly at least, the imitation of the Apostolic practice of Fast
ing, when any are to be ordained to any holy function in the Church ;
* See Tables prefixed to the Common Prayer Book.

109
and some probably will feel mournfully, that if the Church were
now more uniformly to observe those acts of Fasting and Prayer,
which were thought needful before even Paul and Barnabas* were
separated for God's work, we should have more reasonable grounds
to hope, that many of our Clergy would be filled with the spirit of
Barnabas and Paul.
On the other hand, it is naturally to be expected, that one not
accustomed to any outward restraint in this matter, would feel in
disposed to ordinances so detailed ; that, although he could recon
cile to himself the one or the other of these observances, which most
recommended themselves to his Christian feelings, he would think
the whole a burdensome and minute ceremonial, perhaps unbefit
ting a spiritual worship, and interfering with the 'liberty wherewith
Christ has made him free. This is very natural ; for we are by na
ture averse to restraint, and the abuse of some maxims of Protestant
ism, such as the " right of private judgment," has made us yet more
so : we are, reluctant to yield to an unreasoning authority, and to
submit our wills, where our reason has not first been convinced ;
and the prevailing maxims of the day have strengthened this reluc
tance : we have been accustomed to do, " every one that which was
right in his own eyes," and are jealous of any authority, except that
of the direct injunctions of the Bible : in extolhng also the spirituali
ty of our religion, we have, I fear, intended covertly to panegyrize
our own, and so, almost wilfully withdrawn our sight from those
more humbling provisions, which are adapted to us, as being yet in
the flesh : in our zeal for the blessed truths of the cross of Christ,
and of our sanctification by the Holy Spirit, we have begun in
sensibly to disparage other truths, which bring us less immediately
into intercourse with God, to neglect the means and ordinances,
which touch not upon the very centre of our faith.
The practical system of the Church is altogether at variance with
that which even pious Christians in these days have permitted them
selves to adopt ; much which she has recommended or enjoined
would now be looked upon as formalism, or outward service ; in
our just fear of a hfeless formalism, we have forgotten that where-
ever there is regularity, there must be forms ; that every Christian
feeling must have its appropriate vehicle of expression ; that the
most exalted act of Christian devotion, that our closest union with
our Saviour, is dependent upon certain forms ; that the existence
of forms does not constitute formalism ; that where the Spirit of
Christ is, there the existence of forms serves only to give regularity
to the expression, to chasten what there might yet remain of too in
dividual feeling, to consolidate the yet divided members "in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ." '
» Acts xiii. 9—4. iv. 23.

110
Yet, as in every case in which the current of prevailing opinions,
either in faith or practice, has for some time set in one direction,
there have not been wanting indications, that Christians have felt
their system incomplete ; that there was something in the tranquil
piety of former days, which they would gladly incorporate into the
zealous excitement of the present ; that although religion is in one
sense strictly individual, yet in the means by which it is kept alive,
it is essentially expansive and social ; that the only error here to be
avoided, is a reliance upon forms ; that the forms themselves, as
soon as they are employed to realize things eternal, and to cherish
man's communion with his Saviour, become again spiritual and edi-
It is accordingly remarkable, in how many cases individuals have
of late been led back by their own Christian experience to obser
vances, in some respect similar to those which the Church had be
fore suggested and provided for them. In the more advanced stage
of their Christian course, or when, by a period of sickness or dis
tress, God has granted them a respite from the unceasing circle of
active duty, they have seen the value of those rites, the scrupulous
adherence to which they once regarded as signs of lifelessness. In
either case they would willingly own, that the union provided by
the Church is not only more ordered, and less liable to exception,
than one which individuals could frame ; but also, that, as being more
comprehensive, it would more effectively realize their objects.
It is granted, then, that the proportion of the Fast Days enjoined
by the Church will, to persons unaccustomed to observe them, ap
pear over-large, and the variety of the occasions for which they are
adapted, over-minute and arbitrary. The question however occurs,
whether we ought to be influenced by such considerations to reject
the entire system, or whether we ought not rather to be moved by
the indications of a practical character evinced in some regulations,
to make the trial of those, whose benefit we do not at present dis
cern. Now it would seem plain that, in a practical matter, he who
from the traces of wisdom or thoughtfulness in one regulation should
infer the probable wisdom and reasonableness of others emanating
from the same source, would act more wisely than one, who, on ac
count of the apparent unreasonableness and superfluity of some pro
visions, should proceed to condemn the whole. For in practical
matters, the great test of the expediency of any habit, for which we
have not direct divine authority, is experience : they only who have
tried a line of conduct, or narrowly watched its eflPects upon others,
can speak with certainty as to its resuh. Of all the lesser courses
of action, which tend so powerfully to form our moral habits, it
would be impossible, probably, for one who had not tried their ef
fect, to predict certainly what that efiect would be ; or if we could
guess the nature of the eflfect, certainly we should not be able to
foresee its degree and amount. With the exception of gross and

Ill
flagrant sins, whose character and wages we know from authority,
there is probably no one line of action, with regard to which we
might not beforehand prove very plausibly to ourselves, that it
would not have the effects, to which it is in fact tending, and which
we afterwards perceive to have been its natural results. Yet such
abstract reasonings about the possibilities or tendencies of things
would not be listened to in any other case. When sick, men eagerly
listen to the means, however improbable, by which any disease,
resembling their own, was removed. Be it a poison, which they
are bidden to take, yet if it be proved satisfactorily that, in ca
ses like their own, that poison has been the messenger of health.
they would not hesitate. They would Hsten to no abstract reason
ings, that it was improbable that what had been an instrument of
death could be their fife ; they would look to those, whom it had
restored to health, and would do the hke. The sight of one person,
undeniably raised from a state of death to life, would affect men more
than any a priori demonstration that the medicine was pernicious
or deadly. Much more then, since this medicine has been recom
mended to us by the great Physician of our souls ; since it has been
beneficial, wherever it has not been substituted for all other means
of restoring or maintaining our spiritual health. The only question
open to us, is, — not whether Fasting be in itself beneficial, this has
been determined for us by God Himself,* but — whether certain
regulations concerning it tend to promote or to diminish its efficacy ;
and in this case, the testimony of those who have proved their value,
is manifestly of primary importance ; the preconceived opinions of
such as have not tried them, are but mere presumptions. When
then, in the regulations of our Church, we find instances of thought
which imply that the framers of these rules formed them upon their
own experience, or again, when in the histories of these holy men,
we see that they habitually practised what they inculcated, we have
evidence of the value of their advice, which we may not, without
peril of injury to our souls, neglect.
It was in part, by some such process as the preceding, that the
writer of these pages was led to consider what one may be allowed
to term the less solemn Fasts of the Church, those which Christians
now ordinarily pay less regard to ; for the first day of Lent, and the
annual commemoration of our Saviour's sufferings, are, I suppose,
still very commonly observed. As the history of every mind is, un
der some modifications, the mirror of many others, it may to some
be useful to see by what course of reflection or experience an indi
vidual was brought to feel the value of the regulations of the Church
in this respect.
It will perhaps to some seem strange to find placed among the
foremost of these advantages, the Protection thereby afforded — pro-
* See Tract 21.

112
tection against one's self ; protection against the habits and customs
of the world, which sorely let and hinder one in systematically pur
suing what one imagines might be beneficial. I speak not, of course,
of any known duty ; in that case the opinion or practice or invita
tions of the world were nothing ; but with regard to those indefinite
duties or disciplines, which one thinks may be performed as well at
one period as at another, and which, on that very account, are fre
quently not performed at all,.or at best occasionally only, and super
ficially. No thoughtful Christian will doubt of the propriety and
duty of fasting, whatever he may understand by the term. " The
bridegroom is taken away from us, and so we must fast in these
days :"* the Apostles were " in fastings often :"f in fastings, J as well
as in sufferings for the Gospel, or by pureness, by knowledge, by all
the graces which the Holy Ghost imparted, they approved themselves
the Ministers of God. Our Blessed Saviour has given us instruc
tions how we ought to fast,§ and therefore implied that His disciples
would fast : He has promised that His Father, in the sight of all
the Holy Angels, shall reward the right performance of this exer
cise : how then should it not be a duty ? " Our Lord and Saviour,"
says Hooker,|| " would not teach the manner of doing, much less
propose a reward for doing that which were not both holy and ac
ceptable in God's sight." And yet, after all the allowances which
can be made for that fasting, which is known to our Father only
who seeth in secret, one cannot conceal from one's self that this
duty is in these days very inadequately practised. It is, in fact, a truth
almost proverbial, that a duty which may be performed at any time,
is in great risk of being neglected at all times. The early Christians
felt this, and appointed the days of our Blessed Saviour's betrayal
and crucifixion, the Wednesday and Friday of each week,1[ to be
days of fasting and especial humiliation. Those days, in which espe
cially the bridegroom was taken away, the days, namely, in which
He was crucified and lay in the grave, were besides early consecra
ted as Fasts by the widowed Church. Nor was it because they were
in perils, which we are spared ; because they were in deaths oft,
that they practised or needed this discipline. Quite the reverse.
Their whole life was a Fast, a death to this world, a realizing of
things invisible. It was when dangers began to mitigate, when
Christianity became (as far as the world was concerned,) an easy
profession, it was then that the peril increased, lest their first sim-
* Matth. ix. 15. Mark ii. 90. Luke v. 35.
t 9 Cor. xi. 97. These wore voluntary Fasts : St. Paul had just spoken of involun
tary privation, " in hunger and thirst." On c. vi. 5. Calvin says, " St. Paul doth not
mean hunger which arose from want, but the voluntary exercise of abstinence." So
Whitby paraphrases v. 4, 5., " constantly enduring all sorts of suflerinss, and exercis
ing all kinds of self-denial for tlie Gospel's sake." '
} Ibid. vi. 5. § Matth. vi. 16—18.
II Eccl. Pol. B. V. § 79. Bp. Taylor, Rule of Conscience, B. ii. c. 3. rule O.
V See Bingham, Antiq. of the Christian Church, B. xxi. c. 3.

113
plicity should be corrupted, their first love grow cold ! Then*^ those
who had spiritual authority in the Church increased the stated Fasts,
in order to recall that holy earnestness of life, which the recentness
of their redemption, and the constant sense of their Saviour's pre
sence had before inspired. Fasts were not merely the voluntary
discipline of men, whose conversation was in heaven ; they were
adopted and enlarged in periods of ease, of temptation, of luxury,
of self-satisfaction, of growing corruption.
To urge that Fasts were abused by the later Romish Church, is
but to assert that they are a means of grace committed to men ;
that they would subsequently be unduly neglected, was but to be
expected by any one, who knows the violent vacillations of human
impetuosity. It was then among the instances of calm judgment
in our Reformers, that cutting off the abuses which before prevailed,
the vain distinctions of meats, the luxurious abstinences, the lucra
tive dispensations, and, above all, the subtle poison of the intrinsic
acceptableness of Fasting, and, (which was closely allied to it,) the
monstrous doctrine of human merit, they still prescribed Fasting
"to disciphne the flesh, to free the spirit, and render it more earnest
and fervent to prayer, and as a testimony and witness with us be
fore God of our humble submission to His high Majesty, when we
confess our sins unto Him, and are inwardly touched with sorrow
fulness of heart, bewailing the same in the affliction of our bodies."f
Our Reformers omitted that which might be a snare to men's
consciences — they left it to every man's Christian prudence and ex
perience, how he would fast ; but they prescribed the days upon
which he should fast, both in order to obtain an unity of feeling and
devotion in the members of Christ's body, and to preclude the
temptation to the neglect of the duty altogether. Nor is the inter
ference in this matter any thing insulated in our system, or one
which good men would object to, had not our unhappy neglect of
it now made it seem strange and foreign to our habits. In some
things we are accustomed to perform a duty, which is such inde
pendently of the authority of the Church, in the way in which the
Church has prescribed, and because she has so appointed. We
assemble ourselves together on the Lord's day, because God has
directed us by His Apostle not to forsake such assemblies ; but we
assemble ourselves twice upon that day rather than once, not upon
any reason of the abstract fitness of so doing, but because the
Church has prescribed it. And yet we should rightly think that it
argued great profaneness of mind and a culpable carelessness of
our privileges, if we were habitually to neglect this ordinance, on
the ground that God has not m His Word directly enjoined it.
And probably, at an earlier period of our fives, (perhaps even later,
when indisposition or indolence or any prevaihng temptation has
* Cassian. Coll«t. xxi. c. 30. ap. Bingham, B. xxi. u. 1.
t First Part of the Homily on Fasting. 15

114
beset us,) there are few amongst us who have not owed their regu
lar perseverance in public worship to this ordinance ofthe Church;
there is no one assuredly who having broken this ordinance, has
afterwards by God's mercy been brought back to join more uni
formly in the public worship of his God and Saviour, who has not
been thankful for this restriction. This then is protection.*
Again, to search the Scriptures is a duty expressly enjoined by
our Saviour. The Church has stepped in to direct this study, and
prescribed that nearly the whole of the O. T. should be read in
each year, the N. T. thrice in the same period, the Psalms once
every month. Since our Daily Service has been nearly lost, many
pious individuals, it is well known, have habitually read just that
portion which the Church has allotted. Now, laying aside certain
cases in which this duty will be lifelessly performed, (for such there
will be under any system,) can any one doubt, that those who have
from childhood been trained to follow this direction of the Church,
have read their Bible more regularly and more fully than others?
and has not the Word of God often exerted its power even when
it has been read simply as an act of duty, and when but for this
direction it would not have been read at all ?
The like has undoubtedly taken place even in the celebration of
the Supper of our Lord. Individuals have been induced to join,
and that beneficially to themselves, in the Communion even of their
Saviour's body and blood, just so often in the year as their Church
has prescribed to them. This is not so unusual a case as it might
seem. One cannot doubt, that in many cases, where the Holy
Communion is celebrated but three times in the year, this is so done,
because such is the smallest number, of which the Church admits,
and the Minister supposes that his flock would not join with him
more frequently. Had the Church made no such regulation, many
probably, who now partake three times a year, might not have
joined even thus often ; yet it would not be true to say that such
persons in all cases partook without real devotion, or any love to
their Saviour. Again, where there are opportunities of a monthly
Communion, there may be some, who would not have desired the
* " No doubt but penitency is as prayer, a thing acceptable to God, be it in public or
in secret. Howbeit, as in the one, if men were only left to their own voluntary medita
tions in their closets, and not drawn by laws and orders unto the open assemblies of
the Church, that there they may join with others in prayer, it may soon be conjectured
what Christian devotion would that way come unto in a short time ; even so in the
other, we are by sufficient experience taught, how Httle it booteth to tell men of wash
ing away their sins with tears of repentance, and so to leave them altogether to them
selves. O Lord, what heaps of grievous transgressions have we committed, the best,
the perfectest, the most righteous amongst us all, and yet clean past them over unsor-
rowed for, and unrcpented of, only because the Church hath forgotten utterly how to
bestow her wonted times of discipline, wherein the public example of all was unto
every particular person a most effectual means to put them often in mind, and even in
a manner to draw them to that, which now we all quite and clean forget, as if penitency
were no part of a Christian man's duty." — Hooker, 1. c.

115
privilege, unless the provision had been made for them, and they
had been invited by the Church so to do ; yet will it not of neces
sity follow, that they partake coldly or unacceptably. A warmer
love would indeed lead the one to a more frequent, the other to a
more glad Communion ; nor have such' persons well understood the
principles of their Church ; still, God forbid that we should judge
that they had not partaken worthily and devotionally.
Here again then is protection : in each case we have a command
of God, obeyed in such wise as is prescribed by the Ministers,
whom He has made the Stewards of His Word and Sacraments ;
and since in these cases we admit their regulation, why should we
think it strange or incongruous, that they have given us their pious
admonitions in another ordinance of God ?
Nor is it to the undecided, or the timid, or the hesitating, or the
novice only, that this protection is beneficial ; although no reflect
ing Christian will speak lightly of the value of any means, which
tend to strengthen the bruised reed or to kindle anew the smoul
dering flax. The comparison of our own times with those of the
Reformers were proof enough of the benefit of authoritative inter
position in these matters. Is human nature changed ? or have we
discovered some more royal road, by which to arrive at the subju
gation of the body, the spiritualizing of the affections ? or have we,
even from without, fewer temptations to luxury and self-indul
gence ? or will not even the more pious and decided Christians
among us confess, upon reflection, that they had probably been now
more advanced, had they in this point adhered to the Ancient Dis
cipline of our Churciy Our Reformers kept and enjoined one
hundred and eight days in each year, either entirely or in part, to
be in this manner sanctified ; two sevenths of each year they wish
ed to be in some way separated by acts of self-denial and humilia
tion. Let any one consider what proportion of each year he has
himself so consecrated, and whether, had he followed the ordinances
of the Church, his spirit would not probably have been more chas
tened and lowl}% more single in following even what he deems his
duty, whether self would not have been more restrained, whether
he would not have walked more humbly with his God.
Yet authority is a valuable support against the world, even to
minds which yet are not inclined to compromise with the world
unlawfully. There are many situations in life, in which it were
almost impossible to continue, without observation, a system of ha
bitual and regular Fasting, certainly not one, attended with those
accompaniments, which the Fathers of our Church thought it de
sirable to unite with it. It is true, that every Fast may be made
a Feast, and every Feast a Fast ; that as far as self-denial is con
cerned, if there be a steadfast purpose, the objects may perhaps be
better accomplished in the midst of plenty ana luxury, than by the
purposed spareness of a private board ; it is possible also, that the

116
acts might be in some measure concealed ; still there are very many
minds, and those such as one would be the most anxious to protect,
to whom the very suspicion that they might be observed, would be
matter of pain and a species of profanation ; they would shrink
from any thing which might be construed into Pharisaic abstinence,
or which would seem to pretend to more than ordinary measures
of Christian prudence. To such mild and unobtrusive spirits, the
recommendation or direction of the Church is an invaluable support ;
they may now adopt the line of conduct which they love, unimpeded
by any scruple, lest their good should be evil spoken of ; they are
acting under authority; they pretend to nothing more than the
Founders of their Church have deemed expedient for every one ;
their conduct involves no lofty pretensions ; they follow in simplicity
and faithfulness an old and trodden track, which has been marked
out for them as plain and safe.
The first advantage then which may result from the authoritative
interposition of the Church in regulating this duty, is the securing
of greater regularity and more uniform perseverance in its perform
ance ; not undoubtedly as in itself an end, but as leading to great
and important ends ; for as those pious men, who laid so much stress
thereon, themselves say, " when it respecteth a good end, it is a good
work ; but the end being evil, the work is also evil."* " Fasting is
not to be commended as a duty, but as an instrument ; and, in that
sense, no man can reprove it, or undervalue it, but he that knows
neither spiritual acts, nor spiritual necessities."!
But further, it is not even true, that all the purposes of Fasting
can be attained by mere self-denial in the nwlst of luxury. For the
acquisition of the habit of self-denial, although an important object,
is by no means the sole end of Fasting. J The great purpose, in con
nection with which it is chiefly mentioned in Holy Scripture, is
prayer. The influences of Society, rightly chosen, may dispose the
mind to more fervent (possibly only more excited) prayer ; it is soli-
* First Part of the Homily on Fasting. t Bishop Taylor, Works, iv. 919.
\ " Much hurt hath grown to the Church of God through a false imagination that
Fasting standeth men in no stead for any spiritual respect, but only to take down the
franlcness of nature, and to tame the wildness of the flesh. Whereupon the world being
hold to surfeit, doth now blush to fast, supposing that men, when they fast, do rather
bewray a disease, than exercise a virtue. I much wonder what they, who are thus
persuaded, do think, what conceit they have, concerning the Fasts of the Patriarchs,
the Prophets, the Apostles, our Lord Jesus Christ himself." Hooker's Eccl. Pol. B.
V. k 72.
" If the Church intends many good ends in the Canon, any one is sufficient to tie the
law upon the conscience, because, for that one good end, it can be serviceable to the
soul ; and indeed Fasting is of that nature, that it can be a ministery of repentance by
the affliction, and it can be a help to prayer, by taking off the loads of flesh and a full
stomach ; and it can be aptly ministerial to contemplation. Now, because every one is
concerned in some one or more of these ends of Fasting, all people are included within
the circles of the law, unless by some other means they be exempted." Bp. Taylor,
Rule of Conscience, B. iii. u. 4. rule 19. See also Hammond's Practical Catechism,
B. ui. § 3.

117
tude generally, or communion with a single friend, which brings ua
to an humble, contrite, lowly, intercourse with our God. In the pre
sent day, the first paramount evil which destroys its tens of thousands,
is probably self-indulgence ; the second, which hinders thousands in
their progress heavenwards, is the being " busy and careful about
many things," whether temporal or spiritual. " We have kept the
vineyards of our mother's children, but our own vineyards have we
not kept." The tendency of the age is to activity, and we have
caught its spirit ; if we be but active about our Master's calling we
deem ourselves secure ; we think not, until we are precluded from
active exertion, " how much activity belongs to some (ages and some)
iiatures, and that this nature is often mistaken for grace."* Mean
while an activity, which leads us not inwards, has taken place of that
tranquil retiring meditation on the things ofthe unseen world which
formed the deep, absorbing, 'contemplative, piety of our forefathers ;
even the conception of the joys of heaven, which very many of us
form, is but a glorified transcript of our life here ; we look, when
through God's mercy in Christ we shall be delivered from the bur
den of the flesh, to be like the " Ministers of His, who do His plea
sure ;" but we look not, comparatively at least, to that which our
Fathers longed for, to be with Christ and to see Him as He is.
Our age is in general too busy, too active, for deep and continued
self-observation, or for thoughtful communion with our God. It
would not be too broad or invidious a statement to say, that for real
insight into the recesses of our nature, or for deep aspirations after
God, we must for the most part turn to holy men of other days :
our own furnish us chiefly with that which they have mainly cher
ished, a general abhorrence of sin, they guide us not to trace it out
in the lurking corners of our own hearts : they teach us to acknow
ledge generally the corruption of our nature, the necessity of a Re
deemer, and the love we should feel towards Him ; but they lead
us not to that individual and detailed knowledge of our own personal
sinfulness, whence the real love of our Redeemer can alone flow.
A religious repose and a thoughtful contemplation, would be a
second advantage of complying in this respect with the instructions
of our Church. f
Braced and strung by retirement into ourselves, and tranquil medi-
* A Fragment, written in Ulmess, by the Rev. Richard Cecil.
t " It is best to accompany our Fasting with the retirements of religion and the en
largements of charity ; giving, to others what we deny to ourselves." Bishop Taylor,
Work?, iii. 109.
" Fasting, saith Tertullian, is an act of reverence towards Goo. The end thereof,
sometimes elevation of mind ; sometimes the purpose thereof clean contrary. The
reason why Moses in the Mount did so long fast, was mere divine speculation ; the
reason why David, humiliation." Hooker, 1. c.
Our Church recognises the union of these objects both in her Homilies and in the
72d Canon, which forbids " Ministers of their own authority alone, to appoint or keep
any solemn Fasts, either publicly or in private houses;" thereby implying that the acts
of abstinence were accompanied with devotional exercises.

118
tation upon God, we should return to our active duties with so much
more efficiency, as we ourselves had become holier, humbler, calmer,
more abstracted from self, more habituated to refer all things to God.
Were human activity alone engaged on both sides, then might we
the rather justify the prevailing notions of the day, that energy is to
be met by counter-energy alone : but now, since " we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world," it especially behoves
us to look wherein our great strength lies, and to take heed that " the
weapons of our warfare be not carnal." It is tempting to adopt into
the service of God the weapons or the mode of warfare, which in
the hands of His enemies we see to be efficacious ; but the faithful
soldier of Christ must not go forth with weapons which he has not
proved ; the Christian's armoury, as the Apostle goes on to describe
it, is mainly defensive ; and when he has urged his brethren to assume
it, he exhorts them to add that whereby alone it becomes effectual —
a duty in which again we appear to ourselves to be inactive — " pray
ing always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watch
ing thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
Fasting, retirement, and prayer, as they severally and unitedly tend
to wean us from ourselves and cast us upon God, will tend to pro
mote singleness of purpose, to refine our busy and over-heated rest
lessness into a calm and subdued confidence in Him, in whose strength
we go forth. Nor shall we, until the day of judgment, know hc*v
much of the victory was granted to those, who in man's sight took
no share in the conflict ; how far the " unseen strength" of Fasting,
humiliation, prayer, put forth by those of whom the world took no
account, was allowed by God to prevail. The world saw only that
the Apostle whom they had imprisoned, escaped their power ; they
knew not that the prayer of the Church had baffled their design.*
In the present conflict throughout the world, in which the pride of
human and Satanic strength seems put forth to the utmost, humility
and a chastened dependent spirit, would seem to have an especial
efficacy. On these, as the graces most opposed to the world's main
sin, we might look the more cheerfully for God's blessing ; thus shall
we at least be saved from augmenting the evil we would oppose.
" Fasting directly advances towards chastity, and by consequence
and indirect powers, to patience, humihty, and indifference. But
then it is not the fast of a day that can do this ; it is not an act, but
a state of fasting, that operates to mortification."!
A third benefit, which might be hoped to result from the more
assiduous practice of this duty, would be a more self-denying, exten
sive charity. " Fasting without mercy, is but an image of famine ;
Fasting without works of piety, is only an occasion of covetousness |"t
* Acts xii. 5. t Bp. Taylor, Works, iii. 97.
I Chrysologus Serm. 8. de Jejun. ap. Bingham, B. xxi. o. 1. § 18.

119
and an Apostolic Father* gives us this excellent instniction : " A
true Fast is not merely to keep under the body, but to give to the
widow, or the poor, the amount of that which thou wouldest have
expended upon thyself; that so he who receives it may pray to God
for thee."
It may perhaps seem strange to some, that the present age should
be thought wanting in self-denying charity. And yet let men but
consider with themselves, not what they give only, but what they
retain ; let them inquire a little further, not only what wants are
relieved, but what remediable misery remains unabated ; or let them
but observe generally the glaring contrasts of extremest luxury and
softness, and pinching want and penury ; between their own ceiled
houses, and the houses of God which lie waste ; or let them only
trace out one single item in the mass of human wretchedness, dis
ease, insanity, religious ignorance, and picture to themselves what a
Christian people might do, what the primitive Christians would have
done to relieve it, — and then turn to what is done, to what them
selves do, and say whether means to promote self-denying charity
can well be spared.
A further important object of the istated and frequent recurrence
of the prescribed Fasts of our Church, is the public recognition of
the reality of things spiritual. Here also very many have felt, (and
it is a feeling whose strength is daily increasing,) that some public
protest is needed against the modes of acting, tolerated (would one
must not say, reigning I) in our nominally Christian land : that the
Church, or the body of believers, ought to have some recognised
modes of distinguishing themselves from those, who manifest by their
deeds, that although " amongst us, they are not of us ;" and who, on
the principles of our Church, ought to have gone out or to have been
removed from us. It has been with a right view of what the ideal
of the Christian Church should be, its holiness, and its purity, al
though not, I must think, with a just conception ofthe nature ofthe
Church, that men jealous for the honour of their God and their Re
deemer, have in some measure formed Churches within the Church.
The plan has, I think, been defective, sacred and praiseworthy as
was the object contemplated. It is true, that the mere union in the
celebration of the weekly festival of our Lord's Resurrection does
not, as things now are, furnish a sufficient condemnation of the
maxims and offences of the World ; that the Church and the World
are too much amalgamated ; that while the light of the Church has
in part penetrated the gross darkness of the World, there is yet
danger, lest that light itself should be obscured. Yet the remedy
for this, under God's blessing, is not to be sought in rescuing or con
centrating some scattered rays of that Church, while the Church
itself is abandoned to the World. Her own ordinances afford the
* Hermas Pastor, L. iii. c. 3. p. 105. ed. Coteler. Fasting without almsgiving, says
Augustine, is a lamp without oil.

120
means of her restoration. Not to speak of those ulterior and fear
ful powers, committed to her, (and which other Communions exer
cise,) of ejecting from her bosom "the wicked person," the observance
of her own other institutions would virtually eject them. Not in
deed at once, (as indeed God Himself has thought fit to allow even
His own Blessed Spirit but gradually to leaven our corrupted mass,)
not at once, for at present, long continuance in opposed habits would
prevent many from receiving the Ordinances of the Church, but
yet, one should trust, steadily and increasingly ; the mists which
now encircle the Church, would disperse, and its glorious elevation
on Zion's hill would more effectually be seen. Those, whom the
easy Service of the Lord's Day repels not, who would fain serve
God on the seventh day, and Mammon on the remaining six, would
by these severer or more continuous services, be brought to some
test of what spirit they were ; more frequent Communions, more
constant Worship, more regular Fasting, would show men, whether
they belonged to the Church or to the Worid : and if the Church,
like Him, who is its Head, and because joined to that Head, be
comes a stone of stumbling, if some shall more openly fall back
unto perdition, still it will have performed its office ; many, one
may be sure, (for our assurance rests on God's Word,) would also
be awakened from their lethargy of death ; and if it be to some a
" savour of death," it will, by God's mercy, be to many more a " sa
vour of life, unto life." Yet the result of any system, sanctioned by
God's -Word, belongs to us. Were the consequences of more
Apostolic practice a great apparent defection and desolation, we
dare not hesitate. " It must be made manifest that they are not all
of us." Meanwhile, a beacon will be held out to those, who would
wish to see their path : the Church would, in example, as well as
in her theory and directions, hold up a higher standard of perform
ance : she, in theory the most perfect, would no longer be in pro
portion the least influential :* the plea, that every show of religion,
which the world tolerates not, is the mere excess and badge of a
party, could no longer be held : those, who shrink from what might
seem a voluntary or ostentatious forwardness, would no longer be
deterred from uniting in observances, which, if authorized, they
would love: and there might again be no separation but between
those who serve God, and those who serve Him not. The World
has seen that its own principles are leading to its own destruction ;
it acknowledges that its increased laxity has fearfully increased its
corruption ; offences, which even it abhors, are multiplied ; vices,
which disturb even its peace, stalk more openly ; yet while it reaps
the bitter fruits of its own ways, it dares not strike the root.
The Fasts, appointed by our Church, appear eminently calculated,
not in truth as a panacea of all evil, but as one decided protest
* See Knox " on the Situation and Prospects of the Estabhshed Church." Re
mains, V. 1. p. 51.

121
against the « corruption which is in the worid by lust," as one testi
mony to the conviction of men of the reality of things eternal.
Men may "fast for strife and to smite with the fist of wicked
ness," as they may also " for pretence make long prayers ;" yet will
not men, in general, submit to inconvenience and privation, except
for a real and substantial object ; the world has easier paths for its
followers : he, who suffers hardship for an unseen reward, at least
gives evidence to the world of the sincerity and rootedness of his
own conviction ; he attests that he is a pilgrim journeying to a bet
ter country, and however men may for a while neglect his testimony,
yet, if it be consistent and persevering, it cannot be Silenced.
Such are some of the advantages, which a recurrence to the sys
tem of our Church in respect of Fasting might, in dependence upon
God's blessing, tend to realize : a more uniform, namely, and regular
observance of an injunction of our Blessed Saviour ; a deeper hu
miliation, and a more chastened spirit in carrying on His will ; a
more thorough insight into ourselves, and a closer communion with
our God ; a more resolute and consistent practice of self-denying
charity ; a more lively realizing of things spiritual ; a warning to the
world of God's truth and its own peril. I have spoken with refer
ence to prevailing habits and general character only, partly because
they are these habits which the regulations of a Church must mainly
contemplate ;* in part also, because, in whatever degree, they will
probably form a portion of our own. The evil or defective charac
ter of any period is not formed by, nor will it exist in, those only
who are evil ; it encompasses us, is within us ; we also contribute
in our degree to foster and promote it ; nay, it is from us probably
that it receives its main countenance and support. Our own stan
dard is insensibly lowered by the evil, with which we are environed.
A self-indulgent age is not a favourable atmosphere for the growth
of self-denial ; nor an age of busy and self-dependent activity for
that of a calm and abiding practical recognition, that every thing is
in God's hands ; nor a period absorbed in the things of sense for
thoughtful meditation on things eternal The predominant evils
will indeed appear in the Christian in a subdued form ; yet whether
the temptation be to an unconscious compliance with them, or un
wittingly to oppose evil with evil, the danger lies nearer here than
in any other part of duty. And if the salt in any wise lose its
savour, wherewith shall the self-corrupting world be preserved ?
wherewith the salt itself be salted ?
The benefits above named are such as depend on the increased
' degree of Fasting, exercised in compHance with the directions of
* " We must observe all that care in public Fasts, which we do in private ; knowing
that our private ends are included in the public, as our persons are in the communion
of saints, and our hopes in the common inheritance of sons." Bishop Taylor, Works,
iv. 103. 16

122
the Church, independently of the consideration of the days or sea
sons selected for that purpose. The results to be anticipated from
a more general adherence to these rules appear, however, to be
heightened by that selection. The general objects of the Church
were, 1. To impress upon the mind and life the memory of her
Saviour's sufferings ; 2. To prepare the mind for diflferent solemn
occasions, which recur in her yearly service. The first, or the Fri
day Fast, as above stated, was universally adopted in the early
Church, and in all probability was coeval with the Apostles ; it was
continued uninterruptedly, alike in the Eastern and the Western
Church, and preserved in our own, through the respect which she
bore to primitive antiquity, and the experience of the elder Church.
It was perhaps at the first adopted, as the natural expression of
sorrow for the loss of their Lord and for His bitter sufferings.
With this would soon connect itself, almost to the exclusion of the
former, sorrow for the sins, which caused those sufferings. "We
do not fast,"* says Chrysostom, " for the Passion or the Cross, but
for our sins ; — the Passion is not the occasion of fasting or mourn
ing, but of joy and exultation. — We mourn not for that, God forbid,
but for our sins, and therefore we fast." As then the Lord's day
was the weekly festival of their Saviour's resurrection, a weekly
memorial of our rising again, in Him and through Him, to a new
and real life ; so was the Friday's Fast a weekly memorial of the
death to sin, which all Christians had in their Saviour died, and
which, if they would five with Him, they must continually die.
Thus each revolving week was a sort of representation of that great
week, in which man's redemption was completed ; the Church never
lost sight of her Saviour's sufferings ; each week was hallowed by
a return of the " good Friday ."f One need scarcely insist upon the
tendency of such a system, deeply to impress on men's hearts the
doctrine of the Atonement, by thus incorporating it into their ordi
nary lives, and making them by their actions confess this truth. In
the early Church its efficacy was without doubt increased by the
accession of the Fast of the Wednesday, or fourth day of the week ;
so that no portion of the week was without some memorial of the
Saviour of the Church. There is however another object, which,
* Ap. Bingham, B. xxi. c. 1. §. 14. Chrysostom is there speaking of the Lent Fast,
but the application is the same.
t " Forasmuch as Christ hath foresignified that when Himself should he taken from
them. His absence would soon make them apt to fast, it seemed that even as the first
Festival Day appointed to be kept of the Church was the day of our Lord's return
from the dead, so the first sorrowful and mournful day was that wliich we now ob
serve, in memory of his departure out of this world. It came afterwards to be an
order, that even as the day of Christ's resurrection, so the other two, in memory of His
death and burial, were weekly. The Churches which did not observe the Saturday's
fast, had another instead thereof, for that when they judged it meet to have weekly a
day of humiliation, besides that whereon our Saviour suffered death, it seemed best to
make their choice of that day especially, whereon the Jews arc thought to have first
contrived their treason together with Judas against Christ." Hooker, 1. c.

123
although not originally contemplated, was in fact attained by this
institution, the holier celebration, namely, of our most solemn day,
that of our Saviour's death. Most Christians, probably, who have
endeavoured to realize to themselves the events of that day, have
been painfully disappointed in so doing ; instead of
" Touching the heart with softer power
For comfort than an angel's mirth,"
it has been to them an oppressive day ; its tremendous truths over
whelmed rather than consoled ; it was so unlike all other days, that
the mind was confounded by its very greatness ; it seemed unnatu
ral to do any thing, which one would do even on any other holy
day, and the heart was equally unsatisfied with what it did, or did
not do. Something of this kind has taken place in very many minds ;
and the reason probably was, that the solemnity of that day was too
insulated ; that, (if one may use the expression,) it was out of keep
ing with the religious habits of the rest of the year. This then the
weekly Fast and solemn recollection recommended by the Church
are calculated to remedy ; as indeed, had they been observed, these
feelings would never have found place. In whatever degree its ad
vice is adhered to, Good Friday becomes a day of more chastened,
and yet of intenser feeling ; it is connected with a train of the hke
emotions, affections, and resolves ; insulated no longer, but the holi
est only among the holy. " Neither in moral or religious, more than
in physical and civil matters," says a very acute observer of human
nature, " do people willingly do any thing suddenly or upon the in
stant ; they need a succession of the like actions, whereby a habit
may be formed ; the things which they are to love, or to perform,
they cannot conceive as insulated and detached : whatever we are
to repeat with satisfaction, must not have become foreign to us."*
* Goethe aus meinem Leben, Tom. ii. p. 179. The author is there lamenting " the
nakedness which, Jeremy Taylor says, the excellent men of our sister Churches com
plained to be among themselves," and which our own happily avoided. In the con
trast there drawn, it is not a little remarkable to see, that the doctrine of Apostohcal
Succession, which has of late been by some regarded as cold and unpractical, is put
forward as that which gives to the Romish Sacraments a warmth, which the Lutheran
Church does not possess. He sums up thus ; " All these spiritual miracles spring not,
like other fruits, from the natural soil ; there can they neither be sown, nor planted,
nor nurtured. One must obtain them by prayer from another country ; and this can
not every one do, nor at all times. Here then we are met by the highest of these sym.
bols derivied from an old venerable tradition. We hear that one man can be favoured,
blessed, consecrated from above, more than others. Yet, in order that this may ap.
pear no mere natural gift, this high favour, united as it is with a weight of duty, must
be transmitted from one commissioned individual to another ; and the greatest good
which man can attain, and yet cannot possess himself of by any exertions or power of
his own, must be preserved and perpetuated upon earth by a spiritual inheritance.
Nay, in the consecration of the Priest, every thing is united, which is necessary for
effectually joining in those other holy ordinances, whereby the mass of Behevers is
benefited, without their having any other active share therein, than that of Faith and
unconditional confidence. And thus the Priest is enrolled in the succession of those
who have preceded or shall come after him, and in the circle of those anointed to the
same offi9e, to represent Him, from whom all blessings flow ; and that the more glori-

124
The principle is of important application in the whole range of our
duties ; nor could it be too often repeated, in warning, " that what
is not practised frequently, can never be performed with delight,"
We are sensible of the value of habits in moral action, and are not
surprised that one, who makes only desultory efforts, should never
succeed in acquiring any habit ; we feel it in some degree in our
public worship of God, and think it natural that one who does not
diligently avail himself of all his opportunities of attending it, should
join in it but coldly and lifelessly : it is strange to him, and there
fore at best a stiff and austere service : and yet, in other matters,
we act in defiance of this maxim ; we have allowed our Fasts to
become rare, and therefore it has come to pass, that so many never
fast at all ; our holy days have passed for the most part into neg
lect, and therefore the few that remain excite but little comparative
feeling; our daily service is well nigh disused, and therefore our
weekly is so much neglected ; we have diminished the frequency of
our communions, and therefore so many are strangers to the Lord's
Table, so many formal partakers. Not so the Apostles, nor the
Primitive Church, nor our own in its Principles, or in its most Apos
tolic days : they knew human nature better ; or, rather, acting from
their own experience and self-knowledge, they ordained what was
healthful for men of like nature with themselves ; what was a duty
at any period of the year, must needs be performed throughout ;
each portion had its Festivals and its Fasts, and the varying circle
formed one harmonious whole of Christian humiliation and Christian
joy.* The Church was in those days consistent ; its ministers derived
their commission not of man, but of God, who called them inwardly
by His Spirit, and outwardly through those to whom, through his
Apostles, He had delegated this high office. The admission into
Holy Orders was no mere outward consecration or ceremony, but
an imparting of God's Spirit to those who were separated to this
work, through the prayers of the congregation, and the delegated
authority of the Bishop. Christian edification was not left to each
man's private judgment, but each was taught by those who had au
thority and experience, what was good and.expedient for his soul's
health. We also have been in these days becoming consistent ; if
we fast, we fast for ourselves ; if we keep a holy day, or select a
ously, because it is not himself whom we respect, but his office ; it is not before his
bidding that we bow the knee, but before the benediction which he imparts, and which
seems the more sacred, the more immediately derived from Heaven, because the earthly
instrument cannot, by any sinfulness or viciousness of his own, weaken it, or render it
powerless." The author manifestly speaks of the value of the Sacraments, with the
feelings with which a spectator might be inspired, but still as one, in whom great pow
ers of observation could supply every thing but the warmth of actual experience.
* " We are more apt to Calendar Saints! than sinners' days, therefore there is in the
Church a care not to iterate one alone, but to haye frequent repetition of the other."
Hooker^ 1, c.

125
portion of the weekly service, it is because we of our own minets
deem it convenient ; we have become in all things the judges of the
Church, instead of reverently obeying what has been recommended
to us ; we judge beforehand what will be useful to us, instead of as
certaining by experience whether the system recommended by elder
Christians be not so.
Yet I would fain hope that there will not long be this variance
between our principles and our practice ; but that, instead of exa
mining what is the present practice of any portion of our Church,
and inquiring how this may be amended, men would first investi
gate, in the Canons and the Rubrics,* what the real mind of the
Church is, and see whether adherence to these would not remove
the regretted defect.
One only objection can, I think, be raised by any earnest-minded
Christian to this weekly Fast, namely, that the means employed,
mere self-denial in so slight a matter as one's food, is so petty and
trifling a thing, that it were degrading the doctrine of the Cross to
make such an observance in any way bear upon it. One respects
the feelings of such a person and his love for the Cross ; but the ob
jection probably proceeds from inexperience in the habit of Fasting.
For let any one consider, from his childhood upwards, by what the
greater part of his habits have been formed, and by what they are
continued : not by any great acts or great sacrifices, (as far as any
thing might be relatively great,) but by a succession of petty actions,
whose effect he could not at any time foresee, or thought too mi
nute to leave any trace behind them, and which have in fact, whe
ther for good or for evil, made him what he is. Practice will uni
versally show, that the motive ennobles the action, not that the ac
tion dishonours the motive. " True it is," says Bishop Taylor,f " that
religion snatches even at little things ; and as it teaches us to ob
serve all the great commandments and significations of duty, so it is
not willing to pretermit any thing, which, although by its greatness
it cannot of itself be considerable, yet by its smallness it may become
a testimony ofthe greatness of the affection, which would not omit
the least minutes of love and duty." He who pronounced the bless
ing upon the gift 6f a cup of cold water to a disciple in His name,
will also bless any act of sincere self-denial practised in memory of
Him. Only let us not mock God, let us deny ourselves in something
which is to us really self-denial ; let us, in whatever degree we may
be able to bear it without diminishing our own usefulness, put our
selves to some inconvenience, in sorrow and shame for those sins,
" the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,"
* In respect to the ordinance of Fasting, it might contribute to regularity, if Clergy
men were to observe the direction of their Church, as contained in the Rubric after
the Nicene Creed, " to declare unto the people what holy-days or fasting-cUi,ys are in
the week following to be observed."
t Life and Deafli of the Holy Jesus, Works, t. iii. p. 9S. of Fasting.

126
which made our Saviour a man of sorrows, and exposed him to
shame, and we shall not afterwards think the practice degrading
to Him, or without meaning. The Fast of the early Christians du
ring Lent was an entire abstinence until evening, on the Wednesday
and Friday, until three o'clock ; unused as we for the most part are
to any such discipline, many of us would at the first not be well able
to endure it ; the difference also of climate might render that degree
of abstinence oppressive to us, which in more southern latitudes
would recruit only and refresh the spirit :* the weak and sickly
again have always been exempt from those more rigid abstinences :
they might not beneficially be able to deprive themselves of an early
or an entire meal : yet doubtless many of them will have been ena
bled to trace in themselves the evils of even a necessary softness
and indulgence of the body : and the mind which shall have become
alive to these, will not be slow in discovering some mode of " keep
ing under the body, and bringing it into subjection." The early
Church, besides its more rigid Fasts, admitted also of the substitu
tion of less palatable and of diminished nourishment ; and our own
has, in insulated directions accompanying her occasional Fasts, recog
nised the same principle : in general, she has left the mode of observ
ing her Fasts free to the conscience of each ; only let them consist
in real self-denial, and be accompanied by charity, retirement, and
prayer. The early Church acted, as it supposed, upon our Blessed Sa
viour's own authority, in connecting these acts of bodily abstinence
with the memory of His death. The Bridegroom was taken away !
Yet if any one should find in himself any abiding repugnance to
associate matters, necessarily humiliating, with the doctrine of the
Cross, let him not endeavour to force his feelings ; the Church wish
ed to lay no yoke upon her members ; let him perform the acts in
mere compliance with the advice of the Church, and the experience
of elder Christians ; when he shall have attained the habit of self-
denial and self-humiliation, the doctrine of the Cross will, without
effort, connect itself with each such performance.
The other Fasts of the Church require the less to be dwelt upon,
either because, as in Lent, her authority is yet in some degree re
cognised, although it be very imperfectly and capriciously obeyed ;
or, as in the case of the Ember Weeks, the practice has direct scrip
tural authority ; or in that of the other Festivals, because when we
* Yet, in what seem to have been standing " orders for the Fast" in our Church in
the 17th cent, (at least the orders during the plague in 1636 and 1665, agree to the
very letter,) the most rigid of the Fasts of the early Church was prescribed. The di
rection is, 9. "All persons, (children, old, weake, and sick folkes, or the hke excepted)
Me required to eat upon that day but one competent Meal, and that towards night after
Evening Prayer, observing sobrietie of diet, without superfluitie of riotous fare, respect
ing necessitie and not voluptuousnesse." This additional Fast was ordered to " bee
held everie weeke upon the Wednesday."

127
shall again value the privilege of having the blessed examples of
Martyrs and Saints set before us to
- Remind us, how, our darksome clay

May keep the ethereal warmth our new Creator brought,
we shall feel also the advantage of ushering in each such day by
actions which may impress upon us how they entered into their
glory, by taking up their Saviour's cross and following him.*
Only with regard to the Ember Weeks, it may be permitted to
observe, how this institution yet more fully embraces the objects
which some good men are endeavouring, by voluntary association,
to attain. For the solemn period of the four Ember Weeks is ob
viously calculated for prayer, not for those only who are to be
ordained to any holy function, but for all who shall have been so
called, that God " would so replenish them with the truth of His
doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may
faithfully serve Him ;" and thus, not only some few individuals,
more nearly known to each other, but all the Ministers and all the
people of Christ should, with one mind and one mouth, implore a
blessing upon the Ministry, which he has appointed.
And this also is an especial privilege of the whole system of regu
lar Fasting prescribed by our Church, beyond the voluntary disci
pline adopted by individuals, that it presents the whole Church
unitedly before God, humbling themselves for their past sins, and
imploring Him not to give His heritage to reproach. The value of
this united humiliation and prayer God only knoweth ; yet, since
He hath promised to be present where two or three are gathered
together in his name, how much more when His Church shall again
unite before Him " in weeping, fasting, and praying ;" how much
more shall he spare, though we deserve punishment, and in His
wrath think upon mercy. He who spared the Ninevites, how much
more may we trust that He will spare us, for whom He has given
His well-beloved Son.
" Let us, therefore, dearly beloved, seeing there are many more
causes of fasting and mourning in these our days, than hath been
of many years heretofore in any one age, endeavour ourselves both
inwardly in our hearts, and also outwardly with our bodies, diligently
to exercise this godly exercise of fasting, in such sort and manner,
as the holy prophets, the apostles, and divers other devout persons
for their time used the same. God is now the same God that he
was then; God that loveth righteousness, and that hateth iniquity;
God which willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn
from his wickedness and live ; God that hath promised to turn to
us, if we refuse not to turn to Him : yea, if we turn our evil works
__ * The only case in which the preparatory Fast is omitted (besides those already
alluded to, p. 108,) is the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, in which this ground
for the Fast also ceases. See Wheatley.

128
from before His eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek to do
right, relieve the oppressed, be aright judge to the fatherless, defend
the widow, break our bread to the hungry, bring the poor that wan
der into our house, clothe the naked, and despise not our brother
which is our own flesh : Then shalt tlmu call, saith the prophet, and
the Jjord shall answer ; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here am I:
yea, God, which heard Ahab, and the Ninevites, and spared them,
will also hear our prayers, and spare us, so that we, after their ex
ample, will unfeignedly turn unto Him : yea. He will bless us with
His heavenly benedictions, the time that we have to tarry in this
world, and, after the race of this mortal life. He will bring us to
His heavenly Idngdom, where we shall reign in everlasting blessed
ness with our Saviour Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen." Homi
ly on Fasting, part 2.
" Lord have mercy upon us, and give us grace, that while we live
in this miserable world, we may through thy help bring forth this
and such other fruits of the Spirit, commended and commanded in
thy holy word, to the glory of thy name, and to our comforts, that^
after the race of this wretched life, we may live everlastingly with
thee in thy heavenly kingdom, not for the merits and worthiness of
our works, but for thy mercies' sake, and the merits of thy dear
Son, Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all
laud, honour, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen." Homily on
Fasting, part 1.

POSTSCRIPT.

In the preceding remarks, the observance of the Fasts enjoined
by the Church has been recommended on the ground of the prac
tical wisdom and spiritual experience of the Holy Men, by whose
advice they were adopted, rather than on that of the direct authority
of the Church. And this has been done, not because the writer
doubted of the validity of that authority in this instance, but be
cause it involved a question, which would to many appear distant
and abstract ; whether, namely, the Church's Laws on this subject
were by long disuse virtually abrogated. For I am persuaded that
many excellent men, who would shrink from contravening a distinct
command of their Church, do in fact neglect these, from some no
tion that the Church herself has tacitly abandoned them. This
notion does indeed appear to me to rest on a wrong supposition.
For," 1st. Since the Church has not annexed any censures to the
neglect of this Ordinance, (which may correspond to the penal pro
visions of a civil law,)' the mere silence of the Church, or of her

129
Spiritual Authorities, is no proof of her acquiescence in the breach
of her directions.
2. It would be admitted in any other case, that the mere multi
tude of those who broke any law, did not alone abrogate that law ;
that the intrinsic sanctity of the law cannot depend upon the obe
dience which men may yield to it ; that the laxity or remissness of
men, at one period, cannot annihilate the authority by which that
remissness was to be controlled. The disobedience of others, be
they many or few, nay, though they should be even the majority,
can have no force in absolving us from the law by which we are in
common bound. It is true that observances, which the Church has
at one time on her own authority ordained, she may at another
abrogate ; yet, until she do this, it is to be presumed that she wishes
them to be retained in force. And it has already happened, that
ordinances have for a time fallen into disuse, which yet were never
intended to be abrogated, and which afterwards have been very
beneficially revived. It is within the memory of man that the yearly
Commemoration of our Blessed Saviour's death was in country
congregations very generally omitted. This solemn day is now, I
trust, almost universally observed ; nor is there any apparent rea
son, why this other ordinance of the Church, whereby we humble
ourselves for the sins which caused that Death, should not, if men
once came seriously to consider it, be promptly, and with very
wholesome results, restored. I doubt not, that if the question were
formally proposed to the Spiritual Authorities of our Church, whe
ther they would think it advisable that our stated Fasts should be
abolished, they would earnestly deprecate it. Their silence there
fore on this subject is rather to be ascribed to the supposed hope
lessness of attempting to bend our modern manners to Ancient
Discipline, than to any disparagement of the institutions themselves.
Our institutions in many cases sleep, but are not dead ; nay, one has
reason to hope, that although the many neglect them, a faithful few
have ever been found, who have experienced and could testify the
value of those, which the world seems most entirely to neglect.
One might refer, in proof, to the practice of a daughter-Church,
the Episcopal Church of the United States. Sprung from our
Church, and supplied by her with Ministers, until the State was
separated from us, they carried with them her principles, as they
had been modified by the habits and feelings and practice of the
period which had elapsed since her Reformation. She may be
regarded, then, as representing the then state of opinions amongsti
us. Yet, formally reconsidering the subject of the Church's Fasts,
they omitted only the Vigils ; while they retained the weekly Friday
Fast, those of Lent, the Ember and Rogation days, as days, " on
which the Church requires such a measure of abstinence, as is more
especially suited to extraordinary acts and exercises of Devotion."*
* Book of Common Prayer, Philadelphia,
17

130
Yet, although these grounds of Church authority appear to my
self perfectly valid, and I doubt not that many others will feel their
weight, as soon as they shall reflect upon them, the other argument,
drawn from the practical wisdom and experience of the enactors of
these regulations, seems to lie nearer to men's consciences. The
argument lies in a narrow compass. Regular and stated Fasts
formed a part of the Discipline, by which, during almost the whole
period, since the Christian Church has been founded, all her real
sons, in every climate, nation, and language, have subdued the flesh
to the spirit, and brought both body and mind into a willing obe
dience to the Law of God. They thought this Discipline necessary
as an expression and instrument of repentance, as a memorial of
their Saviour, to " refrain their souls and keep them low," to teach
them to " trust in the Lord," and seek communion with Him. To
this system our own Church, during all her happier times, adhered.
The value of this remedy for sin has come to us attested by the ex
perience, and sealed by the blood of Martyrs ; who having learnt
thus to endure hardships, like good soldiers of Christ, at last resisted
to the blood, striving against sin. Shall we, untried, pronounce that
to be needless for ourselves, which the Glorious Company of the
Apostles, the Goodly Fellowship of the Prophets, the Noble Army
of Martyrs, the Holy Church throughout the world, found needful?
I can hardly anticipate other than one answer. Only let not any
one be deterred by the irksomeness, or perplexities, or harassing
doubts, which every one must find in resuming a neglected portion
of duty. It were scarcely a discipline, if its practice brought with
it an immediate reward ; and we have, besides, to pay the penalty
of our sloth and diseased habits. " Patiently to lack what flesh and
blood doth desire, and by virtue to forbear what by nature we covet,
this no man attaineth unto, but with labour and long practice."*
And if it be that blessed instrument of holiness, which they who have
tried it assure us, it will not be without some struggle with our spi
ritual enemy, that we shall recover the ground which we have lost.
Only let us persevere, not elated with the first petty victories over
ourselves, which may be perhaps conceded to us, in order to pro
duce over-confidence and carelessness ; nor dejected by the obsta
cles which a luxurious and scoffing age may oppose ; nor by the yet
greater difficulties from within, in acquiring any uniform or consist
ent habit. Men, aided by God, have done the like ; and for us also.
His grace will be sufficient. E. B. P.
OXFORD.
The Feast of St. Thomas. * Hooker, 1. c.

No. 19.
( ad clerum. )
ON ARGUING CONCERNING THE APOSTOLICAL
SUCCESSION.

Men are sometimes disappointed with the proofs offered in behalf
of some important doctrines of our religion ; such especially as the
necessity of Episcopal Ordination, in order to constitute a Minister
of Christ. They consider these proofs to be not so strong as they
expected, or as they think desirable. Now such persons should be
asked, whether these arguments they speak of are in their estimation
weak as a guide to their own practice, or weak in controversy with
hard-headed and subtle disputants. Surely, as Bishop Butler has
convincingly shown, the faintest probabilities are strong enough to
determine our conduct in a matter of duty. If there be but a rea
sonable likehhood of our pleasing Christ more by keeping than by
not keeping to the fellowship of the Apostolic Ministry, this of course
ought to be enough to lead those, who think themselves moved to
undertake the Sacred Office, to seek for a license to do so from it.
It is necessary to keep this truth distinctly in view, because of
the great temptation, that exists among us, to put it out of sight. I
do not mean the temptation, which results from pride, — hardness of
hffart, — a profane disregard of the details and lesser commandments
of the Divine Law, — and other such like bad principles of our na
ture, which are in the way of our honestly confessing it. Besides
these, there is a still more subtle temptation to slight it, which will
bear insisting on here, arising from an over-desire to convince others,
or, in other words, a desire to out-argue others, a fear' of seeming
inconclusive and confused in our own notions and arguments. No
thing, certainly, is more natural, when we hold a truth strongly,
than to wish to persuade others to embrace it also. Nay, without
reference to persuasion, nothing is more natural than to be dissatis
fied in all cases with our own convictions of a principle or opinion,
nay suspicious of it, till we are able to set it down clearly in words.
We know, that in all matters of thought, to write down our meaning
is one important means of clearing our minds. Till we do so, we
often do not know what we really hold and wha^we do not hold.
And a cautious and accurate reasoner, when he has succeeded in
bringing the truth of any subject home to his mind, next begins to
look round about the view he has adopted, to consider what others

132
will say to it, and to try to make it unexceptionable. At least we are
led thus to fortify our opinion, when it is actually attacked ; and if
, we find we cannot recommend it to the judgment of the assailant,
at any rate we endeavour to make him feel that it is to be respect
ed. It is painful to be thought a weak reasoner, even though we
are sure in our own minds that we are not such.
Now, observe how these feelings will aflTect us, as regards such
arguments as were alluded to above ; viz. such as are open to ex
ception, though they are sufficiently strong to determine our con
duct. A friend, who differs from us, asks for our reasons for our
own vievir. We state them, and he sifts them. He observes, that
our conclusions do not necessarily follow from our premises. E. g.
to take the argument for the Apostolical Succession derived from
the ordination of St. Paul and St. Barnabas, (Acts xiii. 2, 3,) he will
argue, that their ordination might have been an accidental rite, in
tended merely to commission them for their Missionary journey,
which followed it, in Asia Minor ; again, that St. Paul's direction to
Timothy, (I Tim. v. 22,) to " lay hands suddenly on no man," may
refer to confirmation, not ordination.
We should reply, (and most reasonably too,) that, considering the
undeniable fact that ordination has ever been thought necessary in
the Church for the Ministerial Commission, our interpretation is the
most probable one, and therefore the safest to act upon ; on which
our friend will think awhile, then shake his head, and say, that " at
all events this is an unsatisfactory mode of reasoning, that it does
not convince him, that he is desirous of clearer light," &c.
Now what is the consequence of such a discussion as this on our
selves ? not to make us give up the doctrine, but to make us afraid
of urging it. We grow lukewarm about it ; and, with an appear
ance of judgment and caution, (as the world will call it,) confess that
"to rest the claims of our Clergy on an Apostolical Descent is an
unsafe and inexpedient line of argument ; that it will not convince
men, the evidence not being sufficient ; that it is not a practical way
of acting to insist upon it," &c. — whereas the utmost that need be
admitted, is, that it is out of place to make it a subject of a specula
tive dispute, and to argue about it on that abstract logical platform
which virtually excludes a reference to conduct and duty. And in
deed, it would be no unwise caution to bear about us, wherever we
go, that our first business, as Christians, is to address men as re
sponsible servants of Christ, not as antagonists ; and that it is but
a secondary duty, (though a duty,) to " refute the gainsayers."
And, as on the one hand it continually happens, that those who
are most skilled in debate are deficient in sound practical piety, so
on the other it may be profitable to us to reflect, that doctrines
which we believe to be most true, and which are received as such
by the most profound and enlarged intellects, and which rest upon
the most irrefragable proofs, yet may be above our disputative pow-

133
ers, and can be treated by us, only with reference to our conduct.
And in this way, as in others, is fulfilled the saying of the Apostle,
that " the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness ;
but unto us, who are saved, it is the power of God . . . Where is
the wise ? where is the scribe ? where is the disputer of this world ?
hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? . . . . The
foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is
stronger than men."

ON RELUCTANCE TO CONFESS THE APOSTOLICAL
SUCCESSION.

If a Clergyman is quite convinced that the Apostolical Succession
is lost, then of course he is at liberty to turn his mind from the sub
ject. But if he is not quite sure of this, it surely is his duty seriously
to examine the question, and to make up his mind carefully and de
liberately. For if there" be a chance of its being preserved to us,
there is a chance of his having had a momentous talent committed
to him, which he is burying in the earth.
It cannot be supposed that any serious man would treat the sub
ject scoffingly. If any one is tempted to do so, let him remember
the fearful words of the Apostle. " Esau, a profane person, who for
one morsel of meat, sold his birthright."
If any are afraid, that to insist on their commission will bring upon
them ridicule, and diminish their usefulness, let them ask themselves,
whether it be not cowardice to refuse to leave the event to God.
It was the reproach of the men of Ephraim that, though they were
" harnessed and carried bows," they " turned themselves back in
the day of battle."
And if any there be, who take upon them to contrast one doc
trine of the Gospel with another, and preach those only which they
consider the more essential, let them consider our Saviour's words,
" these things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other un
done."

No. 30.
THE VISIBLE CHURCH.
(Letters to a Friend.)

NUMBER THREE.
My Dear  . You have some misgivings, it seems, lest the
doctrine I have been advocating " should lead to Popery." I will
not, by way of answer, say, that the question is not, whether it will
lead to Popery, but whether it is in the Bible ; because it would
bring the Bible and Popery into one sentehce, and seem to imply the
possibility of a " communion" between " light and darkness." No ;
it is the very enmity I feel against the Papistical corruptions of the
Blessed Gospel, which leads me to press upon you a doctrine of
Scripture, which we are sinfully surrendering, and the Church of
Rome has faithfully retained.
How comes it that a system, so unscriptural as the Popish, makes
converts ? because it has in it an element of truth and comfort amid
its falsehoods. And the true way of opposing it is, not to give up
to them that element, which God's providence has preserved to us
also, thus basely surrendering " the inheritance of our Fathers," but
to claim it as our own, and to make use of it for the purposes for
which God has given it to us. I will explain what I mean.
Before Christ came. Divine Truth was, as it were, a pilgrim in
the world. The Jews excepted, men who had portions of the Spirit
of God, knew not their privilege. The whole force and current of
the external world was against them, acting powerfully on their
imagination, and tempting them to set sight against faith, to trust the
many witnesses who prophesied falsehood (as if) in the name of the
Lord, rather than the still small voice which spoke within them.
Who can undervalue the power of this fascination, who has had
experience of the world ever so little ? Who can go at this day into
mixed society, who can engage in politics or other active business,
but finds himself gradually drifting off from the true Rock on which
his faith is built, till he begins in despair to fancy, that solitude is the
only safe place for the Christian, or, (with a baser judgment,) that
strict obedience will not be required at the last day of those who
have been engaged in active life ? If such is now the power of the
world's enchantments, surely much greater was it before our Saviour
came.
7 Now what did He do for us, in order to meet this evil ? His mer
ciful Providence chose means which might act as a counter influence

135
on the imagination. The visible power of the worid enthralled men
to a lie ; He set up a Visible Church, to witness the other way, to
witness for Him, to be a matter of fact, as undeniable as the shining
of the sun, that theije was such a principle as conscience in the world,
as faith, as fear of God ; that there were men who considered them
selves bound to live as His servants. The common answer which
we hear made every day to persons who engage in any novel under
taking, is, " You will get no one to join you ; nothing can come of
it ; you are singular in your opinion ; you do not take practical views,
but are smit with a fancy, with a dream of former times," &c. How
cheering is it to a person so circumstanced, to be able to point to
others elsewhere, who actually hold the same opinions as himself,
and exert themselves for the same objects ! Why ? because it is an
appeal to a fact, which no one can deny ; it is an evidence that the
view which influences him is something external to his own mind,
and not a dream. What two persons see, cannot be an ideal appa
rition. Men are governed by such facts, much more than by argu
mentative proof. These act upon the imagination. Let a person
be told ten times over that an opinion is true, the fact of its being
said becomes an argument for the truth of it ; i. e. it is so with most
men. We see from time to time the operation of this principle of
our nature in political matters. Our American colonies revolt ;
France feels the sympathy of the event, and is revolutionized. Again,
in the same colonies, the Episcopal Church flourishes ; we Church
men at home hail it as an omen of the Church's permanence among
ourselves. On the other hand, what can be more dispiriting than
to find a cause, which we advocate, sinking in some other.country
or neighbourhood, though there be no reason for concluding, that,
because it has fallen elsewhere, therefore it will among ourselves.
In order then to supply this need of our minds, to satisfy the imagi
nation, and so to help our faith, for this among other reasons Christ
set up a visible Society, His Church, to be as a light upon a hill, to
all the ends of the earth, while time endures. It is a witness of the
unseen world ; a pledge of it ; and a prefiguration of what hereafter
will take place. It prefigures the ultimate separation of good and .
bad, holds up the great laws of God's Moral Governance, and preaches
the blessed truths of the Gospel. It pledges to us the promises of
the next world, for it is something (so to say) in hand ; Christ has
done one work as the earnest of another. And it witnesses the truth
to the whole world ; awing sinners, while it inspirits the fainting be
liever. And in all these ways it helps forward the world to come ;
and further, as the keeper of the Sacraments, it is an essential means
of the realizing it at present in our fallen race. Nor is it much to
the purpose, as regards our duty towards it, what are the feelings
and spiritual state of the individuals who are its officers. True it is,
were the Church to teach heretical doctrine, it might become incum
bent on us (a miserable obligation !) to separate from it. But, while

136
it teaches substantially the Truth, we ought to look upon it as one
whole, one ordinance of God, not as composed of individuals, but
as a House of God's building; — as an instrument in His hand, to be
used and reverenced for the sake of its Maker.
Now the Papists have retained it ; and so they have the advan
tage of possessing an instrument, which is, in the first place, suited
to°the needs of human nature ; and next, is a special gift of Christ ;
and so has a blessing with it. Accordingly we see that in its mea
sure success follows their zealous use of it. They act with great
force upon the imaginations of men. The vaunted antiquity, the
universality, the unanimity of their Church put them above the
varying fashions of the world, and the religious novelties of the day.
And truly when one surveys the grandeur of their proceedings, a
sigh arises in the thoughtful mind, to think that we should be sepa
rate from them ; Cum talis esses, utinam noster esses I— But, alas,
A UNION IS impossible. Their communion is infected with heresy ;
we are bound to flee it, as a pestilence. They have established a
lie in the place of God's truth ; and, by their claim of immutability
in doctrine, cannot undo the sin they have committed. They can
not repent. Popery must be destroyed ; it cannot be reformed.
Now then what is the Christian to do ? Is he forced back upon
that cheerless atheism (for so it practically must be considered)
which prevailed in the world before Christ's coming, poorly alle
viated, as it was, by the received polytheisms ofthe heathen ? Can
we conceive a greater calamity to have occurred at the time of our
Reformation, one which the Enemy of man would have been more
set on effecting, than to have entangled the whole of the Church
Catholic in the guilt of heresy, and so have forced every one who
worshipped in spirit and in truth, to flee out of doors into the bleak
world, in order to save his soul ? I do not think that Satan could
have desired any event more eagerly, than such an alternative ; viz.
to have forced Christians, either to remain in communion with here
sy, or to join themselves in some such spontaneous union among
themselves, as is dissolved as easily as it is formed. Blessed be
God ! his malice has been thwarted. I do beheve it to be one most
conspicuous mark of God's adorable Providence over us, as great
as if we saw a miracle, that Christians in England escaped in that
evil day from either extreme, neither corrupted doctrinally, nor
secularized ecclesiastically. Thus in every quarter of the world,
from North America to New South Wales, a Zoar has been pro
vided for those who would fain escape Sodom, yet dread to be
without shelter. I hail it as an omen amid our present perils, that
our Church will not be destroyed. He hath been mindful of us ;
He will bless us. He hath wonderfully preserved our Church as a
true branch of the Church Universal, yet withal preserved it free
from heresy. It is Catholic and Apostolic, yet not Papistical.
With this reflection before us, does it not seem the most utter in-

137
gratitude to an astonishing Providence of God's mercy, to be neglect
ful, as many Churchmen now are, of the gift ? to attempt unions
with those who have separated from the Church, to break down
the partition walls, and to argue as if religion were altogether and
only a matter of each man's private concern, and that the State
and Nation were not bound to prefer the Apostolical Church to afl
self-originated forms of Christianity ? But this is a point beside my
purpose. Take the matter merely in the light of human expedi
ence. Shall we be so far less wise in our generation than the chil
dren of this world, as to relinquish the support which the Truth
receives from the influence of a Visible Church upon the imagina
tion, from the energy of operation which a well-disciplined Body
insures ? Shall we not foil the Papists, not with their own weapons,
but with weapons which are ours as well as theirs ? or, on the other
hand, shall we with a melancholy infatuation give them up to them ?
Depend upon it, to insist on the doctrine of the Visible Church is
not to favour the Papists, it is to do them the most serious injurJ^
It is to deprive them of their only strength. But if we neglect to
do so, what will be the consequence ? Break down the Divine Au
thority of our Apostolical Church, and you are plainly preparing
the way for Popery in our land. Human nature cannot remain
without visible guides ; it chooses them for itself, if it is not pro
vided for them. If the Aristocracy and the Church fall. Popery
steps in. Political events are beyond our power, and perhaps out
of our sphere ; but ecclesiastical matters are in the hands of all
Churchmen. But my letter has run to an unusual length. — Excuse it.
And believe, &c.

No. 21.

MORTIFICATION OF THE FLESH A SCRIPTURE
DUTY.

If we take the example of the Holy Men of Scripture as our
guide, certainly bodily privation and chastisement are a very essen
tial duty of all who wish to serve God, and prepare themselves for
His presence.
First, we have the example of Moses. His recorded Fasts were
miraculous ; still they were Fasts, and the ordinance was recom
mended to the notice of all believers afterwards, by the honour put
upon it. " I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights ; I
neither did eat bread nor drink water." Again : " I fell down be-
18

138
fore the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights ; I did
neither eat bread nor drink water, because of all your sins." Deut.
ix. 9, 18. Fasting is in the former instance subservient to divine
contemplation, in the latter to humiliation and intercession for
sinners. Elijah. " He said unto him. What manner of man was he which
came up to meet you, and told you these words ? And they an
swered him. He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather
about his loins. And- he said. It is Elijah the Tishbite." 2 Kings, i.
7, 8. It is indeed needless to show the ascetic character of him,
who was in fact the chief and type of those who " wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins," " in deserts, and in mountains, and in
dens and caves of the earth." He too fasted by the power of God
for forty days and nights ; " He arose and did eat and drink, and
went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto
Horeb the mount of God." 1 Kings, xix. 8.
Daniel. " I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer
and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes ; and I
prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession." Dan.
ix. 3, 4. It must be observed, that Daniel was not bound by any
vow, as Samson and Samuel. Moreover, it would appear the gift
of prophecy was given him in reward for his self-chastisements, as
the following passage shows. " In those days I Daniel was mourn
ing three full weeks ; I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh
nor wine in my mouth ; neither did I anoint myself at all, till three
whole weeks were fulfilled  And he said unto me, O Daniel, a
man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee,
and stand upright ; for unto thee am I now sent  Fedr not,
Daniel ; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to un
derstand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were
heard, and I am come for thy words." Dan. x. 2, 3, II, 12. Vide
also Luke ii. 37 ; Acts x. 30.
2. Now here it will be objected, perhaps, that these instances are
taken from the Old Testament, and belong to the Law of Moses,
which is not binding on Christians.
I answer ;
(I.) That in the above passages Fasting is connected, with moral
acts, humiliation, prayer, meditation, which are equally binding on
us as on the Jews. Man is now what he was then ; and if afflic
tion of the flesh was good then, it is now.
(2.) In matter of fact, private Fasting, such as instanced in the
passages above quoted, was no special duty of the' MoAic Law.
Public Fasting, indeed, was on one occasion enjoined by Moses
himself, and on others by subsequent Rulers ; but this was in part a
ceremonial act, not a moral discipline, and was doubtless abolished
with the other rites of the Law.
"Of fasts," says Lewis, " there was no more than one appointed

139
by the Law of Moses, called the Fast of Expiation  The great
day of Expiation was a most severe Fast, kept every year upon the
tenth day of the month Tizri, which answers to our September 
This solemnity was observed with fasting and abstinence, not only
from all meat and drink, but from all other pleasure whatsoever ;
insomuch that they did not wash their faces, much less anoint their
heads, nor wear their shoes, .... nor, (if their Doctors say true,)
read any portion of the Law which would give them delight.
They refrained likewise not only from pleasure, but from labour,
nothing being to be done upon this day but confessing of sins and
repentance."* Nay, it may rather be said, that the Jewish Law, as such, was
rather opposed than otherwise to austerities. The Nazarites and
Rechabites, being exceptions to the rule, are evidence to it. Vide,
on the other hand, Deut. xii. Eccles. v. 18.f
Such then being the character of the Law in its formal letter, it
tells just the contrary way to that which superficial reasoners might
expect. For it is most remarkable, first, that the greatest prophets
under it, such as Elijah and Daniel, were Without express command
singularly austere and self-afflicting men, in the midst of a people,
who from the first went lusting after " the fish which they eat in
Egypt freely ; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and
the onions, and the garlick, and said. Who shalf give us flesh to eat ?"
Next, there is something of a very startling and admonitory nature
in the miraculous fasts of Moses and Elijah, under this same imper
fect dispensation. The miracle evidently vt^as for some purpose ;
yet it did not sanction, in any direct way, any injunction of the
Law. Was it not an admonition to the Israelites, that there was a
more excellent way of obedience than that which Almighty God
as yet thought fit to promulgate by solemn enactment ? Is it not
an intimation serviceable for Christian practice, as much as Moses'
announcement of the destined " Prophet like unto him" is intended
for the comfort of Christian faith?
Surely the duty of bodily discipline might be rested on the answer
to this plain question. Why did Daniel use austerities not enjoined
by the Law ?
3. Now turn to the New Testament, and observe what clear light
is therein thrown upon the duty already recommended to us by the
Old Testament Saints.
First, there is the instance of St. John the Baptist. " John came
neither eating nor drinking." Matt. xi. 28. ; and his disciples fasted.
Matt. ix. 14.
Our Saviour did not statedly fast ; but here also the exiception
proves the rule. He who did not fast, was the only one born of
» Lewis, Hebrew Republic, iv. 14.
t Vid. Spencer de Legg. Hebrseor. Hb. 3. diss. 1. ii, 3. diss. 4. i, 5, &c.

140
woman who was untainted by sinful flesh ; which seems to imply,
that all who are natural descendants of guilty Adam ought to fast.
He bade His disciples to fast. Consider His implied precept,
which is an express command to those who obey the Law of Liberty.
"When thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou
appear not unto men to fast." Matt. vi. 17, 18.
Consider, moreover, the general austere character of Christian
obedience, as enjoined by our Lord ; — a circumstance much to be
insisted on in an age like this, when what is really self-indulgence is
thought to be a mere moderate and innocent use of this world's
goods. I will but refer to a few, out of many texts, which I am
persuaded are now forgotten by numbers of educated and amiable
men, who are fond of extolling what they call the mild, tolerant, en
lightened spirit ofthe Gospel. Matt. v. 29, 30. vii. 13, 14. x. 37—
39. Mark ix. 43—50. x. 25. Luke xiv. 12. 26—33.
And reflect, too, whether the spirit of texts, such as the following,
will not move every true member of the Church Militant. " The
ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in tents ; and my lord Joab, and
the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields ; shall I
then go into mine house, to eat and to drink ?  as thou livest,
and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing." 2 Sam. xi. II.
Now take the example of the Apostles. St. Peter was fasting,
when he had the vision which sent him to Cornelius: Acts x. 10.
The prophets and teachers at Antioch were fasting, when the Holy
Ghost revealed to them His purpose about Saul and Barnabas :
Acts iii. 2, 3. Vide also Acts xiv. 23. 2 Cor. vi. 5. xi. 27.
Weigh well the following text, which, I am persuaded, many men
would deny to be St. Paul's writing, had not a gracious Providence
preserved to us the epistle containing it. " I keep under my body,
and bring it into subjection ; lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away." 1 Cor. ix. 27.
Lastly, Consider the practice of the Primitive Christians.
The following account of the early Christian Fasts, is from Bing
ham, Antiq. lib. xxi.
The Quadragesimal or Lent Fast. — " The Quadragesimal Fast
before Easter," says Sozomen, " some observe six weeks, as the II-
lyrian and Western Churches, and all Libya, Egypt, and Palestine ;
others make it seven weeks, as the Constantinopolitans and neigh
bouring nations as far as Phoenicia ; others fast three only of those
six or seven weeks, by intervals ; others the three weeks next imme
diately before Easter."
The manner of observing Lent among those that were piously
disposed to observe it, was to abstain from all food till evening.
For anciently a change of diet was not reckoned a fast ; but it con
sisted in perfect abstinence from all sustenance for the whole day
till evening.

141
The Fasts of the Four Seasons. — The next Anniversary fast
ing days were those which were called Jejunia quatuor temporum,
the Fasts of the Four Seasons of the Year  These were at first
designed  to beg a blessing of God upon the several seasons of
the year, or to return thanks for the benefits received in each of
them, or to exercise and purify both body and soul in a more par
ticular manner, at the return of these certain terms of stricter disci
pline and more extraordinary devotion. [These afterwards became
the Ember Fa^s.]
Monthly Fasts. — In some places they had also Monthly Fasts
throughout the year; except in the two months of July and August
 because of the sickness of the season.
Weekly Fasts. — Besides these they had their Weekly Fasts on
Wednesday and Friday, called the Stationary Days, and Half-Fasts,
or Fasts of the Fourth and Sixth Days of the Week  These
Fasts, being of continual use every week throughout the year, ex
cept in the Fifty Days between Easter and Pentecost, were not kept
with that rigour and strictness which was observed in the time of
Lent  [but] ordinarily held no longer than 9 o'clock, i. e. 3 in
the afternoon. OXFORD. J. H. N.
The Feast of the Circumcision.

No. 33.
THE ATHANASIAN CREED.
RICHARD NELSON.
IL

"  Athanasius' Creed .... ought thoroughly to be received and believed ;
for [it] may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture." — Article viii.

I LOOK back with much pleasure to the visit I had from my friend
Mr. Woodnot, the Bristol merchant I before spoke of.
He stayed with me some days, and we had many agreeable ram
bles and discussions together, which were to me peculiarly interest
ing, from the wide experience he had had of men and things, and
of places too, as he had been often abroad, in Switzerland, in Tur
key, and on diflferent parts of the American continent, where he had
spent some years.
Two or three days after our meeting with Richard Nelson, as
stated before, we took our walk, (it being a pleasant evening towards

142
the end of August,) along the side of a little stream, which we. traced
for a mile or two down the valley, returning by a kind of natural
terrace, which terhninated in my favourite beech walk. The sun
was low when we got here ; and we stood still, (it was not far from
Nelson's garden hedge,) to admire its rich glow on the opposite side
of the valley. I was pointing out to my friend a bold and almost
mountainous outline of hills rising in the distance, far to the west in
Lancashire, Pendle-Hill, as I fancied, and other lofty tracts in the
neighbourhood of Clitheroe ; and we were speculating on the dis
tance they might be from us.
" Sir," said a voice, which startled me, from my not observing
that any one was near, " Pendle-Hill must be full fifty miles off;
what you see is most likely some of the high ground beyond Halifax."
" Why, Richard," said I, " what are you doing down there ?" for
I could scarcely see more than his head — " you seem to be making
,a strong entrenchment round your castle."
" I dare say. Sir," he answered, " you may wonder what I am
about ; but at this time of year, when the springs are low, I gener
ally spend an hour, when I have leisure in an evening, in repairing
the garden-mound, that it may be fit to stand against the assaults of
what I call my two winter enemies."
" What can they be ?" I asked ; " I did not kpow that you had
any enemies,"
"Yes, Sir, I have," he replied, " at least my garden had two, land-
floods, and Scotch ponies. Almost every winter, once, if not twice,
there is a violent land-flood from the high ground behind the house;
and if this ditch were not kept clean, to take the water oflf immedi
ately, the garden would not recover the damage all next year. To
be sure, this kind of flood does not commonly last many hours ; but
that is long enough, you know. Sir, to spoil the labour of weeks and
months." " That I can understand," I answered, " but how you can be in
any alarm about Highland ponies, I cannot imagine."
" Why," said he, " you know. Sir, that there is a fair at the town
every year, early in the Spring, where a great many of these ponies
are bought and sold ; and for many years past, Mr. Saveall, the
owner of this field, has let it for one day and night to the horse-deal
er, (a well-known man out of Lincolnshire,) to turn those ponies
into, as well as other horses he may have purchased at the fair. The
first year I was here, I was not aware of this custom, and had taken
no precaution against it ; so these little mountaineers got in at a
weak place in the hedge during the night, and trod the garden, as
one may say, to a mummy. So, to protect myself for the future
against such mischievous visiters, I put this fence along, which I was
now repairing. And if you will please to look at it, I think you. Sir,
will allow that it was not badly contrived, though I say it, who
should not say it."

143
All along the whole length ofthe garden, (which might be perhaps
nearly one hundred yards,) on that side which was next the foot
path, he had fixed very neatly, about half way up the slope of the
ditch on the opposite side, a double indented line of sharp strong
stakes, pointing upwards, presenting a sort of chevaux defrise; an
impenetrable barrier, which no pony, highland or lowland, could
possibly get through or over.
We said something in commendation of his skill and precaution :
on which he observed ; " I am glad. Sir, you approve of what I have
done ; for it has cost me a good deal of labour. And my neighbour.
Farmer Yawn, who has been standing by me for the last three-quar
ters of an hour, and went away just as you came up, he says, I am
taking a deal of trouble, and very likely for nothing ; how can I be
sure there will ^e a land-flood, or that the man will turn in the po
nies? and besides, (says he,) neither land-flood or ponies would stay
twelve hours. But I know better. Sir, than to take Mr. Yawn's ad
vice ; for if my bit of garden should be ruined for a twelve-month,
it would be no comfort afterwards to think, that perhaps it might
not have happened, or that with timely caution it might have been
prevented." After a few more words we wished him a good evening, and
walked on for some little way in silence, which my companion put
an end to by saying, " It must be confessed that our friend Nelson is a
sensible man ; and not the less so, (added he, with a smile,) because
I am sure he will agree with me in opinion."
For in the course of our walk we had been discussing rather ear
nestly the subject of the Athanasian Creed ; the question between
us not being as to the doctrines contained in it, but as to the expe
diency of retaining it in the Liturgy, supposing any changes should
take place in that also, as in every thing else. Not that there was
any real difference of opinion between us on that point either ; but
wishing to know his views on the subject, I had been urging the va
rious objections, such of them at least as are more plausible, and
had been gratified with observing how little weight he attached to
them ; and my satisfaction was .the greater, because, from his edu
cation and profession, as a layman and a merchant, he could not be
accused of what have been scornfully designated as " academical and
clerical prejudices."
In the course of our conversation he had expressed himself most
earnestly in favour of the Athanasian Creed ; alleging, for this his
opinion, various reasons, and among others the following ; " that he
regarded this Creed in the light of a fence or bulwark, set up to
protect the Truth against all innovations and encroachments ; and
that to take it away, particularly in times when popular opinion, or
rather feeling was against it, would be almost high treason against
God : (that was his word ;) would be, so far as in us lies, wilfully to
expose the Truth to be trodden down by its enemies."

144
« Now," said he, " whilst you were talking to our friend Nelson,
it struck me that his care about his garden very aptly expresses our
duty in respect oR this very subject. For why is this Creed so ob
noxious ? simply because it is so strongly and sharply worded ; be
cause it leaves no opening for a Semi-socinian, or a five-quarter la-
titudinarian to creep in at ; because it presents an insurmountable
obstacle to every intruder who would trample under foot the Lord's
vineyard. "And even if the aspect of things were more favourable, even if
there were no sign of danger at hand, I should much rather advise
that, like Nelson, we should look forward to probable or possible in-
i-oads, than venture to neglect, much less remove our fences.
" But," he continued, " in the present condition of what is by courte
sy, (or one might almost say, facetiously,) called the .Christian world,
it were in my judgment little less than madness to yield so strong a
position, — one too which, if once lost, can never be recovered."
And then he referred to what he had before been insisting on, the
great mistake made by the American Church in rejecting the Atha
nasian Creed from the Liturgy ; and how, from personal observa
tion during his residence first at New-York, and afterwards at
Charleston, he was sure the time would come when its loss would
be felt and acknowledged by the true sons of that Church. " And
I wish," added he, as we concluded our walk and our discussion
together, " you would endeavour to ascertain what are the senti
ments of our friend Nelson on this subject, for I have no doubt he
has turned it over in his mind ; and his opinion must certainly be of
value, because happily for himself he has not been, I suppose, in the
way of hearing the profane absurdities that are daily written and
spoken against this inestimable Creed."
" Yes," said I, " whatever his opinions are I doubt not they will
be found candid, and free from unreasonable prejudice ; and I will
take an eariy opportunity of ascertaining them."
Soon after this my friend left me, and I promised to communi
cate to him the result of my inquiries. The Sunday following, it be
ing a serene autumnal morning, according to the description of the
divine poet — "most calm, most bright" — I proceeded earlier than
usual towards the school.
When I came up to Richard's cottage, he was standing at the
gate, with his infant child in his arms, looking as if he could envy no
man ; as if Sunday were to him, what it should be to us all, " the
couch of time, care's balm and bay."
" You are rather earlier. Sir, than usual," he said.
" Yes," I answered, " the morning is so lovely, so Sunday-like, I
could not endure to stay any longer within doors."
After some few observations had passed between us, — in which
he expressed with an unaffected solemnity of manner peculiar to
himself, his sense of thfe value of each returning Lord's day, calling

145
it, (and I think he used, though unconsciously, Isaac Walton's very
words,) " a step towards a blessed eternity," — I asked him if he
would have any objection to take two or three turns with me in the
beech-walk, as it still wanted a considerable time to school.
He answered that he would gladly accompany me, especially as
it might be better for the child to be taken under the shade of the
trees. " Richard," said I, " my friend Mr. Woodnot, and I may call him
your friend too, was much amused with your plan for keeping off
the enemies of your garden. He commended it highly, and thinks
you therein set a good example to all true Churchmen, and espe
cially to us of the Clergy."
" In what respect. Sir ?" he asked.
" Why," I replied, " in keeping your fences strong and sharp, and
contrived in the best possible way to serve the purpose of fences ;
namely, to preserve one's property from injury. For we understood
you to say, that, were it not for a little observation and foresight,
however well all might be for three hundred and sixty-four days in
the year, in one twenty-four hours all might be laid waste, either by
the torrent from the high ground above you, or by the cattle from
your neighbour's field."
" Indeed, Sir," he answered, " that is no more than the truth. But
I confess I do not exactly see how, in acting thus, I have set any
particularly good example. No person of common sense could do
otherwise." " As to that," I replied, " perhaps what some witty man said of
common honesty, he might too have said of common sense, that it
is a very uncommon thing. But be that as it may, it certainly would
appear to me to be no mark of sense nor of honesty either, if we
Christians who are ' put in trust (as St. Paul speaks) with the Gos
pel,' were to draw back from our strong advanced positions, in the
vain hope that the Enemy would be content with this success, and
encroach no further."
" May I ask. Sir," he said, " what it is you refer to ?"
" Why, Richard," I replied, " of course you have heard that a
great many people think the Church Prayer Book ought to be al
tered, and that first and foremost the Athanasian Creed ought to be
put out of it."
" Sir," said he, " I have heard more than one person make this
observation, but I never took much account of it till about a year
or eighteen months ago, when a brother-in-law of mine, who is fond
of poring over the newspapers, told me he had been reading ex
tracts from the works of a famous preacher, one Dr. Hoadly,
which, I am sorry to say, he was inclined to admire. For in these
extracts there were objections made to other parts of the Church
Service, and particularly to the Athanasian Creed, which (the Doc
tor said,) was a great blot in the Prayer Book, and that he wished
19

146
we were, well rid of it, with other such disrespectful expressions.
Now, Sir, it seemed to me such a thing, for a Clergyman who had
signed the Articles and the Prayer Book, and had his maintenance from
the Church, and had taken an oath before God and man to teach the
truth to his flock, according to the Prayer Book ; that a Church Min
ister should take upon him to omit so remarkable a portion of the
Church Service ; nay, more, should speak so slightingly of what he
had solemnly assented to, and was even sworn to ; this seemed to
me to be astonishing, and, I must confess to you, even shocking.
And, Sir, I thought of what my mother had said to me in her last
illness, about the danger of trifling with God Almighty. I thought,
too, if there should be many such Clergymen as this Dr. Hoadly,
what confusion and perplexitj' they would throw people's minds
into, driving some perhaps into downright infidelity. And then I
went on to reflect, what if my poor children should hereafter fall
into the way of some such false teachers, and learn tcT deny the
Lord that bought them, and to despise the Spirit of Grace.
" This thought I could not endure ; so I resolved that, with God's
gracious help, I would search the matter out for myself; for surely.
Sir, it is a matter in which not the clergy only, but we all are deeply
interested." " You say right," I replied ; " the knowledge of God's truth must
be the greatest earthly treasure to us all. It unquestionably con
cerns the Laity full as much as it does the Clergy, to ascertain the
truth and to keep it ; also to hand it on, pure and uncorrupted, to
their children after them."
He proceeded ; " My plan was this ; first to endeavour to make
out what was the intention of the Church in appointing this and the
other two Creeds to be occasionally used ; and then to try this
Athanasian Creed by Scripture rules ; and if I could not reconcile
it to them, why then certainly, however unwilhngly, I should have
joined in opinion with those who wish to have it left out of the
Prayer Book."
" A very good plan," said I, " but you must recollect that the ene
mies of this Creed would ask, what possible reason you could have
for being unwilling to part with it, especially when you know that
great numbers of people have so vehement a dislike to it."
" Sir," said he, '' I have long made up rny mind, that on questions
of this kind, relating to God and Eternity, people's likings and dis-
likings are not much in the scale either way. But I think. Sir, I can
offer one or two good excuses for my being unwilling to have this
Creed laid aside. In the first place, it would give me pain to have
any great alterations made in such a book as the Prayer Book ;
which I have been used to from my infancy ; which as a child I was
always taught to reverence ; and which, (I am not ashamed to say,)
I do reverence from my heart more and more the older I grow. In
the next place, I am sure all must allow that some parts of the

147
Athanasian Creed are very noble and beautiful to hear, especially
when they are well read or repeated. And again, even a child
may see that if this Creed be put away, great encouragement will
be given, not only to professed infidels, but also to many wild,
thoughtless persons, who would fain believe that Religion, like every
thing else, needs to be radically reformed."
" But, Richard," I said, " you are not, I suppose, so vain as to im
agine that our Church Reformers will be willing to keep the Prayer
Book just as it is, merely because you and I and a few more admire
some of the clauses in this Creed."
" Sir," said he, " you may be sure I never imagined such .a thing.
I was not presuming to give an opinion, whether or not the Prayer
Book is hkely to be improved by any alterations which may be made
in it. I was only excusing myself for being loth to part with the
Athanasian Creed."
" But," said I, " will you now tell me what conclusion you came
to in your inquiry into the intention of the Church in appointing this
and the other two Creeds to be used ?"
" I remembered," he said, " that I had heard you. Sir, or some one
whose opinion I could take on these subjects, make an observation,
that the three Creeds were not written all at the same time, but at
three different periods. That the Apostles' Creed was made first,
either in the time of the Apostles, or very soon after. That the
Nicene Creed came next, after an interval of two hundred years or
more. And that then again, after another considerable space, I
think I understood more than a century, followed the Creed of St.
Athanasius, as it is called.
" So it came into my thoughts that the Church seemed to act like
a tender mother very anxious for her children, from the very first ;
but growing still more and more anxious as they grow older, are
more exposed to dangers, and yet less and less willing to yield them
selves to her control.
" Thus it may seem, that in the most ancient, the Apostles' Creed,
a plain simple rule of faith is given.
" In the next, the Nicene Creed, the same rule is laid down, but
more at length, and in a tone of anxiety and caution as if the ene
my were at hand.
" But in the last, the Athanasian Creed, where still the very same
rule of faith is laid down, the alarm is loudly sounded, there is
throughout an expression of urgent warning, as needful for persons
in the very midst of foes, some open and more secret foes, who
would rob God of His honour, and man of the everlasting inheri
tance, purchased for him by his Saviour's Blood."
" Indeed," said I, " it is fearful to think to what lengths the pride
of human reason will draw those who yield to it. But before you
proceed with your statement, I should wish to know what opinion
you have come to respecting what are so falsely, not to say pro-

148
fanely, called the 'damnatory clauses' in the Athanasian Creed.
You are doubtless aware that many good sort of persons who pro
fess not to disapprove of the other parts of the Creed, are, (or at
least fancy themselves,) much offended and hurt in their feelings by
these clauses.
" Observe, I am not exactly referring to persons who speak harsh
ly or disrespectfully of this Creed, but rather to persons of piety
and learning, who with all reverence for it as an ancient and true
confession of faith, have yet thought that some of the expressions in
it are unnecessarily strong, and what they cannot endure to repeat
or hear."
" Sir," he rephed, " if it is not presumptions in me to pass my opi- ,
nion on the conduct of such persons as you represent, I should say
to them, if you can endure to believe these things,- you may also en
dure to acknowledge such your belief, and to hear it confirmed by
the voice of the Church.
" The. parent who cannot endure to correct his child, will doubt
less live to repent his mistaken tenderness, as we are taught in
Scripture. " And if the Church or her Ministers through like false pity should
no longer endeavour to hold out to our consciences the terrors of
the Lord, we of the people shall no doubt have cause to lament their
mistaken tenderness ; even though now, like over-indulged children,
we may many of us be impatient of strict restraint or of warnings
seemingly severe ; yet, if the Church will be but firm to her sacred
trust, memy souls will doubtless in the end bless God for these very
warnings and threatenings, which now they fancy to be almost in
tolerable. " But as to persons who scruple not to speak scornfully and re
proachfully of this Creed, or any part of it, I must think such lan
guage of theirs shows rashness, and ignorance too, very unbecom
ing a Christian. For, it may well be asked, is a mother to be blamed
who, seeing her child in imminent danger, warns him of it in lan
guage the most powerful her tongue can give utterance to 1
" If the Gospel of Christ be indeed our only hope, is not the Church
a true friend to us, in telling us so ; in making us confess it, as one
may almost say, whether we choose or no ?
" If the Gospel of the Lord Jesus be our only hope ; is not this
kind?" " Indeed," said I, " your argument is most just ; it is the truest
kindness to warn people of their danger. But as it is too often a
thankless office, so it is in the present instance. For as you know,
these, which may fitly be called 'The Warning Clauses,' or 'The
Monitory Clauses,' are especially reviled ; as, in fact, the tendency
of the whole Creed is accounted to be unscriptural and uncharita
ble, even by some who think themselves, and desire to be thought by
others, very serious Christians."

149
» Su-," said he, " to any Christian who was disposed to think so
ill of it, I should like just to mention a conversation I had sometime
last year with a man of our parish, Edmund Plush, the man that
has set up the new beer-house. You know. Sir, I dare say, that he
was once a gentleman's servant."
" I have heard so," I answered, « but as I see some ofthe boys
coming, it is time for me to leave you, and make the best of my vvay
to school."
" And I," said he, " will take the child back, and be after you in a
quarter of an hour ; but in the evening I shall hope. Sir, to have
some further conversation with you."
" I hope so too," I answered. But, as it happened, I was called
to go after the Evening Service to visit a sick person in a distant
part of the parish ; and a week or two passed away before we
again met. He then happened to come to my house one evening
to settle an account ; I desired he might come to me into my study;
and when we had concluded our business, I told him I wished he
would stay half an hour, that we might finish the conversation which
we had broken off so abruptly before.
He said, if I were disengaged he would be glad to stay ; and not
without some difficulty I prevailed on him to sit down.
" Richard," said I, " if you recollect, you were going to tell me of
a conversation you had with Edmund Plush."
" Yes, Sir," he replied ; " I had two or three days' work, pointing
his garden wall ; (for Edmund is very curious about his fruit, espe
cially about some favourite Orlean plums ;) and one day, as he was
standing by me, and running on with his talk about alterations and re
forms, he said, among other observations not very moderate, that
the Church Prayer Book wanted to be altered and reformed as
much as anything.
" To this I replied, that alteration was one thing, and reform was
another : and that if the Prayer Book was altered, it did not follow
that it was reformed.
" He then went on to say, that while he was footman at Squire Mar-
tingal's, over in Cheshire, one day, when he was waiting at table, and
there were four or five gentlemen at dinner, they were talking about
the Prayer Book, and whether it was not now time for it to be altered.
" And the Squire gave it as his opinion, that there was one word
in particular which he wished very much to see put entirely out of
the book ; and that was, the word ' damnation.' Such words as -
that, he said, ought not to be in a book which gentlefolks were ex
pected to see and hear.
" Edmund went on to say, that there was a gentleman at the ta
ble, who observed, it would be better to alter the word to ' condem
nation ;' of which the company very much approved, though (as
Plush himself remarked,) it was not easy to see what was gained
by the alteration.

150
"Now, Sir, it does seem to me, that 'Squire Martingal and his
friends forgot, when they made such short work with the Prayer
Book, that there was the Bible still in their way, quite as much
needing to be corrected and amended.
" And I told Edmund so ; and I also told him, that if I were in his
place, I should not like to go about repeating private conversations
which he might have overheard at his master's table ; especially
when they were so little calculated to be of use.
" However, Edmund must do as he pleases ; but for myself. Sir, I
do assure you, that after giving the subject the best consideration in
my power, the objections which people make against the Athanasian
Creed, are, to my thinking, not at all more substantial* than 'Squire
Martingal's against the Prayer Book and Bible. Indeed, Sir, it is
my opinion, that there is nothing in that Creed either unscriptural
or uncharitable, but quite the very contrary ; that it is essentially,
(as I 6nce heard you call the Commination Service,) in its matter.
Christian truth ; and in its manner. Christian Love. And, Sir, if
you will not be weary of me, I will try to show you how I came to
this conclusion."
• " Richard," said I, " you need not fear that you will tire me."
" Well, Sir," he proceeded ; " it seemed to me plain from the
Scriptures, (what no one indeed will deny or question,) that the
Great Almighty God should be the object of all our Love and
Adoration. From the same Scriptures it also appe,ared, that the
Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour and Hope, is entitled to all our
Love and Adoration.
" And again, from the same Scriptures, it appears that the Holy
Spirit of God, the only Sanctifier, Guide, and Guardian of His
Church, is entitled to all our Love and Adoration."
" Certainly," I replied ; " no one who believes the Scriptures, can
doubt this."
" And is not this," he said, " the very doctrine of the first part of
the Creed ; that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy
Ghost is God : and yet they are not three Gods but one God ! In
like manner, if any man inquire for the very foundation of Christian
hope and consolation, surely it is the doctrine that God our Saviour
took on him our frail und mortal nature ; that he was ' perfect man'
as well as ' perfect God.' Without this doctrine, the peculiar hopes
and consolations of the Gospel fade away and disappear. Now
this is the great truth pressed on our thoughts in the second part of
the Athanasian Creed, where we are taught boldly to maintain that
' the right faith is, that we believe and confess — not believe only, but
believe and confess — that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
God and Man.'"
" Yes," I answered, " it is difficult to imagine how any one who
acknowledges the truth of the Scriptures, can deny and question
this. But you must, I am sure, be aware, that many people object.

151
that this doctrine is not simply stated, and so left to every one's own
conscience to approve, but that attempts are made to draw out dis
tinctions and explanations, which are not in the Scriptures, and which
no one can understand ; and then, after all, people are made to say,
that whoever does not believe all this, has no chance of salvation."
" Sir," he replied, " there is a verse in the Psalms, which seems to
give an answer to such objectors ; if I should say like them, I should
condemn the generation of God's children. No one will dare deny
that those who framed this creed, and those who put it into our
Prayer Book were good and holy men, sincerely anxious for the
honour of Almighty God, and for the salvation of men's souls. It
was surely, not their fault that these distinctions and explanations
(if they are to be so called,) became necessary, but the fault of rash
or loose-minded people, who attempted to corrupt the hearts of the
simple with their false distinctions and false explanations.
"Against such, the Church, as a good parent should, warns her
sons in the strongest terms ; and if stronger terms could have been
found, no doubt she would have used them.
" And it seems to me, that it is not at all the intention of the
Church, in this Creed or any where else, to endeavour to explain
what is above human comprehension; but only to warn us that
quibbled and pretended distinctions have been made of old, and will
be again, against the essential doctrines of the Gospel ; and that,
come in whatever shape they may, they are to be opposed at once
with a sharp and strong denial ; to be at once, and as the Article
says, ' thoroughly' rejected.
" And the absolute need of some such strong impenetrable fence
appears from what I have heard, that there have been Church peo
ple, and even Clergymen, who denied these doctrines and (as might
be expected,) scorned this Creed. How they could reconcile their
conduct to their consciences, it is not for me to say; but it is plain,
that if the fence were taken away and weakened, the danger to the
fold would be much increased."
" I fully agree with you," was my reply ; " but you know those
who dislike this creed, assert that the ' Fence,' as you call it, is much
sharper and stronger than it need be ; and that it would be better
to have no ' Monitory Clauses' at all, than any expressed in such
strong, and as they call them, violent terms."
" Sir," he answered, " you know that in different places of the
New Testament, we are taught that adultery, fornication, drunken
ness, and other such crimes are entirely unsuitable to the Christian
Profession, and that persons who are guilty of them, do in practice
renounce the Gospel.
" Now supposing it should be thought well by the Governors of
the Church to set forth a solemn warning to profligates thus worded :
" Whosoever will be saved, before all things' it is necessary that
he avoid the crimes of adultery, whoredom, drunkenness, and bias-

152
phemy ; which crimes, unless every one do carefully abstain from,
without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
" And if then were to follow some solemn admonitions setting
forth, (according to the sense, though not in the very words of Scrip
ture,) the necessity of self-denial, mortification, and constant com
munion with Almighty God in prayer and at his holy table, so that
the affections may be kept set on high and heavenly things ; and all
concluding thus : —
" This is the rule of Christian Purity, which except a man observe
faithfully he cannot be saved.
." Do not you. Sir, think such warnings would be quite agreeable
to Scripture and to Christian Charity?"
" Indeed I think so," I replied.
" And yet," he proceeded, " supposing such an admonition as this
were to be made by authority, and ordered to be printed in all the
Prayer Books, and to be read twelve times a year in every Church
in England, do you not think there would be a great outcry against
it ; and that many people, when it was going to be read, would shut
their books, or perhaps go out of the Church ?"
" It is too probable," I replied, " considering how little account is
now made of crimes of this kind, even by many who are thought re
ligious people. Indeed, I have understood from a person I can rely
upon, otherwise I could not have credited it, that one of the objec
tions which Mr. Cartwright himself brought against the Prayer
Book was that in the Litany, fornication is termed ' a deadly sin.' "
'' It is strange indeed. Sir," said he, " and sad to think that any one
who believes the Scriptures could offer such an objection. But it
confirms an opinion I was going to express to you. For if a good
kind of man as Mr. Cartwright is said to be, objects to the Litany
on such grounds, how much more is it to be expected that such an
admonition as that which I have spoken of would be frequently
scorned and hooted at.
"And then," continued he, "supposing such an admonition as this
had been made and used in the Church for hundreds of years, and
it were now to be left out in the reformed Prayer Book, would not
such a measure give great satisfaction and encouragement to all the
loose dissolute people throughout the country ?"
" That cannot be doubted," I answered. " But there is one ob
jection, (absurd enough to be sure,) which people offer against the
Athanasian Creed, which you have not noticed, perhaps because you
had never heard of it.
" The objection I mean is, that this Creed leaves no allowance for
unavoidable ignorance, or bad education ; nor any chance even for
persons of weak doubting minds, no, not for idiots, or children, to
escape from its heavy censures.
It is, obviously, an absurd objection, yet it is what people do urge,
and people too who make pretensions to reason and religion."

153
" Sir," said he, " I can never suppose that any really conscientious
person, whose mind was free from prejudice, could offer such an
objection. " It must be quite plain to all candid minds, that as in the Scrip
ture itself, so in the Church Prayer Book we are always instructed
to believe that our merciful God makes allowance for our weakness
and bUndness in matters of knowledge and faith, as well as in other
things. As in the Scriptures, so in the Church Prayer Book, we are
always taught, that occasional doubt and perplexity are no proof of
want of faith ; that he truly believes who acts (if I may say so) upon
trust, who, like Abraham the father of the faithful, ' obeys, and goes
on obeying,' not knowing whither he goes ; ' knowing only, that if
he follows God's guidance he must be right.'
" It is too always taught, as in the Scriptures so in the Prayer
Book, that upon true repentance, sincere faith in the blood and media
tion ofthe one Redeemer, and entire submission to the guidance ofthe
one Sanctifier, it is, I say always taught that the door of mercy is open
even to the most inveterate sinners, whatever the nature of their
sins might have been, unless indeed the sin against the Holy Ghost
be considered an exception ; to guard Christians against which may
be supposed one great and surely charitable purpose of this Creed.
" How then," he proceeded, " can the Church, with any show of
reason, be called ' uncharitable,' which with this evangelical doc
trine implied in all her Services, uses occasionally the strongest lan
guage of warning (or even of threatening,) against fatal sins and
errors, if by any means she may preserve the souls committed to
her charge steadfast in the faith, ' the faith which was once deliver
ed unto the Saints ?' "
" Yes," said I, " once for all, never to be changed or frittered
away in base compliance with the ever varying customs and fancies
of worldly and self-conceited men."
" And, Sir," he proceeded, " I put it to myself in this way. What
a fearful thing it would be for a person on his death-bed to deny the
Son of God, the only Redeemer, and the Spirit of God, the only-
comforter ? Now the Church Prayer Book considers us all as it
were on our death-beds, or at least but a little way from them. The
Services for the Visitation of the Sick and the Burial of the Dead,
come very close after Baptism and the Catechism. As we should
wish to die, so the Church would have us live. If it be an awful
thought to pass into eternity in wilful ignorance or neghgence of the
essential truths of the Gospel, is it not also an awful thought that
people should spend this their probationary time in such ignorance
or negligence ? And again I would ask, can the Church be called
'uncharitable,' which earnestly and incessantly, and in the plainest,
strongest words that the English language can supply, warns her
members of their danger in this respect ?"
" Certainly, Richard," I replied, " what you say is most worthy to
20

1.54
'do thought on by all persons who find fault with, this Creed.' But I
wish you to recollect, that many of them take what they call ' high
ground ' in their argument. They confidently assert that it is ' bigot-.
ed, unscriptural, unchristian,' and other such hard names, to pretend
that ' modes of faith ' (that is their term,) are of any great importance
or indeed of any importance at all ; that if a man's life is in the
right, his faith can't be wrong, that of course adultery and those kind
of things are forbidden in the Testament, but that there are few
passages, (or as some of them say,) none at all which can be brought
forward in support of the opinions put forth in the Athanasian Creed ;
much less (they assert) can any passages be found, denouncing so
heavy a wo against those who reject these opinions."
" Sir," he replied, with more than even his usual energy, " I will
be bold to say, that there are many passages in the New Testament
distinctly proving and supporting the great doctrines put forth in the
Athanasian Creed, as there are passages expressly forbidding adul
tery^ and other such crimes. But supposing it were otherwise, it
really does not appear to me that the case would be different.
Gambling is not in words forbidden (so far as I can recollect,) in
any part or passage in the Old or New Testament ; yet no one
doubts — I mean no serious, thinking person, — that it is one of the
most fatal habits a person can get into : not because it is expressly
forbidden in any part or passage, but because it is against the
whole Gospel ; utterly inconsistent with a Christian's practice.
" Now, Sir, it really does appear to me, that to deny the great doc
trines contained in this noble Creed, is not merely to go against express
passages of Scripture ; passages, I mean, wherein our Lord Jesus, and
the Blessed Spirit, are spoken of as God ; but more than this, it is
against the whole Gospel, utterly inconsistent with a Christian's faith."
" Well, Richard," I said, " the considerations you have suggested
are certainly such as should lead all Christians to pause before they
encourage in themselves or others any dislike of this ancient, and
as you justly call it, this noble Creed."
"Sir," he replied, "in my poor judgment it is indeed a noble, a
magnificent confession.
" But still, noble and magnificent as it is, if it or any part of it
were against Scripture, or against Christian Charity, I for one,
should not be easy till it were put out of the Prayer Book.
" How happy then am I, to think that it breathes the very spirit of
pure Christian Charity ; of Love, more than parental : of Love like
His, Sir, who so often would have gathered His children together as
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but they would not !"
" Yes, Richard," I said; "and often as this tender yearning anxie
ty for men's souls is displayed in the conduct and words of our
adored Master, I have frequently thought it no where more strikingly
appears, than in that pathetic chapter of warnings to which you re
fer, the 23d of St. Matthew ; a chapter truly of monitory clauses."

155
" Sir," he answered, « it might almost be expected of those who
rashly accuse the Church of uncharitableness for retaining the
Athanasian Creed, that they should also wish to have that chapter
left out of the Calendar ; as indeed I have heard that they do wish
many of the Psalms to be omitted on some such ground.
" But it is now time for me to wish you good evening ; hoping. Sir,
that I have not taken too great a liberty in thus speaking out my
opinions, or wearied you by staying too long."
" Richard," said I, " once for all believe me, it is one of the chief
comforts and encouragements I have, to be with you at Church and
at School, and to talk with you on these great subjects."

No. 33.
(ad Populum.)
THE FAITH AND OBEDIENCE OF CHURCHMEN, THE
STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH.

" And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the
Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and blood hath not re
vealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I
say also unto thee. That thou art Peter ; and upon this rock I will
build My Church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it." Matt. xvi. 16—18.
The rock, then, upon which the Church is built, is the confession,
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God ; a truth set
forth and shadowed by the Prophets, but openly and plainly taught
by the Apostles. St. Paul uses a similar expression, when he speaks
of the body of Christians being " built upon the foundation of the
Apostles and Prophets ;" (i.e. resting in the sound and true doctrine
which they taught ;) " Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner
stone," (Ephes. ii. 20.) ; — our very spiritual existence depending up
on our adherence to this great truth, that Jesus was the anointed
Son of God, God and Man, the promised Saviour of the world ; —
He, who by taking man's nature upon Him in the womb of the
Blessed Virgin, fulfilled the prophecy, that the Saviour should be
of the seed of Abraham, in whom "all the nations of the earth
should be blessed," (Gen. xxii. 18.) ; and the seed of the woman,
who should "bruise the serpent's head," (Gen. iii. 15.) ; — and who,
inasmuch as He was "the Only-begotten Son of God, (John iii. 18.)
" God of God," " Very God of very God," (Nicene Creed,) fulfilled

156
the prophecy, that the Saviour should be "the mighty God," (Isaiah
ix. 6.)" — He, of whom it was said, " Let all the Angels of God
worship Him," (Heb. i. 6.) ; and of whom it w^s likewise said,
" Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." Ps. xiv. 6.
I said, that our very spiritual existence depends upon our adher
ing to this great and fundamental truth ; and this I said, not of us
as individuals only, but as Members of the Church of Christ, and
of that portion of Christ's Church in this Kingdom which is usually
called the Church of England. It is true of us individually, as ap
pears by the words of St. John ; " He that hath the Son, hath life ;
and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life," (I John v. 12.) ;
by which we learn, that as long as we slight or disbelieve, or deny
this sacred truth, we have no spiritual life in us. It is also true of
us, as Members of the Church of Christ, and of that portion of
Christ's Church in this Kingdom which is usually called the
Church of England, as appears from the passage before us ; " Upon
this rock, (i. e. upon this firm confession of faith in Jesus as the
Christ, the Son of the Living God,) I will build my Church ; and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." For from this we
learn, that the Church, and any given portion of that Church, is
only then able to defy the assaults of the Devil, that she can only
then look forward with confidence to get the victory, so long as she
adheres firmly to this faith and trust in Christ. When she departs
from that foundation, then she ceases to have a claim for the con
tinuance of the promised aid. This is a matter which it behoves
Christians at all times to place before their eyes, and to keep in re
membrance ; but, especially, at the present time, does it behove us,
who are Members of the Church of Christ in England, to do so ;
because of the unceasing endeavours which are being made by men
who are either careless of religion altogether, or who have embraced
false views of it, to overthrow our Church ; endeavours, which we
have reason to regard either with fear, or not, according as we
have reason, or not, to suppose that the members of the Church
have departed from the true faith and fear of God, and of the Lord
Jesus Christ. If there is reason to believe that many or most of
the Members of our Church are regardless of that true faith, and
of the honour of Him in whom we believe, that by their lips, or by
their lives, they set at nought His Majesty, neglect His Sacraments,
despise His Word, forsake His Worship, obey not His Voice, or
look for redemption and salvation by any other means than by His
Cross and Blood, then we have every reason to fear, that these en
deavours of our enemies will be successful ; that the light of God's
presence will be withheld from us ; and that, as He withdrew from
the Jews, when they rejected Christ, the Lord of Glory, so He
will withdraw from our Nation also, and leave it to the wretched
ness of its own chosen ways ; to the enjoyment of those idols, the
world, the flesh, and the Devil, for which it will have forsaken the

167
Holy One of Israel, and refused to hearken to the voice of the
Lamb of God, who died to take away the sins of the world. But
if not, if we have reason to hope that there are many true Servants
of God still to be found ; that there are many who, not with their
lips only, but in their hearts and with their lives acknowledge Him
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent ; acknow
ledge Him so as to obey His voice, and keep and do what He has
commanded ; then may we regard the attempts of our enemies
without dismay ; then may we have firm and steadfast hope, that
the gates of Hell shall not prevail against us : that though it may
please God that we should suffer for a while ; — as we suffered, to
gether with good King Charles, at the hands of the Dissenters ; as
we suffered in the days of bloody Queen Mary, at the hands of the
Roman Catholics ; as we suflfered during the first three hundred
years after Christ, at the hands of the Heathens and the Jews ; —
yet that eventually triumph will await us ; that He will bring our
Church out of the trial, like gold out of the fire, more pure and of
greater worth, (" I will purely purge away thy dross, and take away
all thy tin ;" Is. i. 25.) that all " things will work together for
good" to us ; and that the purpose aimed at by the affliction is, that
He " may present our Church to Himself as a glorious Church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." Ephes. v. 27.
It will hence appear, that it is in the power of every individualj
by a holy and religious life in the true faith and fear of God and our
Lord Jesus Christ, to promote not only his own salvation, but the
welfare and stability of the Church of Christ ; or by an unholy,
careless, and irreligious life, not only to secure his own damnation,
but to assist the enemies of God and man, who are purposed to
overthrow that Church.
If times of confusion and trouble shall come, where can we seek
for comfort but in the love of Christ, in the love of God to man
for Christ's sake? But how can we then take comfort in that
love, if nx)w we take no account of it ? Let me entreat you, then.
Christian Brethren, while the days of peace are vouchsafed to you,
to give more and more heed to all religious duties. The days may
come, when your Churches will be shut up, or only filled by men
who will not teach the whole truth as it is in Jesus ; when you will
be deprived of Ministers of Religion ; or have only such as are des
titute of God's Commission. Do not, I be|eech you, by your ne
glect now, add to your misery then the bitterness of self-reproach,
when you will have to say, " I had once the opportunity of wor
shipping God aright, but I neglected it, and He now has withheld
it from me. I had once the means of receiving the Body and Blood
of my Saviour, at the hands of His own Minister; but I refused
it, and now He has placed it out of my power."

No. 34.
THE SCRIPTURE VIEW OF THE APOSTOLIC
COMMISSION.

In referring to the Epistles of the New Testament for proof of
the duty of submission to Spiritual Authority, we are sometimes
met by the objection, that the case is very much altered since the
days of the Apostles, and since the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit
have been withdrawn from the Church. Now it will readily be ad
mitted, on all hands, that the state of the Church is very greatly
altered since these miraculous powers have ceased ; but at the same
time, we must not allow a general principle of this sort to set aside
the authority of Holy Scripture, as far as regards our own practice,
until, by a diligent and careful study of the Apostles' writings, we
have found that the principle does really apply to the case in ques
tion; as, for instance, that the Apostolic Authority is grounded in
Scripture upon the possession of miraculous powers, and therefore
necessarily ceased when those powers were withheld. Let us then
examine this point more particularly.
Have we then considered, in reference to this matter, that the
extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were not confined to the appointed
teachers of the Church, but were shed abroad upon the congrega
tion at large, upon the young and the old alike, upon the servants,
and upon the hand-maidens ? (Comp. Joel ii. 28, 29.) It was the
promise of the Old Testament, that, under the dispensation of the
New Covenant, God would write His Law in the hearts of His peo
ple, so that they should teach no more every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying. Know the Lord, " for they shall
all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
saith the Lord." (Jer. xxxi. 33, 34.) This promise, we are told in
the Epistle to the Hebrews, was fulfilled in the Gospel ; and St.
John, in his First General Epistle, expressly acknowledges the ac
complishment of the Prophet's words. He says to his " little chil
dren," " Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth,
but because ye know it. These things have I written unto you con
cerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have
received from Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man
teach you ; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and
is truth, and is no he, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide
in Him." (1 John ii. 20, 21, 27.) Such general illumination by God's
Holy Spirit might seem to make any authoritative Apostolic decla-

159
rations altogether unnecessary for the converts ; but we still find St.
John writing to them, and declaring his testimony to the Christian
doctrine with much earnestness; and why? Let us hear his own
words at the beginning of his Epistle ; " That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us ; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son
Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy
may be full." Here we have the pbject ofthe Apostle's affectionate
address fully and clearly stated. He and his Fellow-Apostles, the
witnesses of their Master's Life and Death and Resurrection, had re
ceived from Him a glorious revelation to communicate to the world ;
they had seen and did testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the
Saviour of the world ; upon this foundation they were commissioned
to build the Christian Church ; and it was their holy and blessed
office to " establish, strengthen, settle" the faith of their " little chil
dren" in the Gospel ; to tell them how they might keep themselves from
the spirit of error ; and continuing " steadfast in the Apostles' doctrine
and fellowship" might through them have fellowship with the Fa
ther and the Son, and so " rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory." Here we learn the full force of St. John's authoritative
language. He was marking the lines of " the foundation of the
Apostles and Prophets," in order that his disciples might duly be
built upon their most holy faith into a temple meet for the habita
tion of God through the Spirit ; they were God's building, and the
Apostle was one of the " wise master-builders," whom Christ had
appointed to build His Spiritual House. And this view of the
matter will become still clearer, if we study well the prayer which
Christ offered for His Church at the solemn moment when He
was just about to purchase it to Himself by the shedding of His pre
cious Blood. We there find our Blessed Lord, having first declar
ed that His work was finished on earth, and having earnestly be
sought the Father now to glorify Him, proceeds to pray for His
Apostles, that His Father would preserve them in unity, and truth,
and holiness. He says, " I have manifested Thy name unto the men
which Thougavest Me out of the world; I have given unto them the
words that Thou gavest Me, and they have received them ; Holy
Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given
Me, that they may be one as We are. Sanctify them through Thy
truth ; Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world,
even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I
sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
Thus did Christ lay the foundations of His One Holy, Catholic,
Apostolic Church ; in the remainder of His prayer He entreats like
blessings for all who should be built on this sure foundation, that they
might be so joined together in unity of spirit by the Apostlei doc
trine, as to be made a holy temple acceptable to God through Him.
(Coll. for St. Simon and St. Jude.) " Neither pray I for these alone.

160
but ybr them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that
they all may be one, as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou
hast sent Me." Accordingly we read that when, on the day of Pen
tecost, three thousand were brought to believe on Christ through
St. Peter's word, they were baptized into that holy communion,
" and they continued steadfast in the Apostles' doctrine and fellow
ship" (according to a text already quoted,) and the Lord daily
added fresh members to this Church. And in later times, when false
teachers were gone abroad seducing the disciples, the Apostles
wrote to them, declaring and reminding them what the Apostolic
doctrine was, that they might have the joy fulfilled in themselves of
knowing that they were in the unity of the Apostolic Church, one
in Christ and in the Father. And so St. Paul explains why he
wrote to the Corinthians, " not for that we have dominion over your
faith, but are helpers of your joy ; for by faith ye stand." (2 Cor.
i. 24.) ^
St. Peter, again, in his Second Epistle, uses exactly the same lan
guage with St. John. He writes as " a servant and an Apostle of
Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with
us ; according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness ; exceeding great and precious pro
mises,, that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature ;" i. e.
he does not draw any line of difference between himself and his
brethren, as if he had miraculous powers which they had not ; but
rests his teaching on the plain fact of his being commissioned, and
commissioned with the simple object of communicating the doctrine
.which had been disclosed to him. He addresses his converts just
as St. John does, not as though they were ignorant or unmindful of
the truth, but in order to strengthen their conviction of those holy
facts and doctrines to which he and his Brother-Apostles were com
missioned to bear witness. " I will not be negligent," he says, " to
put you always in remembrance of these things though ye know them,
and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long
as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remem
brance. Moreover, I will endeavour that after my decease ye may
have these things always in remembrance. For we have not fol
lowed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses
of His Majesty, .... and this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with Him in the Holy Mount." Again he
says, " This Second Epistle, beloved, I now write unto you ; in both
which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that ye
may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy
Prophets, and of the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord
and Saviour." For by adherence to the commandment of the
Apostles, and the doctrine of the Prophets, it might be known that

161
Christians were building themselves up on the only true foundation,
even Jesus Christ.
But it is in St. Paul's writings that we shall find the fullest and
clearest view of Apostolical Authority ; and it is well worthy of our
observation, that the Church upon which the Apostle most strongly
enforces that Authority, is the very Church which is most distin
guished in the New Testament for the abundance of its Spiritual
gifts ; so that clearly it was not an exclusive possession of miracu
lous powers, which constituted the distinction between Apostles and
private Christians. He begins his first Epistle to the Corinthians
by thanking God on their behalf " for the grace of God which was
given them by Jesus Christ, that in every thing they were enrich
ed by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge, so that they came
behind in no gift." But the Apostle goes on immediately to reprove
them for their want of unity; it had been declared to him that
there were contentions among them. And how did these contentions
arise ? in low views of Apostolical Authority. They had forgotten
that there was but One Foundation ; One Building of God ; One
Rule, according to which the several builders must carry up the
structure which Apostles had founded. And how did the Apostle
endeavour to drive out the spirit of schism ? by asserting and en
forcing his own authority over them, as the one only father whom
they had in the Gospel, (though they might choose for themselves
ten thousand instructors,) and by sending Timothy to bring into
their remembrance his ways which were in Christ, as he taught
every where in every Church. Thus were they to be brought back
to the blessed unity of spirit of the One Catholic and Apostolic
Church. — And here, by the way, we have light thrown upon the
doctrine contained in the Epistles of Ignatius. Remarkable and
consolatory to the inquirer after truth as is the evidence therein
afforded to the divine appointment of Episcopacy, perhaps there is
mingled with his satisfaction some surprise at the earnestness and
frequency with which thd Holy Martyr urges the doctrine. But it
is plain, what the Apostles are in St. Paul's Epistles, such the Bishops
are in those of Ignatius, centres of unity ; and as St. Paul, when
denouncing schism, magnifies the Apostolic Office, in just the same
natural, or rather necessary way, does Ignatius oppose the varieties
of opinion in his own day by the doctrine of Episcopacy. — To re
turn : the same Apostle writes to the Church of Rome ; " I myself
am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of good
ness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in
some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given
to me of God, that I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God." (Rom. xv. 14 — 16.) The
passage which follows is worthy of especial notice, as showing that
the Apostles marked out for themselves distinct provinces, so that
21

162
each had his own Diocese, as it were, his own peculiar sphere of
duty and authority. St. Paul tells us he strove to preach not where
Christ was named, lest he should build upon another man's foun
dation, (ibid.v. 20.) Each laid down for himself his own "measure,"
and would not stretch beyond it. (2 Cor. x. 14.) And this will per
haps help to explain the fact which eariy tradition hands down to
us of the wide dispersion of the Apostolic Body. At all events, it
is certain from History, that the different Churches claiming Apos
tolic Descent, were very careful to maintain the practices which
they had each derived from their respective Founders. To the
Church of Corinth accordingly St. Paul writes as its sole Founder
and Father, claiming upon this ground Supreme Authority over it in
the name of Jesus Christ. And with this Epistle before us, we
cannot doubt of the conclusion which we have already seen may
be clearly enough deduced from other Epistles of the New Testa
ment, viz. that the Authority which the Apostles claim for them
selves, they claim, not on the ground of high supernatural endow
ments, (for these were the possession of the Church at large,) but
on the ground of " the Grace and Apostleship," which they had re
ceived from Christ, the Head of the Christian Church, " for obe
dience to the faith among all nations for His name." That is, they
refer directly to their Commission as His Apostles, to go into all
the world and preach the Gospel to every creature ; they refer to
the Authority with which He invested them when He stood in the
midst of them, and said unto them, " as My Father hath sent Me,
even so send I you ;" and bade them receive the Holy Ghost, to
be with them in the prosecution of their High and Holy Office.
This point is very strikingly exhibited in the First Epistle to the
Corinthians, because there the possession of extraordinary gifts, and
the possession of Spiritual Authority, are brought into immediate
contrast with each other. The Corinthians, proud of the gifts of
other teachers, had raised parties in opposition to St. Paul, and ques
tioned his authority. How then did he maintain it ? not by claiming
higher gifts and graces for himself, (though he spoke with tongues
more than they all,) but by referring to his Office, as a Minister and
an Apostle of Christ, whose One Spirit governs the whole body
of the Church, appointing divers orders, and dividing to every man
severally as He will. That he was an Apostle he proved by the
fact, that he had been equally favoured with the Twelve ; that he
had seen our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh ; and had received
the doctrines of His Gospel, and grace to preach them to the world.
This was the simple ground on which he claimed Authority ; it was
not, because of the gifts or graces which he, as an individual, pos
sessed ; nor was it because he had laboured more abundantly than
all the other Apostles; nor because of his signal labours and afflic
tions for Christ's sake. He mentions these in his Second Epistle,
to show, ihat if he chose to adopt the language of his adversaries.

163
he had a better right than they to glory ; but all the while he tells
the Corinthians that he was " become a fool in glorying ;" that they
had compelled him ; that he could show the signs of an Apostle,
and needed no epistles of commendation. It was in right of his
Office that he claimed Authority ; it was for the sake of that Office
that he endeavoured to give no offence in any thing, but in all things
to approve himself as the Minister of God.
Now, perhaps some persons may be disposed to think that this
Apostolical Authority would terminate with the Apostles themselves,
with the favoured men who had been " eye-witnesses and ministers
ofthe word," and could declare to others what they had themselves
heard and seen. This might appear probable, if we had only our
own reasonings to go upon, but Scripture teaches us a very different
lesson. When St. Paul felt that his time was now nearly come, he
writes to Timothy, his " dearly beloved son," giving him his last
solemn charge, as to one who was henceforth to occupy the post
which he had hitherto, by God's grace, maintained in the battles of
his Lord. He earnestly commands him, " watch thou in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof of
thy ministry. For I am now ready to be oflTered, and the time of
my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have fin
ished my course, I have kept the faith." This faith which St. Paul
had so anxiously kept, was now to be committed to Timothy's charge ;
he had already been put in trust with the Gospel by the Holy
GilosT and the imposition of the Apostles' hands ; and now upon
Him was to devolve the solemn responsibility of being left in charge
of the Apostles' testimony, and of handing it down to future ages.
"Be not thou therefore ashamed," says the Apostle, "of the testi
mony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner ; Hold fast the form
of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which
is in Christ Jesus. Tliut good thing wliich was committed unto
tlwe, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." And, in re
minding him of this indwelling of the Holy Ghost, the promise of
Christ to His Ministers, the Apostle endeavours, with evident
anxiety, to embolden Timothy, by filling him with a sense of the
authority and power committed to him. " I put thee in remem
brance, that thou stir up the gift of God loliich is in thee by the put
ting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."* " Thou, there-
Ibre, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And
the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the
same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others

* So, writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul joins Timothy with himself, and claims
for him like authority. " If Tiiiiothcus come, sec that he may be with you without
fear; for ho workotli the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore de
spise him."

164
also."* This last passage is very important, because it shows so
clearly that the testimony which the Apostles bore to Christ did
not cease with their ministry, but was to be transmitted along the
sacred line of those whom they ordained, and so handed down to
those who were to come after. And where does this line end ?
Blessed be God, it has not ended yet ; and Christ's promise gives
us the comfortable assurance that it shall last " even to the end of
the world." Down to our days, the Church has been " a witness
and keeper of Holy Writ," (Art. xx.) and so faithful a witness, and
so watchful a keeper, that we can feel as certain of the facts of the
Gospel History, and so of the glorious doctrines which rest upon
them, as if we heard them from the Apostles' own lips. And how
beautifully are we reminded of St. Paul's dying charge to Timothy,
when we see the Fathers of our own Church laying their hands on
the heads of their sons in the faith, bidding them receive the Holy
Ghost for their high office and work in the Church of God, and
charging them to be faithful dispensers of the Word of God and His
Holy Sacraments ; and then delivering into their hands that Holy
Book which the Church has preserved and handed down, with au
thority to preach it in the congregation ! Thus is the testimony of
the Apostles still delivered in the Church, which is " the pillar and
ground of the truth ;" and thus do their Successors declare it with
authority, " God also bearing them witness," not indeed now " with
signs and wonders, and divers miracles," but still according to His
own most true promise with invisible " gifts of the Holy Ghost."
Let us now return to see how St. Paul exercised his Apostolical
Authority. He had been consulted by the Church of Corinth upon
several questions which had caused diflference of opinion among
them ; how then does he decide these questions ? In the first place,
he draws a broad line of distinction between the points on which he
had an express commandment of his Lord to go upon, and' those on
which he had to give his own judgment. In some cases he says, " I
command ;" in others, " not I, but the Lord." As a Minister and
Steward of Christ's household, his first consideration was, whether
in the course of His ministry his Master had left him any explicit
commandment; if he found no such commandment, his next duty
was to decide the question by the principles of Christ's Gospel. In
this case, he gave his "judgment, as one that had obtained mercy
of the Lord to be faithful," as having been " allowed of God to be
put in trust with the Gospel ;" and in such decisions he felt assuf-
cd that he had the Spirit of God. Accordingly he says with con
fidence, " If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let
him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the com
mandments of the Lord ;" referring at the same time to his Apos
tolical Authority, " What ? came the word of God out from you?
* Comp. I Tim. i. 18.

165
or came it unto you only ? is it nothing to you that the Apostles
have so ordained, and the Catholic Church so received and prac
tised ?" And now I would ask, where is the essential difference be
tween the Apostlic age and our own, as to the relation in which
God's Ministers and His people stand to each other? I do not say-
that the Ministers of His word in these days can feel so sure as
the Apostles could, that in the commandments which they give
they have the Spirit of God ; very far from it. But I do say,
that neither can the people feel so sure as in those days of miracu
lous gifts, that tliey have the Spirit of God with them ; and thus the
relation between the two parties remains the same. Since the times
of the Apostles and of miracles, the City of God is, as it were, come
down from heaven to earth ; the scene is changed, but the city re
mains the same. The Corner-stone is the same, its foundations are
the same ; if it be not built up by the same heavenly rule, it will not
be the city that is at unity in itself, the city of Him, who " is not
the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the
Saints." His Holy Spirit works at sundry times in divers man
ners according to His own Almighty wisdom ; sometimes He de
scends upon His Ministers with an audible sound and in a visible
form ; and sometimes invisibly, amidst the deep silence and the
prayers of His faithful congregation. Outward appearances may be
changed, yet His Mighty Agency remains the same ; and it will be
our wisdom and our blessedness to feel and acknowledge His pre
sence in the " still small voice," as well as in the " mighty and strong
wind," and in " the fire." For though miracles and tongues may
have ceased. He has never ceased to send forth Apostles, and Pro
phets, and Evangelists, and Pastors, and Teachers; nor wjll He
cease lo send them until the work of their ministry is accomplished
in "the edification ofthe body of Christ ;" " till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ." The question to which these few observations refer, is one, it must
be allowed, of much importance. Our Blessed Lord declares to
His Apostles, " As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."
Again he says, " He that heareth you, heareth Me ; and he that de
spiseth you, despiseth Me." It becomes then a grave question, to
whom did Christ address these words ? To the Twelve Apostles
exclusively, or to them and their Successors to the end of the world ?
It is surely worth our while carefully to search the Scriptures with
a view to ascertain this point. And while we do this, let us bear
constantly in mind that slight intimations of our Lord's Will are in
their degree as much binding upon us as express commands ; that
he who knows what probably his Lord's Will is, will be judged as
one who had probability to guide him ; that he who knew not through
negligence or slotbfulness, will have his negligence or slothfulness to

166
answer for. It will not be a sufficient excuse for us that we thought
all that was said in the New Testament of Apostolical Authority
could apply only to the Apostofic age. Let us remember, as a so
lemn warning to us, how it came to pass that the Jews despised
and rejected Christ. They saw no sign from heaven, and there
fore thought He could not be the Prophet, like unto Moses. Their
fault was, that they did not humbly and heartily " search the Scrip
tures." OXFORD.
The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

No. 35.
THE GREAT NECESSITY AND
ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC PRAYER.
(Extracted from Bishop Beveridge's Sermon on the subject.)

Besides our praying to, and praising God in the midst of other bu
siness, we ought to set apart some certain times in every day whol
ly for this. The saints of old were wont to do it three times a day,
as we learn from Daniel. For when King Darius had signed the
decree, " That whosoever should ask a petition of any god or man
for thirty days, except of the king, should be cast into the den of
lions," it is written, " That when Daniel knew tnat the decree was
signed, he went into his house ; and, his windows being open in his
chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times
a-day, and prayed, and gave thanks unto his God, as he did afore
time." (Daniel vi. 10.) As he did aforetime ; which shows that
this had been his constant practice before, and he would not leave
it off now, though he was sure to be cast into the den of lions for it.
But what times of the day these were, which were anciently devot
ed to this religious purpose, we may best gather from King David,
where he saith, " Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray,
and cry aloud ; and he shall hear my voice." (Psal. Iv. 17.) He
begins with the evening, because day then began, according to
the Jewish account ; but he observed all these times of prayer alike.
And so questionless did other devout people as well as he. The
Jews have a tradition that those times were ordained to that use,
the morning by Abraham ; noon, by Isaac ; and evening by Jacob.
But whether they have any ground for that or no, be sure this cus
tom is so reasonable and pious, that the Church of Christ took it

167
up, and observed it all along from the very beginning. Only to distin
guish these times more exactly, the Christians called them, (as the
Jews also had done before,) by the names of the third, the sixth,
and the ninth hours. Of which Tertullian saith, " Tres istas horas
ut insigniores in rebus humanis, ita et solenniores fuisse in orationi-
bus divinis ; ' as they were more famous than others in human af
fairs, so they were more solemn in divine prayers.' " (Tertul. de
Jejun. c. 10.)
I know the Primitive Christians performed their private devotions
at other times as well as these ; but at these set times every day,
especially at the third and ninth hour, they always performed them
publicly, if they could get an opportunity. And if we would be
such Christians as they were, we must follow their pious example
in this, as well as in other things.
* # * *
As the Jewish Church had by God's own appointment the Morn
ing and Evening Sacrifice every day in the year ; so all Christian
Churches have been used to have their Morning and Evening
Prayers publicly performed every day. As might easily be shown
out of the Records of the Church, from the beginning of Christianity.
Not to insist upon other Churches, I shall instance at present only
in our own ; which, as in all things else, so particularly in this, is ex
actly conformable to the Catholic and Apostolic Church. In the First
Book of Common- Prayer, made by our Church at the beginning of
the Reformation, there was a Form composed both for Morning
and Evening Prayer : the title of that for the Morning ran thus ;
An Order for Mattins daily through the Year ; and of that for the
Evening, An Order for Even Song throughout the Year : and ac
cordingly there were Psalms and Chapters appointed both for the
Morning and Evening of every day. , About three or four years af
ter, the same book was revised and put forth again. And then the
Church taking notice that Daily Prayers had "been in some places
neglected, at the end of the Preface she added two new Rules, or,
as we call them. Rubrics ; which are still in force, as ye may see
in the Common-Prayer Books which we now use.
«
The first is this :
And all Priests and Beacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening
Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let ly sickness, or other urgent

By this, every one that is admitted into Holy Orders, although he
be neither Parson, Vicar, nor Curate of any particular place, yet
he is bound to say both Morning and Evening Prayer every day,
either in some Church or Chapel, where he can get leave to do it,
or else in the House where he dwells, except he be hindered by

168
some such cause which the Ordinary of the place judges to be rea
sonable and urgent.
The other Order is this :
And the Curate that ministerethin every Parish-Church or Chapel, being
at home, and not being otherwise reasonably hindered, shall say the same in
the Parish-Church or Chapel where he minister eth, and shall cause a bell to
be tolled thereunto, a convenient time before he begin, that people may come
to hear God's Word, and pray with him.
Here we have a plain and express command, that the Curate,
whether he be the Incumbent himself, or another procured by him
to do it ; whosoever it is that ministereth God's Holy Word and
Sacraments in any Parish-Church or Chapel in England, shall say
the same Morning and Evening Prayer daily in the Parish-Church
or Chapel where he ministereth, and shall take care that a bell
be tolled a convenient time before he begins, that people having
notice of it, may come to God's House to hear his Holy Word read,
and join with the Minister in performing their public devotions to
him. This every Minister or Curate in England is bound to do
every day in the year, if he be at home, and be not otherwise rea
sonably hindered. And whether any hindrance be reasonable or
no, the Minister himself is not the ordinary judge ; for in all such
cases that is referred by the common laws of the Church to the
Bishop of the Diocese, or the Ordinary of the place where he min
istereth. The law hath made this the duty of every Minister, and the Bishop
or Ordinary is to see he doeth it ; and whether any have reasona
ble cause ever to omit it, or whether the cause they pretend for it
be reasonable or no ; this is left by the law to him. He may allow
or disallow of the p/etence, as he upon the full hearing of it shall
see good ; and may punish with the censures of the Church any
Minister within his jurisdiction that doth not read the Prayers of the
Church, or take care they be read every Morning and Evening in
the Year, except at such times when the Minister can prove that
he had such a reasonable hindrance or impediment as will justify
him before God and His Cfiurch.
This care hath our Church taken, that Public Prayers be read
every Morning and Evening throughout the Year in every parish
within her bounds, that all who live in her communion, may aftei
the example of the Apostles  , gb every day into the Tem
ple or Church at the Hour of Prayer. She hath not appointed the
hour when either Morning or Evening Prayer shall begin ; because
the same hour might not be so convenient in all places. So that in
some places it might be pretended that there was a reasonable hin-
¦* drance ; that it could not be done just at the time. Wherefore to
prevent any such plea, and to make the duty as easy and practica-

169
ble, both to the Minister and people, as it could be, the Church hath
left that to the Ministers themselves, who considering every one his
own and his people's circumstances, may, and ought to appoint such
hours both for the Morning and Evening Prayer in their respective
places, as they in their discretion shall judge to be most convenient.
Only they ought to take care in general that Morning Prayers be
always read before, and Evening after Noon. And it is very ex
pedient that the same hours be every day, as much as it is possible,
observed in the same place, that people knowing it beforehand, may
order their affairs so as to be ready to go to the Church at the hour
of frayer.
But notwithstanding this great care that our Church hath taken to
have daily Prayers in every parish, we see by sad experience, they
are shamefully neglected all the kingdom over ; there being very
few places where they have any Public Prayers upon the Week
days, except" perhaps upon Wednesdays and Fridays; because it
is expressly commanded, that both Morning and Evening Prayers
be read every day in the Week, as the Litany upon those. And why
this commandment should be neglected more than the other, for my
part I can see no reason. But I see plain enough that it is a great
fault, a plain breach of the known laws of Christ's Holy Catholic
Church, and particularly of that part of it, which by his blessing is
settled among us. But where doth this fault lie ? I hope not in the
Clergy. For I dare not suppose or imagine, but that every Minis
ter in England that hath the care of souls committed to him, would
be willing and glad to read the Prayers every day, for their edifica
tion, if the people could be persuaded to come to them. I am sure
there is never a Minister but is obliged to read them daily ; and
never a parish in England, but where the people may have them so
read, if they will ; for they may require it by the laws both of our
Church and State, except at such times when their Minister is rea
sonably hindered from the execution of his office, in the sense before
explained. But the mischief is, men cannot, or rather will not be persuaded
to it. They think it a great matter to come to Church upon the
Lord's Day, when they cannot openly follow their particular call
ings if they would. Upon other days they have other business to
mind of greater consequence, as they think, than going to Prayers.
To some it is a great disturbance to hear the bell sounding in their
ears, and calling them to their duty, which they being resolved not
to practise, it makes them very uneasy to be so often put in mind
of it. Others can make a shift to bear that pretty well, as not look
ing upon themselves concerned in it. For they take it for granted,
that Prayers were intended only for such as have nothing else to do.
As for their parts, they have a great deal of work upon their hands,
and must mind that, without troubling their heads about any thing
else. This is the plain case of some ; but not of all. Blessed be
22

170
God, He hath opened the eyes of many, especially in this city, who
now see " the things that belong to their everlasting peace," and
therefore are as constant at their public devotions, as they are at
their private business. And I trust in His infinite Goodness and
Mercy, that He who hath " begun so good a work among us," will
one day perfect it, that we may all meet together " with one heart,
and with one mouth to pray unto him," and praise and glorify-His
great name every day in the week, both in this city, and all the king
dom over. What a happy city, what a glorious kingdom would it
then be I And how happy should I think myself, if it would please
God to make me, the unworthiest of all His Servants, an instrument
in His Almighty hand towards the effecting of it in this place I It is
too great a felicity for me to flatter myself with the least hopes of.
Howsoever I must do my duty, and leave the issue to Him who
hath the hearts of all men in His hand.
* * * *
That it is His [Christ's] pleasure that we should constantly use
that Form of Prayer, which He, as our Great Lord and Master,
was pleased to compose for all his Disciples is so plain, that I won
der how any can doubt of it ; there being no command in all the
Bible more plain than that, " When ye pray, say. Our Father, which
art in Heaven," «&;c. (Luke xi. 2.) But it is as plain, that He de
signed this Prayer should be used publicly, and in common by his
Disciples when met together in their public assemblies : in that he
hath drawn it up all along in the plural number, that many may join
together in it, and say, " Our Father, which art in Heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into tempta
tion ; but deliver us from evil." So that there is not one petition, nor
one expression in it, but what a whole congregation may jointly use.
From whence St. Cyprian truly observed, thaf this is Publica et com
munis Oratio ; a Public and Common Prayer. Not but it may, and
ought to be used also privately by every single Christian apart by
himself; because every Christian is a member of Christ's Catholic
Church, and should pray as such in private as well as in public;
and for all his fellow-members, as well as for himself, they being all
but one body. But however, it must be acknowledged, that, it be
ing so exactly fitted to a public congregation, it was primarily and
chiefly intended for tbat purpose. And that our Saviour would
have us say this Prayer every day, appears most plainly from that
petition in it, " Give us this day our daily bread." For this shows,
that as we depend upon God every day for our necessary food, so
we ought to pray unto Him every day for it. And if we must put
up this petition every day, we must put up all the rest with it. For
Christ hath joined them together, and therefore we must not put
them asunder. Neither is there any part of the Prayer but what is
as necessary to be said every day as this.

171
Wherefore seeing our Blessed Saviour Himself was most gra
ciously pleased to compose this Prayer so as to suit it to our daily
public devotions, and hath plainly commanded us to use it, accord
ing as He had composed it ; we may reasonably from thence infer,
that it is His divine will and pleasure that we should publicly pray
to our Heavenly Father every day, as His Church had all along
before done it. Morning and Evening. Be sure His Apostles thought
so, vvhen they had received His Holy Spirit, " to lead them," ac
cording to His promise, " into all truth," and to " bring into their re
membrance all things that He had said unto them." For after the
day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Ghost came upon them, the
next news that we hear of any of them is, that " Peter and John
went up together into the Temple at the hour of Prayer, being the
ninth hour," or the hour of Evening Prayer ; which they would not
have done, if they had not believed it to be agreeable to the doctrine
which He had taught them. * * * #
The more pleasing any duty is to God, the more profitable it is
to those who do it. And therefore He having so often both by
word and deed, manifested Himself well-pleased with the public or
common Service which His people perforin to Him, we cannot
doubt but they always receive proportionable advantage from it.
The Jews call stated public Prayers ninasa. Stations ; and have
a saying among them, "That without such Stations the world could
not stand." Be sure no people have any ground to expect public
peace and tranquillity, without praising and praying publicly unto
Him, who alone can give it. But if all the people (suppose of this
nation) should every day with one heart and mouth join together in
our common supplications to Almighty God, how happy should we
then be ? how free from danger ? how safe and secure under His
protection ? This is the argument which Christ Himself useth, why
" Men ought always to pray, and not to faint ;" in the Parable of the
unjust Judge, who was at last prevailed with to grant a widow's re
quest, merely by her importunity in asking it. " And shall not God,"
saith He, " avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto
Him, though He bear long with them ? I tell you that He will avenge
them speedily." But then he adds, " Nevertheless, when the Son of
Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth ?" (Luke xviii. 7, 8.)
As if He had said, God will most certainly avenge and protect those
who cry day and night, morning and evening, to Him. But men will
not believe this ; and that is the reason why there are so few who
believe that He will hear their prayers, according to His promise.
But blessed be God, though they be but few, there are some, who
really believe God's Word, and accordingly pray every morning
and evening, not only for themselves, but for the country where they
five, for all their Governors both in Church and State, and for all
sorts and conditions of men among us. To these the whole king-

172
dom is beholden for its support and preservation. If they should
once fail, I know not what would become of us. But so long as
there are pious and devout persons crying day and night to God
for aid and defence against our enemies, we need not fear any hurt
they can ever do us ; at least according to God's ordinary course
of dealing in the world. I know that he is sometimes so highly in
censed against a people, that He will hearken to no intercessions
for them. As when he said of the idolatrous and factious Jews ;
" Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could
not be towards this people." (Jer. xv. 1.) Moses had before di
verted His wrath from them, (Exod. xxxii. II, 12, 14;) and so had
Samuel, (1 Sam. vii. 9 ;) but at this time He saith. Though both of
them stood before Him, and besought Him for it, yet He would not
be reconciled to this people. Which plainly implies, that this was
an extraordinary case, and that He ordinarily used to hearken to
the prayers which His faithful servants, such as Moses and Samuel
were, made to Him in behalf of the people among whom they dwelt :
according to that of the Apostle St. James, " The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James v. 16.) To
the same purpose is that parallel place in the Prophet Ezekiel,
where God saith, " That if a land sin grievously against Him, and
He send the famine, the sword, the pestilence, or the like punish
ment, to cut off both man and beast from it ; though these three
men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should defiver none but
their own souls." (Ezek. iv. 14, 16, 18, 20.) But here we may like
wise observe, that in such an extraordinary case as this, (which God
grant may not be our own ere long !) although such righteous per
sons by all their prayers and tears can deliver none else, yet they
themselves shall be delivered. As Lot was out of Sodom, and the
Christians at the final destruction of Jerusalem, when eleven hun
dred thousand Jews perished, (Joseph, de Bel. Jud. 1. 7. c. 17.) and
not one Christian, they being all, by the secret providence of God,
conveyed out of the city before the siege began. (Euseb. Hist. Eccl.
1. 3. c. 5.) Which shows the particular care that God takes of all
that believe and serve Him. And that one would think is enough
to prevail with all that consult their own and others' welfare, to
neglect no opportunities which they can get of serving so great and
good a Master, all the ways they can, and particularly by perform
ing their daily devotions to Him. In that they have good ground
to hope that He will hear their prayers for others, but may be sure
He will take care of them, whatsoever happens.
* * * *

No. 36.

THE NECESSITY AND ADVANTAGE OF FREQUENT
COMMUNION.
(Extracted from Bishop Beveridge's Sermon on the subject.)

I HAVE done what I could ; I have taken all occasions to con
vince you of your sin and danger in neglecting this Blessed Sacra
ment, and to persuade you to a more frequent receiving of it ; but
I see nothing will do : indeed nothing can do it but the Almighty
Power of God, whom I therefore beseech of His Infinite Mercy to
open men's eyes, that they may " see the things that belong to their
everlasting peace, before they be -hid from them." And then I am
sure this Sacrament would be as much frequented as it hath been
hitherto neglected. But seeing He is usually pleased to do this great
work by the Ministry of His Word, I shall make it my business at
this time, in His name, to put you in mind of your duty and interest
in this particular, and so set before you such reasons why you
ought to take all opportunities of receiving the Mystical Body and
Blood of Christ your Saviour, as I hope by His blessing may pre
vail with many to do it : God grant that it may do so with all that
hear me at this time.
For this purpose, therefore, I desire you to consider. First, that
this is Christ's own Institution and Command. He, " who being
in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God,
and yet made Himself of no reputation for your sakes." He, who
loved you so, as to give Himself for you, — He, who laid down His
own life to redeem and save you, — He, the very night before He
died for you. He then instituted this Holy Sacrament ; and He then
said to all that hoped to be saved by Him, and to you among others,
" Do this in remembrance of Me ;" and, " do this, as oft as ye drink
it, in remembrance of me." What ? and will you that hope to be
saved by Him, will you never do this at all ? Or only now and
then, when perhaps you have nothing else to do ? How then can ye
hope to be saved by Him ? Do you think that He will save you,
whether ye observe His commands or no ? And which of all His
commands can- ye ever observe, if ye do not observe this, which is
so plain, so easy, so useful, and so necessary, for you ? No, deceive
not yourselves. He that came into the world, and died on purpose
to save you, you may be confident would never have required you

174
to do this, and as often as you do it, to remember Him, but that it is
necessary for your salvation that ye do it, and that ye do it as often
as ye can, in remembrance of Him. And if it had been necessary
in no other, as it is in many respects, yet His very commanding it,
makes it so to you and to your salvation. For as He is the only
" Author of eternal salvation," He is so only to " those who obey
Him," (Heb. v. 9 ;) that is, " to those who observe all things what
soever He hath commanded." (Matt, xxviii. 20.) But this is one of
those things which He hath commanded ; and therefore unless you
do this, you do not obey Him, and so have no ground to expect sal
vation from Him. He Himself hath told you in effect, that He will
not save you ; in that He said, " Except ye repent, ye shall all like
wise perish." (Luke xiii. 3, 5.) But ye all know, that he who
lives in any wilful and known sin, or in the wilful neglect of any
known duty, he hath not yet repented, and turned to God, but is
still in his natural estate, in a state of sin and damnation. And if
he happens to do so, he must inevitably perish ; there is no help in
the world for it.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye had need look about you. Christ
your Saviour hath expressly commanded you often to receive the
Sacrament of His Body and Blood in remembrance of Him. And
therefore you, who never yet received it, have- lived all this while
in the wilful breach of a known Law, and by consequence in a
wilful and known sin : and you who receive it but seldom, do not
fully obey or come up to the Law, which plainly requires you to do
it often ; at least if it may be had. It is true, should God in His
Providence cast you upon a place where you could not receive it
if ye would, I do not doubt but He would accept of your earnest
desires of it, as well as if ye did receive it ; and would make up the
great losses you sustained in your spiritual estate for want of it,
some other way. But blessed be His Great Name, this is not your
case ; for He in His good Providence hath so ordered it,,that you
live in a place where this Holy Sacrament is actually celebrated
every Lord's Day, and may be so, if there be occasion, every day
in the year. Our Church requires the first, and hath"provided for
the other, by ordering that the same Collect, Epistle, and Gospel
which is appointed for the Sunday, shall serve all the week after ;
and by consequence the whole Communion Service, of which they
are a part. And therefore, unless you receive it, and receive it often
too, you will live in the gross neglect, if not in a plain contempt of
Christ's command ; as you will one day find to your shame and
sorrow ; for how well soever ye may otherwise five, this one sin is
enough to ruin and destroy you for ever. " For," as St. James saith,
" whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all." (James ii. 10.) And therefore, whatsoever else
ye do, if ye do not this, but offend in this one point, you are liable
to all the punishments that are threatened in the Law of God.

175
Neither is there any way to avoid them, except you repent, and
turn from this as well as from all other sins.
And that ye may not think that the receiving of this Blessed Sa
crament only now and then, as perhaps two or three times a year,
will excuse you from the imputation of living in the neglect of
Christ's command; I desire you to consider how the Apostles
themselves and the Primitive Christians understood it. Which they
sufficiently declared by their practice. For when our Lord was
gone to Heaven, and had, according to his promise, sent down the
Holy Spirit upon His Apostles, and by that means brought into
His Church about three thousand souls in one day, it is said of
them, that " they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers," (Acts ii. 42 ;)
and of all that believed, it is said, that " they, continuing daily with
one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart," (ii. 46.)
Where we may observe, first, that by breaking of bread in the New
Testament, is always meant the Administration of the Lord's Sup
per. Secondly, this they are said to have done xar' oXnov, from house
to house, as we translate it ; or rather in the house, as the Syriac
and Arabic versions have it, and as the phrase xar' oIkov, is used by
the Apostle himself, Rom. xvi. 5. 1 Cor. xvi. 19 ; that is, they did
it either in some private house where there was a Church, or more
probably in some of the houses or chambers belonging to the Tem
ple, where they daily continued- Thirdly, as they continued daily
in the Temple at the hours of prayer, to perform their solemn de
votions there, so they daily received the Holy Sacrament, and ate
this spiritual food " with gladness and singleness of heart." This
being indeed the chief part of their devotions, whensoever they
could meet together to perform them. Especially upon the Lord's
Day, as the Holy Ghost Himself informs us, saying, " And upon
the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them, being ready to depart on the mor
row," (Acts XX. 7 ;) where we see, they did not only break bread,
or administer the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper upon the first
day of the week, which we, from St. John, call the Lord's Day ;
but upon that day they came together for that end and purpose.
It is true St. Paul being to go away next day, he took that oppor
tunity when they were met together for that end, to give them a
Sermon. But that was not the end of their meeting together at
that time. They did not come to hear a Sermon, though St. Paul
himself was to preach, but they came together to administer and re
ceive Christ's Mystical Body and Blood ; which plainly shows, that
this was the great work they did every Lord's Day : and that they
came together then on purpose to meet with Christ, and to par
take of Him at His own table. And seeing that the Law itself re
quired, " that none should appear before the Lord empty," (Exod.

176
xxiii. 15 ;) therefore St. Paul requires, that upon the first day of
the week, when Christians thus met together to receive the Sacra
ment, " every one should lay by him in store, as God prospered
him, for pious and charitable uses." (1 Cor. xvi. 2.) And hence
proceeded that custom which is still continued in our Church, and
ought to be so in all. That whensoever we appear before the Lord
at His own table, we, every one, according to his ability, offer up
something to Him, of what He had bestowed upon us, as our ac
knowledgment of His bounty to us, in giving us whatsoever we
have, and of His infinite mercy in giving Himself for us.
Now seeing the Apostles themselves, and such as they first con
verted and instructed in the faith of Christ, usually received this
Holy Sacrament every day in the week, and constantly upon the
Lord's Day; it cannot be doubted, but that they looked upon
themselves as obliged by Christ's command to do so ; and that
when He said, " Do this, as often as ye do it, in remembrance of
Me," His meaning and pleasure was, that they should often do it, so
often as they met together to perform their public devotion to Him,
if it was possible, or at least upon the Lord's Day. And as this was
the sense wherein the Apostles understood our Saviour's words ; so
they transmitted the same together with the Faith, to those who
succeeded them. For Tertulhan, who lived in the next century
after the Apostles, saith, that the Sacrament of the Eucharist, "in
omnibus mandatum k Domino, etiam Antelucanis ccetibus," was
commanded by our Lord, to be celebrated in all Christian as
semblies, even those which were held before day, (Ter. de cor. mil.
cap. 3.) And before him Pliny the Second, who was contemporary
with St. John, in the account he gave of the Christians' manners to
the Emperor Trajan, saith, among other things, " that they were wont
upon a certain day, to meet together, before it was light, and to
bind themselves by a Sacrament, not to do any ill thing, (Plin. Ep.
I. 10. cap. 97.) Which can be understood only of the Sacrament
of the Lord's Supper, as administered and received by them upon
the Lord's Day. And Justin Martyr himself, who lived in the next
age after, in the Apology he wrote to Antonius Pius in behalf of the
Christians, giving a particular account of what they did in their pub
lic congregations, saith, that rji tob ii\i<,v ^eyof""! hMH> upon that which
is called the day of the Sun, or Sunday, all Christians that live ei
ther in the cities, or in the country, meet together ; where they hear
the writings of the Prophets and Apostles read, and an exhortation
made to them ; and then they having all joined together in their com
mon prayers, broad and wine is brought and consecrated, or blessed
by the President or Minister ; and distributed to every one there
present, and carried by Deacons to such as were absent. Koii}
ildboms iio.1 h nirdXitpis ijri) tSv cixapicrridcvTav iKdarcf yivcrai. And the distribu
tion and participation of the consecrated elements is made to
every one, (Just. Mart. Apol. 2.) And this food, saith he, KaMrai

177
iraf' iiitv Eixaftrria, is called by US the Eucharist. From whence
it appears, that in these days, every one that was at Prayers and
Sermon, received also the Holy Sacrament, at least upon the Lord's
Day. None offered to go. out until that was over; or if they did so,
they were cast out of the Church, as not worthy to be called Chris
tians : as appears from the Apostolical Canons made or collected
much about that time, or soon after. One whereof runs thus,
ndvras Toiis twiovrat -lyioroH, ctc. All bclievers that come to Church, and
hear the Scriptures, but do not stay to join in the Prayers, and the
Holy Communion, ought to be excommunicated, as bringing confusion
into the Church, (Can. Apostol. 9.) It was then, it seems, reckoned
a great disorder and confusion for any to go out of the Church,
as they now commonly do, until the whole Service, of which the Com
munion was the principal part, was all over : and if any did so, they
were judged unfit to come to Church, or keep company with Chris
tians any longer. This was the discipline of the Primitive and Apos
tolic Church. This was the piety of the first Christians : and it
continued in a great measure for some ages, as might easily be
shown. But this may be sufficient at present to prove, that the
Apostles and Primitive Christians did not think that they observed
our Lord's command in the institution of this Holy Sacrament aright,
by receiving it only now and then. For, as they would never have
done it at all, but only in obedience unto that command; so in obe
dience to that command, they took all opportunities they could get,
of doing it ; at least they never omitted it upon the Lord's Day. But
upon that day, whatsoever they did besides, they always did this in
remembrance of what their Great Lord and Saviour had done for
them. And if we desire to be such Christians as they, were, we
must do as they did. We must, after their pious example, observe
our Lord's command, by eating this bread, and drinking this cup
as often as we can ; lest otherwise we lose the benefit of that death
He suffered for us, by our neglecting to do what He hath command
ed in remembrance of it. tP vt Ti* tp
What effect they [my arguments] will have upon those that hear
them, I know not ; but fear that it will be much the same that rea
son and argument usually have upon the greatest part of mankind ;
that, very httle, or none at all. But for my own part, when I se
riously consider these things, I cannot but wonder with myself, how
it comes to pass, that this Holy Sacrament, instituted by Christ
Himself, is so much neglected and disused as it is, in a place where
His religion is professed and acknowledged to be, as really it is, the
only true religion in the world. And after all my search, I can re
solve it into nothing else but the degeneracy of the age we live in,
and the great decay of that most Holy Religion among us. I am sure,
from the beginning it was not so. For some ages after the Establish
ment of the Christian Religion by Christ our Saviour, so long as
23

178
they who embraced it gave themselves up to the conduct of that
Holy Spirit which He sent down among them, and were inspired
by it with true zeal for God, and inflamed with love to their ever
blessed Redeemer, so as to observe all things that he had com
manded, whatsoever it cost them ; then they never met together
upon any day in the week, much less upon the Lord's Day, for the
Public Worship of God, but they all received this Holy Sacrament,
as the principal business they met about, and the most proper Chris
tian service they could perform. And it is very observable, that so
long as this continued, men were endowed with the extraordinary
gifts as well as the graces of God's Holy Spirit, so as to be able to
do many wonderful things by it ; yea, and suffer too whatsoever
could be inflicted on them for Christ's sake. But in process of
time men began to leave off their first love to Him, and turn His re
ligion into dispute and controversy ; and then as their piety and de
votion grew cooler and cooler, the Holy Sacrament began to be
neglected more and more ; and the Priests who administered it, had
fewer and fewer to receive it, until at length they had sometimes
none at all. But still they mistook themselves to be obliged in duty
and conscience to consecrate and receive it themselves, although
they had none to receive with them. And this mistake, I suppose,
gave the first occasion to that multitude of private masses which have
been so much abused in the Church of Rome ; where the priest
commonly receives himself, although he hath never a one to com
municate with him ; and so there can be no communion at all. And
as that abuse, so the disuse of the Holy Sacrament, sprang first from
men's coldness and indifferency in religion, which hath prevailed so
far in our days, that there are many thousands of persons who are
baptized, and live many years in the profession of the Christian re
ligion, and yet never receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and
Blood in all their lives. And but very few that receive it above
once or twice a year ; which is a great reproach and shame to the
age we five in ; but none at all to the Church : for she is always
ready to administer it, if people could be persuaded to come to it.
But that they cannot, or rather will not be ; they have still one pre
tence or other to excuse themselves, but none that will excuse them
before God and their own conscience another day.
What their pretences are, I shall not undertake to determine.
They are so m/iny, that they cannot easily be numbered. And many
of them so vain and trifling, that they are not worth rehearsing.
But the bottom of them all is this ; men renounced the world, the
devil, and the flesh in their baptism, but they are loth to do it in
their lives : they then promised to serve God, but now they find
something else to do. They have all one sin or other that reigns
over them, and captivates their hearts and aflfections, so that they
cannot endure the thoughts of parting with it. And they think, as
they ought to do, that if they come to the Holy Sacrament, they

179
must first examine themselves, repent of all their sins, turn to God,
renew their baptismal vow, and resolve to lead a new life. But
this they resolved not to do. And if they should come to the Sa
crament, it would but disturb their quiet, make them uneasy in
their minds, and hinder them from enjoying the pleasure they were
wont to take in all their sins. And for their part, they had rather
displease God than themselves ; and neglect their duty rather than
leave their sins. And so add sin to sin, and " treasure up to themselves
wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous
judgment of God." This is plainly the case of most of those who
live in the neglect of His Holy Commandment. And what can be
said to such men ? so long as such, they are not fit to come to the
Communion. And therefore all that can be said to them, is only
to beg of them to consider their condition before it be too late, and
repent as soon as they can : lest they die, as they have lived, in sin,
and so be punished with " everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of His power."
But there are others who do receive the Sacrament of Christ's
Body and Blood sometimes, as perhaps two or three times in a year ;
and my charity prompts me to believe, that they would doit of tener,
if they thought it to be their duty. But there are some things which at
first sight may seem, at least to them, to plead their excuse ; and there
fore deserve to be duly considered by us. As first, they say, our
Church requires them only to receive three times a year : and they
do not question but she would oblige them to receive it oftener, if
it was necessary. This is a mistake that a great many have fallen
into, and by that means have been kept from the Sacrament more
than otherwise they would have been. I call it a mistake ; for it is
so, and a very great one. For as in all things else, so particularly
in this, our Church keeps close to the pattern of the Apostohc and
Primitive Church ; when, as I have before observed, the Lord's
Supper was administered and received commonly every day in the
week, but most constantly upon the Lord's Day. And our Church
supposeth it to be so still, and therefore hath accordingly made pro
vision for it. Which, that I may fully demonstrate to you, it will be
necessary to inquire into the sense and practice of our Church in
this point all along from the beginning of the Reformation, or, to
speak more properly, from the time when she was restored to that
Apostolical form which she is now of, as she was at first ; which
we date from the reign of King Edward VI.
For in the first year of that pious prince, the Liturgy, or Book
of Common Prayer, was first compiled ; and in the second it was
settled by act of parliament. In which book it is ordered, that the
Exhortation to those who are minded to receive the Sacrament, shall
be read ; which is there set down, much the same that we read
now. But afterwards it is said, "in Cathedral Churches, or other
places where there is daily Communion, it shall be sufficient to read

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this Exhortation above written once in a month. And in Parish
Churches upon the week-days it may be left unsaid." Fol. 123.
Where we may observe, first, that in those days there was daily
Communion in Cathedral Churches, and other places, as there used
to be in the Primitive Church. And accordingly I find, in the re
cords of St. Paul's, that when the plate, jewels, &c. belonging to
the said Cathedral, were delivered to the King's Commissioners,
they, upon the Dean and Chapter's request, permitted to remain,
among other things, " two pair of basyns for to bring the Commu
nion Bread, and to receive the offerings for the poor ; whereof one
pair silver, for every day, the other for festivals, &c. gilt." (Dugdal,
Hist, of St. Paul's, page 274.) From whence it is plain, that the
Communion was then celebrated in that Church every day. And
so it was even in Parish Churches. For otherwise it needed not to
be ordered as it is in the Rubric above mentioned, that in Parish
Churches upon the week-days the said Exhortation may be left un
said. And to the same purpose it is afterwards said, " when the
Holy Communion is celebrated on the work-day, or in private houses,
then may be omitted the Gloria in Excelsis, the Creed, the Homily
and the Exhortation." Fol. 132.
Next after that we quoted first, this Rubric immediately follows :
" And if upon the Sunday or Holy-day, the people be negligent to
come to the Communion, then shall the Priest earnestly exhort his
parishioners to dispose themselves to the receiving of the Holy Com
munion more diligently, saying," &c. Which shows, that upon all
Sundays and Holy-days people then generally received ; the Church
expected and required it of them. And if any Minister found that
his parishioners did not always come, at least upon those days, he
was to exhort and admonish them to dispose themselves more dili
gently for.it; and that by the command of the Church itself;
whereby she hath sufficiently declared her will and desire, that
all her members should receive the Communion as they did in
the Primitive times, every day in the week if possible ; and if that
could not be, yet at least every Sunday and Holy-day in the year.
In the Rubric after the Communion Service, there are several
things to the same purpose ; for it is there ordered, that upon Wed
nesdays and Fridays, although there be none to communicate, the
Priest shall say all things at the Altar appointed to be said at the cele
bration of the Lord's Supper, until after the Offertory. And then it
follows : " And the same order shall be used whensoever the people
be customably assembled to pray in the Church, and none disposed
to communicate with the Priest." Fol. 130. Whereby we are given
to understand, that upon what day soever people came to Church,
the Priest was to be ready to celebrate the Holy Sacrament if any
were disposed to compiunicate with him. And if there were none,
he was to show his readiness, by reading a considerable part of the
Communion Service.

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There is another Rubric in the same place, that makes it still
plainer. Which I shall transcribe, because the book is not com
monly to be had ; neither can it be expressed better than in its
words, which are these : " Also, that the receiving of the Sacrament
of the Blessed Body and Blood of Christ, may be most agreeable
to the Institution thereof, and to the usage of the Primitive Church,
in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches there shall always some
communicate with the Priest that ministereth. And that the same
may be also observed every where abroad in the country, some one
at the least of that house in every Parish, to whom by course, after
the ordinance herein made, it appertaineth to offer for the charges
of the Communion ; or some other whom they shall provide to
offer for them, shall receive the Holy Communion with the Priest :
the which may be the better done, for that they know before when
their course cometh, and may therefore dispose themselves to the
worthy receiving of the Sacrament. And with him or them, who
doth so offer the charges of the Communion, all other who be then
godly disposed thereunto, shall likewise receive the Communion.
And by this means the Minister having always some to communi
cate with him, may accordingly solemnize so High and Holy
Mysteries, with all the suffrages and due order appointed for the
same. And the Priest on the week-day shall forbear to celebrate
the Communion, except he have some that will communicate with
him." Here we see what care the Church took that the Sacrament
might be daily administered, not only in Cathedral, but likewise in
Parish Churches. For which purpose, whereas every Parishioner
had before been used to find the Holy Loaf, as it was called, in his
course ; in the Rubric before this, it is ordained that every Pastor
or Curate shall find sufficient Bread and Wine for the Communion;
and that the Parishioners every one in his course, shall offer the
charges of it at the Offertory to the Pastor or Curate ; and ii) this
it is ordained that every such Parishioner shall then in his course
communicate, or else get some other person to do it, that so the
Communion may be duly celebrated ; and all there present that
were godly disposed might partake of it. Which one would have
thought as good a provision as could have been made in the case.
But notwithstanding, through the obstinacy or carelessness of some,
in not making their said offering as they were commanded, it some
times failed ; as appears from the Letter written about a- year after
by the Privy Council, and subscribed by the Archbishop of Canter
bury and others, to the Bishops, to assure them that the King in
tended to go on with the Reformation, wherein among other things
they say : " And farther, whereas it is come to our knowledge that
divers froward and obstinate persons do refuse to pay towards the
finding of Bread and Wine for the Holy Communion, according to
the order prescribed in tiie said book, by reason whereof the Holy

182
Communion is many times omitted upon the Sunday ; These are to
will and command you to convent such obstinate persons before
you, and them to admonish and command to keep the order pre
scribed m the said book. And if any such shall refuse so to do, to
punish them by suspension, excommunication, or other censures of
the Church." (Hist, of Reform. Part n. Coll. p. 192.) From
whence we may also learn how much they were troubled to hear
that the Holy Sacrament was any where omitted even upon the
Sunday, upon any Sunday ; how. great a fault and scandal they
judged it to be, and what care they took to prevent it for the
future. This was the state of this affair at the beginning of the Reforma
tion, and it continues in effect the same to this day. About three
or four years after the aforesaid Book of Common Prayer first
came out, it was revised, and set forth again with some alterations
in the form, but none that were material in the substance of it.
Only the former way of the Parishioners finding Bread and Wine
for the Communion every one in his course, being now found not so
effectual as was expected ; that was now laid aside, and it was or
dered to be provided at the charges of the Parish in general, in
these words ; " The Bread and Wine for the Communion shall be
provided by the Curate and Churchwardens, at the charges of the
Parish ; and the Parish shall be discharged of such sums of money,
or other duties, which hitherto they have paid for the same, by order
of their houses, every Sunday." Where we may take notice, that
as hitherto it had been provided every Sunday by the houses of
every Parish, as they lay in order, it was now to be provided by the
Minister and Churchwardens, at the charges of the whole Parish,
but still every Sunday, as it was before ; which being the most
certain way that could be found out for it, it is still continued.
The first part of this Rubric, whereby it is enjoined, being still in
force. But the latter part, from these words, " and the Parish
shall be discharged," &c., is now left out, as it was necessary it
should be, after the former course had been disused for above an
hundred years.
Now this Book of Common Prayer, which was thus settled by
Act of Parliament, in the fifth and sixth year of Edward the VI.,
was that which was afterwards confirmed in 1;^he beginning of Queen
Elizabeth's reign, with one alteration or addition of certain lessons
to be used on every Sunday in the year, and the form ofthe Litany
altered, and corrected, with two sentences only added in the de
livery of the Sacrament to the Communicants. These were all the
alterations that were then made, or indeed that have been ever
made since that time to this, except it be in words or phrases, in
the addition of some prayers, and in some such inconsiderable
things, as do not at all concern our present purpose. For the care
of our Church, to have the Holy Communion constantly celebrated,

183
hath been the same all along, from the time that the Book of Com
mon Prayer before spoken of, was first settled. As may be easily
proved from that which was established by the last Act of Uni
formity. Which therefore I shall now briefly consider, so far as it
relates to the business in hand ; that we may understand the sense
of our Church at present concerning it.
For this purpose therefore we may flrst observe that the Com
munion Service is appointed for the Communion itself, and therefore
called the Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper, or
Holy Communion. Now our Church supposing, or at least hoping
that some of her members will receive this Holy Communion every
day, hath taken care that this service may be used every day in the
week, as appears from the Rubric immediately before the proper
lessons, which is this : " Note also, that the Collect, Epistle, and
Gospel appointed for the Sunday, shall serve all the week after,
where it is not in this book otherwise ordered." But the Collect,
Epistle, and Gospel are part of the Communion Service, for which
there is no occasion on the week-days ; neither can it be used ex
cept the Communion be administered, which therefore is here sup
posed to be done every day in the week. And so it is also in the
celebration of the Communion itself, where there are proper pre
faces appointed to be used upon certain days. Upon Christmas-day
and seven days after. Upon Easter-day and seven days after. Upon
Ascension-day and seven days after. Upon Whit-Sunday and six
days after, (the next day being Trinity Sunday, which hath one pe
culiar to itself) Now to what purpose are these prefaces appointed
to be used seven days together, or six, none of which can be a
Sunday, if the Sacrament ought not to be administered upon all
those days, and so upon week-days as well as Sundays ? They
are all, as I intimated before, to be used in the actual Administra
tion of it, and therefore plainly suppose it to be actually adminis
tered upon each of those days, which being for the most part
neither Sundays nor Holy-days, they most evidently demonstrate,
that according to the mind and order of our Church, as well as the
Primitive, the Lord's Supper ought to be administered every day,
that all who live as they ought, in her Communion, may be daily
partakers of it.
In the rules and orders, (which we call the Rubric,) after the
Communion Service, there are several things that deserve to be
considered in this case. It is there ordered, that there shall be no
celebration of the Communion, except there be a convenient num
ber ; that is, four, or three at the least, to communicate with the Priest.
According to which rule, although the Priest have all things ready,
and desires to consecrate and receive the Holy Sacrament him
self, yet he must not do it, unless he have such a number to com
municate with him, that it may be properly a Communion. But, as
it is there ordered, " Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days (if

184
there be no Communion,) shall be said all that is appointed at the
Communion until the end of the general prayer, (for the good
estate of the Catholic Church of Christ ;)" where we may observe,
that the Church, as I have shown, appoints the Sacrament to be
administered every day. But if it so fall out, that there be not in
any place a convenient number to communicate with the Priest,
and by consequence according to the order before mentioned, no
Communion ; yet nevertheless upon Sundays and other Holy-days
so much of the Communion Service shall be said as is there limited.
Why only upon Sundays and Holy-days, but to distinguish them
from other days, on which if there be a sufficient number of Com
municants, the whole Communion Service is to be used ; but no
part of it, except there be so ; but upon Sundays and Holy-days,
although there be not such a number, and therefore no Communion,
yet, however, the Priest shall go up to the Altar, and there read all
that is appointed to be said at the Communion, until the end of the
prayer for Christ's Catholic Church ; whereby the people may see,
that neither lie nor the Church is to be blamed, if the Holy Sacra
ment be not then administered. For as much as he is there ready
by the order of the Church to do it, and goes as far as he can in
the Service appointed for it, without the actual administration of it;
and therefore that the fault is wholly in themselves that it is not
actually administered, because they will not make up a convenient
number among them to communicate with him. Which is a most
excellent order ; for the people hereby have not only God's Holy
Commandments solemnly proclaimed, the Epistle and Gospel for
the day, the Nicene Creed, and prayers proper for that occasion
read to them ; but they are likewise put in mind of their duty to
their Saviour in receiving His most Blessed Body and Blood, and
upbraided with their neglect of it. For which purposes also, I think
it very expedient, that the order of the Church for the reading that
part of the, Service at the Communion Table, even when there is
no Communion, be duly observed.
The next Rubric, in the same place, that concerns our present
business, is this ; "And in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches
and Colleges, where there are many Priests and Deacons, they shall
all receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the
least, except they have a reasonable cause to the contrary." Where
we see that the Church doth not command, but supposes that the
Sacrament is constantly administered in all such places ; taking it
for granted, that it is never omitted there, where there are so many
persons devoted to the service of God ; but that there is always a
sufficient number to communicate. But she absolutely commands,
that all Priests and Deacons that belong to such foundations, shall
receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the least,
except any of them have a reasonable cause to the contrary, (which
the Ordinary of the place, I suppose, is to be judge of:) they are

185
bound therefore, all and every one of them, to receive it every Sun
day, which notwithstanding they cannot do, unless it be administered
every Sunday among them. Wherefore if there be any such places
where it is not so administered, or any such persons who do not,
without just cause to the contrary, receive it every Sunday in the
year, I do not see how they can answer it to God," to the Church,
or to their own consciences. Neither are they bound to receive it
only every Sunday, but every Sunday at the least : which plainly
supposeth that it is administered upon other days as well as Sun
days. For otherwise they could not receive it oftener, if they would.
And it is to be hoped; that all such persons receive it as often as it
is administered among them. But the Church expressly requires
them to receive it at least every Sunday, so as never to omit it at
least upon that day, except they have a reasonable, or such a cause
to the contrary as will justify their omission of it befora*ihe Church,
and Christ Himself at the last day. These things being thus
briefly explained, we shall easily see into the meaning of the words
that gave us the occasion to discourse of them, which are these, in
the place last quoted ; And note, that every parishioner shall com
municate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be
one. From whence some have been tempted to think, that the
Church doth not look upon it as necessary that they should commu
nicate above thrice a year. I say, tempted to think so. For no man
surely in his right wits can of himself draw such an inference from
these words, which is so directly contrary to the sense of the
Church, and hath no foundation at all in the words themselves. For
the Church, as I have -shown, bath taken all the care she can, that
the Holy Sacrament should be every where administered, if it was
possible, every day, at least every Sunday and Holy-day in the
year ; which she would never have done, if she had thought it suf
ficient for any one to receive only thrice a year. For then all her
care about the frequent administration of it, would be in vain, and
to no purpose. And besides, she hath drawn up an excellent ex
hortation to be read by the Minister of every parish, in case he
sees the people negligent to come to the Holy Communion, begin
ning thus : " Dearly beloved, on  I intend by God's Grace, to
celebrate the Lord's Supper." Where we may observe, that it is
not said on such a Sunday, but on  with a blank, to show that
the Minister may appoint the Communion on any day of the week,
when he can have a sufficient number to communicate with him ;
and so it is in the other exhortation ; only there is day put in,
which may be understood of Tuesday or Wednesday, or any other
day as well as Sunday, for the same reason. In that first mention
ed, the Minister, in the words, and by the order of the Church, in
vites all there present, and beseccheth them for the Lord Jesus
Christ's sake to come to the Lord's Supper. And among other
things, he saith to them all, " I bid you in the name of God, I call
24

186
you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you as you love your own salva
tion, that ye will be partakers of this Holy Communion." There
are several such pathetical expressions in that Exhortation, where
with the Church most earnestly exhorts, adviseth, admonisheth all
persons to come to this Holy Sacrament. And this Exhortation
every Minister is to read publicly before all his congregation, when
soever he sees them negligent to come to it ; as all are, who come
but two or three times a year, where they may have it oftener if
they will. They plainly live in the neglect of it, and therefore ought
to have this Exhortation read to them, according to the order of
the Church. Whereby she hath sufficiently demonstrated, that she
doth not think it enough for people generally to receive in only three
times in a year ; but that it is her opinion, that they ought, and her
hearty desire they would receive it as often as it is, or, according to
her order. Ought to be administered among them.
But then she wisely considers withal, that being a National
Church, made up of all sorts of persons, it is necessary that her ge
neral Rules and Orders should be accommodated as much as possi
ble, to the several conditions and circumstances that many of thera
may be sometimes in. And therefore, although she exhorts all her
members to frequent and constant Communion, yet she does not
think fit to command, and oblige them all, under the pain of excom
munication, to receive oftener than three times a year, lest some
might be thereby tempted to come sometimes without that prepara
tion and disposition of mind that is requisite to the worthy partak
ing of so great a Mystery. I say, under pain of excommunication;
for that is the meaning and the effect of this law, that they who do
not communicate at least three times in a year, may, and ought to
be cast out of the Communion of Christ's Church, as no longer fit
to be called Christians, seeing they live in such a gross neglect of
Christ's own command, and of that duty whereby Christians are
in an especial manner distinguished from other men. Other men,
as Jews, Turks, and Heathens, may fast and pray and hear Ser
mons, in their way ; but to receive the Sacrament of Christ's Sup
per, is proper and peculiar only to Christians, or such i^s profess
that religion which Jesus Christ hath settled in the world. And
therefore they who receive the Sacrament, do thereby manifest them
selves to be Christians. They who do it not, make it at least doubt
ful whether they be Christians or no7 for although they were bap
tized, and so made Christians once, who knows whether they have
not renounced their baptism and apostatized from the Christian re
ligion ? They themselves perhaps may profess they have not ; but
the Church can never know it, but hath just cause to suspect the
contrary, so long as they refuse to renew the vow they made in the
Sacrament of Baptism, by receiving that of the Lord's Supper. And
the least that can be required of them for that purpose, is to do it
three times a year ; which therefore the Church absolutely requires ;

187
not that it is not necessary for them to receive it oftener, in order to
their salvation ; but because it is necessary they should do it at least
so often, that the Church may be satisfied that they continue in their
communion, and constant to that religion wherein alone salvation
can be had.
And hence it is, that in the rule itself, it is not said that every per
son, but every parishioner, shall communicate at the least iAree times
in the year ; which therefore is required of all, not as they are
members only of the Catholic, but as they are members of a Paro
chial Church ; and they are bound by this law to do it at least so
often in their own Parish Church, where they are parishioners :
otherwise they do not do it as parishioners, as the law requires. So
that although a man communicates an hundred times in any other
place ; as in the Cathedral, which is free to all of the Diocess, or in a
Chapel of Ease, or in any other Church, when he can have it at his
own, this does not satisfy the law. But he must communicate at
least three times in the year, as a parishioner, in his own Parish
Church, where there are officers called Churchwardens, appointed
on purpose to take notice of it, and to inform the Church against
him, if he neglect to do it so often as she requires. That she may
use the most eflfectual means to bring him to repentance for his sin,
and to make him more careful for the future to perform so great and
necessary a duty as this is ; or if he continue obstinate, cut him off
from the Body of Christ, as no longer worthy to be called a mem
ber of it. And therefore all that can be reasonably inferred from
this law, is, that the Church doth not think them fit to communicate
at all, who will not communicate at least three times in the year.
But as for her opinion of the necessity of communicating oftener, in
order to men's obtaining eternal salvation by the Blood of Christ,
that she hath sufficiently declared, by the great care she hath taken,
to have this Holy Sacrament administered constantly, as often as it
was in the Apostles' and Primitive time of Christianity ; that is, as
often as any Christian can desire to have it. For according to the
order and discipline of our Church, if a sufficient number of parish
ioners, against whom there is no just exception, desire to receive it
every Sunday, or every day in the year, the Minister of their parish
not only may, but, as 1 humbly conceive, is bound to consecrate and
administer it to them. The want of such a number being, as far
as I can perceive, the only reason that can ever justify the omission
of it.
I have endeavoured to set this matter in as clear a light as I
could, because it will discover to us, several things very observable
concerning the Church we live in. For hereby we see how exactly
she follows the pattern of the Primitive and Apostolic Church in
this particular, as well as others : what great care she hath taken
that the Bread and Water of Life may be duly distributed to all her
members whensoever they hunger and thirst after it. With how

188
great prudence she hath so ordered it, that all may have it as often
as they will, and yet none compelled to receive it oftener than it is
absolutely necessary, in order to their manifesting themselves to con
tinue in the faith of Christ. How desirous she is that all would
receive it constantly, and yet how careful that none may receive it
unworthily. How uniform she hath been in her orders about it all
along ; and by consequence what cause we all have to bless God,
that we live in the communion of such a Church ; and how much it
behoves us to receive the Holy Communion of her ; not only as
often as she strictly commands all to receive it under the pain of ex-
communication, but as often as she adviseth and exhorteth us to do
it in order to our Eternal Salvation, and as she is ready and desir
ous to communicate it to us. And then we should be sure to re
ceive it as often as we are bound, either in duty to God, or by our
own interest to do it. i(p tF Tt" tP
The Blessed Body and Blood of Christ, received, as it ought to
oe, with a quick and lively faith, will most certainly have its desired
effect. But it operates, for the most part, upon our souls, as our
ordinary food doth upon our bodies, insensibly and by degrees. We
eat and drink every day, and by that means our bodies grow to their
full stature, and are then kept up in "fife, health, and vigour, though
we ourselves know not how this is done, nor perhaps take any no
tice of it. So it is with the spiritual meat and drink, which God
hath prepared for our souls. By eating and drinking frequently of
it, we grow by degrees in grace, and in the " knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ," and still continue steadfast and active
in the true faith and fear of God ; though after all, we may be no
way sensible how this wonderful effect is wrought in us, but only as
we find it to be so by our own experience. And if we do that, we
have no cause to complain that we get nothing by it ; for we get
more than all the world is worth ; being strengthened in the inward
man, and so made more fit for the service of God, more constant in
it, and more able to perform it ; or at least are kept from falling
back, and preserved from many sins and temptations, which other
wise we might be exposed to ; and this surely is enough to make
any one that really minds the good of his soul, to hunger and thirst
after this Bread and Water of Life, and to eat and drink it as often
as he can, although he do not presently feel the happy effect of it,
as some have done, and as he himself sometimes may, when God
seeth it necessary or convenient for him. In the mean while he may
rest satisfied in his mind, that he is in the way that Christ hath
made to Heaven ; and thank God for giving him so many opportu
nities of partaking of Christ's Body and Blood, and also grace to
lay hold of them, to improve them to his own unspeakable comfort,
such as usually attends the worthy receiving ofthe Lord's Supper:
whereby we are not only put in mind of the great Sacrifice which

189
the Son of God oflTered for our sins, but likewise have it actually
communicated unto us, for our pardon and reconciliation to the Al
mighty Governor of the world, which is the -greatest comfort we
can have on this side Heaven ; so great, that we shall never be able
to express it unto others, how deeply soever we may be affected
with it in ourselves. And though we be not always thus sensibly
cheered and refreshed with it, as we could wish to be, howsoever we
can never receive the Blessed Sacrament, but we have the pleasure
and satisfaction of having done our duty to our Maker and Re
deemer, which far exceeds all the comforts of this life, and there
fore may well stay our stomachs till God sees good to give us
more. * * # *
The oftener we do it, [partake the Lord's Supper,] the more ex
pert we shall be at it, and the more benefit and comfort we shall re
ceive from it. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for those who do it
only now and then, (as once or twice a year,) ever to do it as they
ought ; for every time they come to it, they must begin as it were
again ; all the impressions which were made upon their minds at
the last Sacrament, being worn out before the next ; and it being
a thing they are not accustomed to, they are as much to seek how
to do it now, as if they had never done it before. It is by fre
quent acts that habits are produced. It is by often eating and drink
ing this spiritual food, that we learn how to do it, so as to digest
and convert it into proper nourishment for our souls. And there
fore I do not wonder that they who do it seldom, never do it as
they ought, nor by consequence get any good by it ; I should ra
ther wonder if they did. But let any man do it often, and always
according to the directions before laid down, and my life for his, he
shall never lose his labour ; but, whether he perceives it or not, he
will grow in grace, and gather spiritual strength every time more
and more.
If such considerations as these will not prevail upon men, to lay
aside their little excuses for the neglect of so great a duty, and to
resolve ^r the future upon the more constant performance of it ;
for my part I know not what will : and therefore shall say no more,
but that I never expect to see our Church settled. Primitive Chris
tianity revived, and true piety and virtue flourish again among us,
till the Holy Communion be oftener celebrated, than it hath been of
late, in all places of the Kingdom ; and am sure, that if people were
but sensible of the great advantage it would be to them, they would
need no other arguments to persuade them to frequent it as often as
they can. For we should soon find, as many have done alrea'dy, by
experience, that this is the great means appointed by our Blessed
Redeemer, whereby to communicate Himself, and all the merits of
His most precious Death and Passion to us, for the pardon of all
our sins, and for the " purging our consciences from dead works to

190
serve the Living God." So that by applying ourselves thus con
stantly unto Him, we may receive constant supplies of grace and
power from Him to Hve in His true faith and fear all our days ; and
by conversing so frequently with Him at His Holy Table upon earth,
we shall be always fit and ready to go to Him, and to converse per
petually with Him at His Kingdom above, where we shall have no
need of Sacraments, but shall see Him face to face, and adore and
praise Him for ever ; as for all His other blessings, so particularly
for the many opportunities he hath given us,' of partaking of His
most Blessed Body and Blood.
# * * •*

No. 27.
THE
HISTORY OF POPISH TRANSUBSTANTIATION ;
TO WmOH IS OPPOSED THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE, THE ANCIEST
FATHERS, AND THE REFORMED CHnRCHES.
(By John Cosin, Bishop of Durham.)

CHAPTER I.
The Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Sacrament ofthe Lord's Supper.
Those words which our Blessed Saviour used in the institution
of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, " This is My Body which
is given for you ; this is My Blood which is shed for you, for the re
mission of sins;" are held and acknowledged by the Universal
Church to be most true and infallible : and if any one dares oppose
them, or call in question Christ's veracity, or the truth of His
words, or refuse to yield his sincere assent to them, except he be al
lowed to make a mere figment, or a bare figure of them, we can
not, and ought not, either excuse or suffer him in our Churches ; for
we must embrace and hold for an undoubted truth whatever is
taught by Divine Scripture. And therefore we can as little doubt
of what Christ saith, John vi. 55, " My Flesh is meat indeed, and
My Blood is drink indeed ;" which, according to St. Paul, are both
given to us by the consecrated Elements ; for he calls the Bread,
"the Communion of Christ's Body," and the Cup, "the Commu
nion of His Blood."
Hence it is most evident, that the Bread and Wine, (which ac-

191
cording to St. Paul are the Elements of the holy Eucharist,) are
neither changed as to their substance, nor vanished, nor reduced
to nothing, but are solemnly consecrated by the words of Christ,
that by them His Blessed Body and Blood may be communicated
to us.
And further it appears from the same words, that the expression
of Christ and the Apostle, is to be understood in a sacramental and
mystic sense ; and that no gross and carnal presence of body and
blood can be maintained by them.
And though the word Sacrament be no where used in Scripture
to signify the blessed Eucharist, yet the Christian Church, ever
since its Primitive ages, hath given it that name, and always called
the presence of Christ's Body and Blood therein. Mystic and
Sacramental. Now a Sacramental expression doth, without any
inconvenience, give to the sign the name of the thing signified ;
and such is as well the usual way of speaking, as the nature of
Sacraments, that not only the names, but even the properties and
effects of what they represent and exhibit, are given to the out
ward Elements. Hence (as I said before) the Bread is as clearly
or positively called by the Apostle, the Communion of the Body of
Christ. This also seems very plain, that our Blessed Saviour's design
was not so much to teach, what the Elements of Bread and Wine are
by nature and substance, as what is their use and office and signifi
cation in this mystery ; for the Body and Blood of our Saviour are
not only fitly represented by the Elements, but also by virtue of His
institution really offered to all, by them, and so eaten by the faithful
mystically and sacramentally ; whence it is, that " He truly is and
abides in us, and we in Him."
This is the spiritual (and yet no less true and undoubted than
if it were corporal) eating of Christ's Flesh, not indeed simply
as it is flesh, without any other respect, (for so it is not given,
neither would it profit us,) but as it is crucified and given for
the redemption of the world ; neither doth it hinder the truth
and substance of the thing, that this eating of Christ's body is
spiritual, and that by it the souls of the faithful, and not their
stomachs, are fed by the operation of the Holy Ghost ; for this
none can deny, but they who being strangers to the Spirit and
the divine virtue, can savour only carnal things, and to whom
what is spiritual and sacramental, is the same as if a mere no
thing. As to the manner of the presence of the Body and Blood of
our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we that are Protestant and
reformed according to the ancient Catholic Church, do not search
into the manner of it with perplexing inquiries ; but, after the exam
ple of the Primitive and purest Church of Christ, we leave it to
the power and wisdom of our Lord, yielding a full and imfeigned

192
assent to His words. Had the Romish maintainors of Transubstan-
tiation done the same, the}' would not have determined and de
creed, and then imposed as an article of faith absolutely neces
sary to salvation, a manner of presence, newly by them invented,
under pain of the most direful curse, and there would have been
in the Church less wrangling, and more peace and unity than now

CHAPTER II.
Illustrated from Protestant Authorities.
So then, none of the Protestant Churches doubt of the real
(that is, true and not imaginary,) presence of Christ's Body and
Blood in the Sacrament ; and there appears no reason why any
man should suspect their common confession, of either fraud or
error, as though in this particular they had in the least departed
from the Catholic faith.
For it is easy to produce the consent of Reformed Churches and
authors, whereby it will clearly appear, (to them that are not wil
fully blind,) that they all zealously maintain and profess this truth,
without forsaking in any wise the true Catholic faith in this matter.
I begin with the Church of England  It teacheth
therefore, " that in the Blessed Sacrament, the Body of Christ is
given, taken, and eaten ; so that to ' the worthy receivers, the con
secrated and broken Bread is the communication of the Body of
Christ ; and likewise the consecrated Cup the communication of
His Blood ; but that the wicked, and they that approach unworthily
the Sacrament of so sacred a thing, eat and drink their own damna
tion, in that they become guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ."
And the same Church, in a solemn prayer before the consecration,
prays thus ; " Grant us, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy
dear Son, Jesus Christ, and to drink His Blood, that our sinful
bodies may be made clean by His body, and our souls washed
through His most precious blood ; and that we may evermore dwell
in Him, and He in us." The Priest also, blessing or consecrating
the Bread and Wine, saith thus ; " Hear us, O merciful Father,
we most humbly beseech Thee, and grant that we receiving these
Thy creatures of Bread and Wine, according to Thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of His
Death and Passion, may be partakers of His most blessed Body
and Blood." .... The same, when he gives the Sacrament
to the people kneeling, giving the bread, saith : " The Body of our
Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee, preserve thy body
and soul unto everlasting life." Likewise when he gives the cup.

193
he saith, « The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed
for thee, preserve thy body and soul to everiasting life." After
wards, when the Communion is done, follows a thanksgiving ; " Al
mighty and ever-living God, we most heartily thank Thee, for that
Thou dost vouchsafe to feed us, who have duly received these holy
mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and
Blood of Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ ;" with the Hymn,
Glory be to God on high, <Src. Also in the public authorized Cate
chism of our Church, appointed to be learned of all, it is answered
to the question concerning the inward part of the Sacrament, that
"it is the Body and Blood of Christ which are verily and indeed
taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." And in
the Apology for this Church, writ by that worthy and Reverend
Prelate Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, it is expressly affirmed, " that
to the faithful, is truly given in the Sacrament the Body and Blood
of our Lord, the life-giving Flesh of the Son of God which
quickens our souls, the Bread that came from Heaven, the Food
of immortality, grace and truth, and fife ; and that it is the Com
munion of the Body and Blood of Christ, that we may abide in
Him, and He in us ; and that we may be ascertained that the Flesh
and Blood of Christ is the food of our souls, as bread and wine
is of our bodies." -* # * #
The right Reverend Doctors, T. Bilson, and L. Andrews, Pre
lates both of them, thoroughly learned, and great defenders of the
Primitive Faith, .... made it most evident by their printed
writings, that the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England is
in all things agreeable to the Holy Scriptures, and the Divinity of
the Ancient Fathers. And as to what regards this mystery, the first
treats of it, in his Answer to the Apology of Cardinal Alan, and
the last in his Answer to the Apology of Cardinal Bellarmine, where
you may find things worthy to be read and noted as follows.
" Christ said, this is My Body ; in this, the object, we are agreed
with you, the manner only is controverted. We hold by a firm be
lief, that it is the Body of Christ, of the manner how it comes to
be so, there is not a word in the Gospel ; and because the Scripture
is silent in this, we justly disown it to be a matter of faith ; we may
indeed rank it among tenets of the school, but, by no means, among
the Articles of our Christian Belief. We like well of what Duran-
dus is reported to have said, ' We hear the word, and feel the mo
tion, we know not the manner, and yet believe the presence ;' for
we believe a real presence no less than you do. We dare not be
so bold as presumptuously to define any thing concerning the man
ner of a true presence ; or rather, we do not so much as trouble
ourselves with being inquisitive about it ; no more than in Baptism,
how the Blood of Christ washeth us ; or in the Incarnation of our
Redeemer, how the divine and human nature were united together.
25

194
We put it in the number of sacred things, or sacrifices, (the Eucha
rist itself being a Sacred Mystery,) whereof the remnants ought to
be consumed with fire ; that is, (as the Fathers elegantly have it,)
adored by faith, but not searched by reason."
As for the opinion and belief of the German Protestants, it will
be known chiefly by the Augustan Confession, presented to Charles
the Fifth by the' Princes of the Empire, and other great persons.
For they teach, that " not only the bread and wine, but the Body
and Blood of Christ is truly given to the receivers ;" or, as it is in
another edition, that " the Body and Blood of Christ are truly pre
sent, and distributed to the communicants in the Lord's Supper ;"
and refute those that teach otherwise. They also declare, " that
we must so use the Sacraments, as to believe and embrace by faith,
those things promised which the Sacraments offer and convey to
us." Yet we may observe here, that faith makes not those things
present which are promised ; for faith, as it is well known, is more
properly said to take and apprehend, than to promise or perform ;
but the Word and Promise of God, on which our faith is grounded,
(and not faith itself) make that present which is promised ; as it
was agreed at a conference at St. German, betwixt some Protest
ants and Papists ; and therefore it is unjustly laid to our charge by
some in the Church of Rome, as if we should believe, that the pre
sence and participation of Christ, in the Sacrament, is effected
merely by the power of faith.
The Saxon Confession, approved by other churches, seems to be
a repetition of the Augustan. Therein we are taught, that " Sacra
ments are actions divinely instituted ; and that although the same
things or actions in common use, have nothing of the nature of Sa
craments, yet when used according to the divine institution, Christ
is truly and substantially present in the Communion, and His Body
and Blood truly given to the receivers ; so that He testifies that He
is in them ; as St. Hilary saith, ' these things taken and received
make us to be in Christ, and Christ to be in us.' "
The Confession of Wittemberg, which in the year 1552, was pro
pounded to the Council of Trent, is like unto this : for it teacheth
that " the true Body and Blood of Christ are given in the Holy
Communion ;" and refutes those that say, " that the Bread and
Wine in the Sacrament are only signs of the absent Body and Blood
of Christ." * * * -*
Luther was once of opinion, that the Divines of Basil and Stras
bourg did acknowledge nothing in the Lord's Supper besides Bread
and Wine. To him Bucerus, in the name of all the rest, did freely
answer ; " That they all unanimously did condemn that error ; that
neither they, nor the 'Switzers, ever believed or taught any such
thing ; that none could expressly be charged with that error, except
the Anabaptists ; and that he also had once been persuaded, that

195
Luther, in his writings, attributed too much to the outward symbols,
and maintained a grosser union of Christ with the bread than the
Scriptures did allow ; as though Christ had been corporally present
with it, united into a natural substance with the bread ; so that the
wicked as well as the faithful were made partakers of grace by re
ceiving the Element ; but that their own doctrine and belief con
cerning that Sacrament was, that the true Body and Blood of
Christ was truly presented, given, and received, together with the
visible signs of Bread and Wine, by the operation of our Lord,
and by virtue of His institution, according to the plain sound and
sense of His words ; and that not only Zuinglius and CEcolampa-
dius had so taught, but they also, in the public confessions of the
Churches of the Upper Germany, and other writings, confessed it ;
so that the controversy was rather about the manner of the pre
sence or absence, than about the presence or absence itself." All
which Bucer's associates confirm after him. He also adds ; " That
the magistrates in their Churches had denounced very severe pun
ishments to any that should deny the presence of the Body and
Blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper." Bucerus did also main-
taui this doctrine of the blessed Sacrament in presence of the
Landgrave of Hesse and Melancthon, confessing, " That together
with the Sacrament we truly and substantially receive the Body of
Christ." Also, " That the Bread and Wine are conferring signs,
giving what they represent, so that together with them the Body of
Christ is given and received." And to these he adds ; " That the
Body and Bread are not united in the mixture of their substance,
but in that the Sacrament gives what it promiseth, that is, the one
is never without the other ; and so they agreeing on both parts, that
the Bread and Wine are not changed, he holds such a Sacramental
Union." Luther having heard this, declared also his opinion thus;
" That he did not locally include the Body and Blood of Christ
with the Bread and Wine, and unite them together by any natural
connexion ; and that he did not make proper to the Sacraments
that ""virtue whereby they brought salvation to the receivers ; but
that he maintained only a sacramental union betwixt the Body of
Christ and the Bread, and betwixt His Blood and the Wine ; and
did teach, that the power of confirming our faith, which he attribu
ted to the Sacraments, was not naturally inherent in the outward
signs, but proceeded from the operation of Christ, and was given
by His Spirit, by His words, and by the Elements." And finally,
in this manner he spake to all that were present ; " If you believe
and teach, that in the Lord's Supper the true Body and Blood of
Christ is given and received, and not the Bread and Wine only ;
and that this giving and receiving is real and not imaginary, we are
agreed, and we own you for dear brethren in the Lord." All this
is set down at large in the twentieth tome of Luther's Works, and
in the English Works of Bucer.

196
The next will be the Galilean Confession, made at Paris in a Na
tional Synod, and presented to King Charles IX. at the Conference
of Poissy. Which speaks of the Sacrament on this wise ; " Although
Christ be in Heaven, where He is to remain until He come to
judge the world, yet we believe that by the secret and incompre
hensible virtue of His Spirit, He feeds and vivifies us by the sub
stance of His Body and Blood received by faith. Now we say that
this is done in a spiritual manner ; not that we believe it to be a
fancy and imagination, instead of a truth and real effect, but rather
because that mystery of our union with Christ is of so sublime a
nature that it is as much above the capacity of our senses, as it is
above the order of nature." Item ; " We believe that in the Lord's
Supper God gives us really, that is, truly and efficaciously, what
ever is represented by the Sacrament. With the signs we join the
true profession and fruition of the thing by them offered to us ; and
so, that Bread and Wine which are given to us, become our spiritual
nourishment, in that they make it in some manner visible to us that
the Flesh of Christ is our food, and His Blood our drink. There
fore those fanatics that reject these signs and symbols are by us re
jected, our blessed Saviour having said, ' this is My Body, and this
cup is My Blood.' " This Confession hath been subscribed by the
Church of Geneva. tP tP tP Tf
Now because great is the fame of Calvin, (who subscribed the
Augustan Confession, and that of the Switzers,) let us hear what he
writ and believed concerning this sacred mystery. His words in his
Institutions and elsewhere are such, so comformable to the style and
mind of the Ancient Fathers, that no Catholic Protestant would wish
to use any other. " I understand," saith he, " what is to be under
stood by the words of Christ ; that He doth not only offer us the
benefits of His Death and Resurrection, but His very body, wherein
He died and rose again. I assert that the Body of Christ is really,
(as the usual expression is,) that is, truly given to us in the Sacra
ment, to be the saving food of our souls." Also in another place ; Item,
"That word cannot lie, neither can it mock us ; and except one pre
sumes to call God a deceiver, he will never dare to say, that the
symbols are empty, and that Christ is hot in them. Therefore if by
the breaking of the bread our Saviour doth represent the participa
tion of His Body, it is not to be doubted but that He truly gives and
confers it. If it be true that the visible sign is given us, to seal the
gift of an invisble thing, we most firmly believe that receiving the
signs ofthe Body, we also certainly receive the Body itself. Setting
aside all absurdities, I do willingly admit all those terms that can
most strongly express the true and substantial Communication of the
Body and Blood of Christ, granted to the faithful with the symbols
of the Lord's Supper ; and that, not as if they received only by the
force of their imagination, or an act of their minds, but really, so as

197
to be fed thereby unto Eternal Life." Again, " We must therefore
confess that the inward substance of the Sacrament is joined with
the visible si_gn, so that, as the bread is put into our hand, the Body
of Christ is also given to us. This certainly, if there were nothing
else, should abundantly satisfy us, that we understand, that Christ,
in His Holy Supper, gives us the true and proper substance of His
Body and Blood, that it being wholly ours, we may be made par
takers of all His benefits and graces." Again, " The Son of God
offers daily to us in the Holy Sacrament, the same Body which Hb
once offered in sacrifice to His Father, that it may be our spiritual
food." In these he asserts, as clearly as any one can, the true, real,
and substantial Presence and Communication ofthe Body of Christ,
but how, he undertakes not to determine. " If any one," saith he,
" ask me concerning the manner, I will not be ashamed to confess
that it is a secret too high for my reason to comprehend, or my
tongue to express ; or to speak more properly, I rather feel than un
derstand it : therefore without disputing I embrace the truth of God,
and confidently repose on it. He declares that His Flesh is the food,
and His Blood the drink of my soul ; and my soul I offer to Him to
be fed by such nourishment. He bids me take, eat, and drink His
Body and Blood, which in His holy Supper He offers me under
the symbols of Bread and Wine : I make no scruple, but He doth
reach them to me, and I receive them." All these are Calvin's own
words. I was the more willing to be long in transcribing these things at
large, out of Public Confessions of Churches, and the best of
Authors ; that it might the better appear, how injuriously Pro
testant Divines are calumniated by others unacquainted with their
opinions, as though by these words Spiritually and Sacramental'
ly, they did not acknowledge a true and well-understood real
Presence and Communication of the Body and Blood of Christ
in the Blessed Sacrament ; whereas, on the contrary, they do pro
fessedly own it, in terms as express as any can be used.

CHAPTER III.
How the PapisU understand the Doctrine of the Spiritual Presence.
Having now, by what I have said, put it out of doubt, that the
Protestants believe a spiritual and true presence of Christ in the
Sacrament, which is the reason, that according to the example of
the Fathers, they use so frequently the term spiritual in this subject,
it may not be amiss to consider, in the next place, how the Ronian
Church understands that same word. Now they make it to signify,

198
« That Christ is not present in the Sacrament, either after that
manner which is natural to corporal things, or that wherein His own
body subsists in heaven, but according to the manner of existence
proper to spipts, whole and entire in each part of the host : and
though by Himself He be neither seen, touched, nor moved, yet in
respect of the species or accidents joined with Him, He niay be said
to be seen, touched, and moved ; and so the accidents being moved,
the Body of Christ is truly moved accidentally, as the soul truly
changeth place with the body ; so that we truly and properly say,
that the Body of Christ is removed, lifted up, and set down, put on
the Paten, or on the Altar, and carried from hand to mouth, and
from the mouth to the stomach ; as Berengarius was forced to ac
knowledge in the Roman Council under Pope Nicholas, that the
Body of Christ was sensually touched by the hands, and broken
and chewed by the teeth of the Priest." But all this, and much
more to the same effect, was never delivered to us, either by holy
Scripture, or the ancient Fathers. And if souls or spirits could be
present, as here Bellarmine teacheth, yet it would be absurd to say
that bodies could be so likewise, it being inconsistent with their na
ture. Indeed Bellarmine confesseth with St. Bernard, that "Christ in
the Sacrament is not given to us carnally, but spiritually ;" and
would to God he had rested here, and not outgone the holy Scrip
tures, and the doctrine of the Fathers. For endeavouring, with
Pope Innocent III. and the Council of Trent, to determine the man
ner of the presence and manducation of Christ's Body with more
nicety than was fitting, he thereby fooHshly overthrew all that he
had wisely said before, denied what he had affirmed, and opposed
his own opinion. His fear was lest his adversaries should apply
that word spiritually, not so much to express the manner 6f presence,
as to exclude the very substance of the Body and Blood of Christ ;
"therefore," saith he, "upon that account it is not safe to use too
much that of St. Bernard, ' the body of Christ is not corporally in
the Sacrament,' without adding presently the abovementioned ex
planation." How much do we comply with human pride, and cu
riosity, which would seem to understand all things I Where is the
danger ? And what does he fear, as long as all they that believe the
Gospel, own the true nature, and the real and substantial presence
of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament, using that explication of
St. Bernard, concerning the manner, which he himself, for the too
great evidence of truth, durst not but admit ? and why doth he own
that the manner is spiritual, not carnal, and then require a carnal
presence, as to the manner itself? As for us, we all openlypro-
fess with St. Bernard, that the presence of the Body of Christ in
the Sacrament, is spiritual, and therefore true and real ; and with
51 the same Bernard, and all the Ancients, we deny that the Body
of Christ is carnally either present or given. The thing we wil-

0

199
lingly admit, but humbly and religiously forbear to inquire into the
manner. We believe a presence and union of Christ with our soul and
body, which we know not how to call better than sacramental,
that is, effected by eating ; that while we eat and drink the conse
crated Bread and Wine, we eat and drink therewithal the Body and
Blood of Christ, not in a corporal manner, but some other way,
incomprehensible, known only to God, which we call spiritual; for
if with St. Bernard and the Fathers a man goes no further, we do
not find fault with a general explication of the manner, but with
the presumption and self-conceitedness of those who boldly and
curiously inquire what is a spiritual presence, as presuming that
they can understand the manner of acting of God's Holy Spirit.
We contrariwise confess with the Fathers, that this manner of pre
sence is unaccountable, and past finding out, not to be searched and
pried into by reason, but believed by faith. And if it seems im
possible that the flesh of Christ should descend, and come to be
our food, through so 'gfeat a distance ; we must remember how
much the power of the Holy Spirit exceeds our sense and our
apprehensions, and how absurd it would be to undertake to mea
sure His immensity by our weakness and narrow capacity ; and so
make our faith to conceive and believe what our reason cannot
comprehend. Yet our faith doth not cause or make that presence, but appre
hends it as most truly and really effected by the word of Christ :
and the faith whereby we are said to eat the flesh of Christ, is not
that only whereby we believe that He died for our sins, (for this
faith is required and supposed to precede the Sacramental Mandu
cation,) but more properly, that whereby we believe those words
of Christ, This is My Body; which was St. Austin's meaning
when he said, " why dost thou prepare thy stomach and thy teeth ?
believe and thou hast eaten." For in this mystical eating by the
wonderful power of the Holy Ghost, we do invisibly receive the
substance of Christ's Body and Blood, as much as if we should
eat and drink both visibly.
The result of all this is, that the Body and Blood of Christ are
sacramentally united to the Bread and Wine, so that Christ is
truly given to the faithful ; and yet is not to be here considered with
sense or worldly reason, but by faith, resting on the words of the
Gospel. Now it is said, that the Body and Blood of Christ are
joined to the Bread and Wine, because, that in the celebration of
the Holy Eucharist, the Flesh is given together with the Bread,
and the Blood together with the Wine. All that remains is, that
we should with faith and humility admire this high and sacred mys
tery, which our tongue cannot sufficiently explain, nor our heart
conceive.

CHAPTER IV.
The Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation.
It is an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome, that in the bless
ed Eucharist the substance of the Bread and Wine is reduced to
nothing, and that in its place succeeds the Body and Blood of
Christ. . . . The Protestants are much of another mind ;
and yet none of them denies altogether but that there is a conver
sion of the Bread into the Body, (and consequently the Wine into
the Blood,) of Christ ; for they know and acknowledge, that in
the Sacrament, by virtue of the words and blessing of Christ, the
condition, use, and office of the Bread is wholly changed, that is, of
common and ordinary, it becomes our mystical and sacramental
food ; whereby, as they affirm and believe, the true Body of Christ
is not only shadowed and figured, but also given indeed, and by
worthy communicants truly received. Yet they believe not that
the bread loseth its own, to become the substance of the Body of
Christ ; for the Holy Scripture, and the ancient interpreters there
of for many ages, never taught such an essential change and con
version, as that the very substance, the matter, and form of the
bread should be wholly taken away, but only a mysterious and sa
cramental one, whereby our ordinary is changed into mystic bread,
and thereby designed and appointed to another use, end, and office
than before. This change, whereby supernatural effects are wrought
by things natural, while their essence is preserved entire, doth best
agree with the grace and power of God.
There is no reason why we should dispute concerning God's Om-
nipotency, whether it can do this or that, presuming to measure an
Infinite JPower by our poor ability, which is but weakness. We
may grant that He is able to do beyond what we can think or ap
prehend, and resolve His most wonderful acts into His absolute will
and power, but we may not charge Him with working contradic
tions. And though God's Almightiness were able in this mystery
to destroy the substance of Bread and Wine, and essentially to
change it into the Body and Blood of Christ, while the accidents
of Bread and Wine subsist of themselves without a subject, yet we
desire to have it proved that God will have it so, and that it is so
indeed. For, that God doth it because He can, is no argument ;
and that He wills it, we have no other proof but the confident asser
tion of our adversaries. Tertullian against Praxeas declared " that
we should not conclude God doth things because He is able, but that
^ we should inquire what He hath done ;" for God will never own
that praise of His Omnipotency, whereby His unchangeableness

201
and His truth are impaired, and those things overthrown and de
stroyed, which, in His Word, He affirms to be ; for, take away the
Bread and Wine, and there remains no Sacrament.
They that say, that the matter and form of the Bread are wholly
abolished, yet will have the accidents to remain. But if the sub
stance of the Bread be changed into the substance of Christ's Body
by virtue of His words, what hinders that the accidents of the Bread
are not also changed into the accidents of Christ 's Body ? They
that urge the express letter, should show that Christ said, " This is
the substance of My body without its accidents." But He did not
say, that He gave His Disciples a phantastic body, such a visionary
figment as Marcion believed, but that very body which is given for
us, without being deprived of that extension and other accidents of
human bodies, without which it could not have been crucified ; since
the maintainors of transubstantiation grant that the Body of Christ
keeps its quantity in Heaven, and say it is without the same in the
Sacrament ; they must either acknowledge their contradiction in the
matter, or give over their opinion.
Protestants dare not be so curious, or presume to know more
than is delivered by Scripture and antiquity, they firmly believing
the words of Christ make the form of this Sacrament to consist
in the union of the thing signified with the sign, that is, the exhibi
tion of the Body of Christ with the consecrated Bread, still re
maining bread ; by divine appointment these two are made one ;
and though this union be not natural, substantial, personal, or local
,by their being one within another, yet it is so straight and so true,
that in eating the blessed Bread, the true Body of Christ is given
to us, and the names of the sign and thing signified are reciprocally
changed, what is proper to the Body is attributed to the Bread, and
what belongs only to the Bread, is affirmed of the Body, and both
are united in time, though not in place. For the presence of
Christ in this, mystery is not opposed to distance but to absence,
which only could deprive us of the benefit and fruition of the
object. From what has been said it appears, that this whole controversy
may be reduced to four heads; I. Concerning the Signs ; 2. Con
cerning the thing signified ; 3. Concerning the union of both ; and
4. Concerning their participation. As to the first, the Protestants.
differ from the Papists in this ; that according to the nature of Sa
craments, and the doctrine ofthe Holy Scripture, we make the sub
stance of Bread and Wine, and they accidents only to be signs. It)
the second, they not understanding our opinion, do misrepresent it,
for we do not hold, (as they say we do,) that only the merits of the
death of Christ are represented by the blessed Elements, but also
that His very Body which was crucified, and His Blood which was
shed for us, are truly signified and offered, that our souls may re
ceive and possess Christ, as truly and certainly as the material and
26

202
visible signs are by us seen and received. And so in the third place,
because the thing signified is offered and given to us, as truly as the
sign itself, in this respect we own the union betwixt the Body and
Blood of Christ, and the Elements, whose use and office we hold
to be changed from what it was befiire. But we deny what the
Papists affirm, that the substance of Bread and Wine are quite
abolished, and changed into the Body and Blood of our Lord in
such sort, that the bare accidents of the Elements do alone remain
united with Christ's Body and Blood. And we also deny that the
Elements still retain the nature of Sacraments when not used ac
cording to divine institution, that is, given by Christ's Ministers,
and received by His people ; so that Christ in the consecrated
bread ought not, cannot be kept and preserved to be carried about,
because He is present only to the communicants. As for the fourth
and last point, we do not say, that in the Lord's Supper we receive
only the benefits of Christ's death and passion, but we join the
ground with its fruits, that is, Christ with those advantages we re
ceive from Him ; affirming with St. Paul, " That the bread which
we break is Koivmta, the Communion of the Body of Christ, and
the cup which we bless, the Communion of His Blood," (I Cor. x.
16 ;) of that very substance which he took of the blessed Virgin,
and afterwards carried into Heaven ; differing from those of Rome
only in this, that they will have our union with Christ to be cor
poral, and our eating of Him likewise ; and we on the contrary
maintain it to be, indeed as true, but not carnal or natural. And
as he that receives unworthily, (that is, with the mouth only, but not
with a faithful heart,) eats and drinks his own damnation ; so he
that doeth it worthily, receives his absolution and justification ; that
is, he that discerns, and then receives the Lord's Body as torn, and
His Blood as shed for the redemption of the world. But that Christ
(as the Papists affirm,) should give His Flesh and Blood to be re
ceived with the mouth, and ground with the teeth,  this
our words and hearts do utterly deny.
So then, (to sum up this controversy by applying it to all that
hath been said,) it is not questioned whether the Body of Christ be
absent from the Sacrament duly administerd according to His insti
tution, which we Protestants neither affirm nor believe ; for it being
given and received in the Communion, it must needs be that it is
present, though in some manner veiled under the Sacrament, so that
of itself it cannot be seen. Neither is it doubted or disputed whe
ther the Bread and Wine, by the power of God and a supernatural
virtue, be set apart and fitted for a much nobler use, and raised to
a higher dignity than their nature bears ; for we confess the neces
sity of a supernatural and heavenly change, and that the signs can
not become Sacraments but by the infinite power of God, whose
proper right it is to institute Sacraments in His Church, being able
alone to endue them with virtue and efficacy. Finally, we do not

203
say that our Blessed Saviour gave only the figure and sign of His
body ; neither do we deny a Sacramental Union of the Body and
Blood of Christ with the sacred Bread and Wine, so that both are
really and substantially received together : but (that we may avoid
all ambiguity) we deny that after the words and prayer of Conse
cration, the Bread should remain bread no longer, but should be
changed into the substance of the Body of Christ, nothing of the
bread, but only the accidents continuing to be what they were be
fore ; and so the whole question is concerning the Transubstantia
tion of the outward Elements ; whether the substance of the Bread
be turned into the substance of Christ's Body, and the substance of
the Wine into the substance of His Blood ; or, as the Romish Doc
tors describe their Transubstantiation, whether the substance of
bread and wine doth utterly perish, and the substance of Christ's
Body and Blood succeed in their place, which are both denied by
Protestants. The Church of Rome sings on Corpus Christi day. This is not
bread, but God and Man my Saviour. And the Council of Trent
doth thus define it ; " Because Christ our Redeemer said truly, that
that was His body, which He gave in the appearance of bread ;
therefore it was ever believed by the Church of God, and is now
declared by this sacred Synod, that by the power of Consecration
the whole substance of the bread is changed into the substance of
Christ's Body, and the whole substance of the wine into the sub
stance of His Blood ; which change is fitly and properly called Tran
substantiation by the holy Catholic (Roman) Church. Therefore
if any one shall say, that the substance of Bread and Wine re
mains with the Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and
shall deny that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole
substance of the Bread and Wine into the substance of the Body
and Blood of Christ, only the appearance and outward form of
the Bread and Wine remaining, which conversion the Catholic
(Roman) Church doth fitly call Transubstantiation, — let him be ac
cursed." * # * #
Now we leave inquiring what God is able to do, for we should
first know His will in this matter, before we examine His power ;
yet thus much we say, that this Roman Transubstantiation is so
strange and monstrous, that it exceeds the nature of all miracles.
And though God by His Almightiness be able to turn the substance
of bread into some other substance, yet none will believe that He
doth it, as long as it appears to our senses that the substance of the
Bread doth still remain whole and entire. Certain it is, that hitherto
we read of no such thing done in the Old or New Testament, and
therefore this tenet, being as unknown to the Ancients as it is un
grounded in Scripture, appears as yet to be very incredible, and
there is no reason we should believe such an unauthorized figment.

204
newly invented by men, and now imposed as an article of Christian
Religion. For it is in vain that they bring Scripture to defend this
their stupendous doctrine ; and it is not true, what they so often and
so confidently affirm, that the Universal Church hath always coi>»-
stantly owned it, being it was not so much as heard of in the Church
for many ages, and hath been but lately approved by the Pope'i
authority in the Councils of Lateran and Trent.

No. 28.
(ad Clerum.)
THE
HISTORY OF POPISH TRANSUBSTANTIATION;
»0 WHICH IS OPPOSED THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF THE HOLT SCRIPTUKE, THE ANCIEW
FATHERS, AND THE REFORMED CHURCHES.
(By John Cosin, Bishop of Durham.)

CHAPTER V.
The doctrine of Transubstantiaiion is contained neither in Scripture nor in .
the writings of the Fathers.
The word Transubstantiation is so far from being found either
in the Sacred Records, or in the Monuments of the Ancient Fathers,
that the maintainers of it do themselves acknowledge that it was not
so much as heard of before the twelfth century. For though one
Stephanus, Bishop of Autun, be said to have once used it, yet it is
without proof that some modern writers make him one ofthe tenth
century ; nor yet doth he say, that the Bread is transubstantiated,
but as it were transubstantiated, which well understood might be ad
mitted. Nay, that the thing itself without the word, that the doctrine with
out the expression, cannot be found in Scripture, is ingeniously ac
knowledged by the most learned Schoolmen, Scotus, Durandus, Biel,
Cameracensis, Cajetan, and many more, who finding it not brought
in by the Pope's authority, and received in the Roman Church, till
1200 years after Christ, yet endeavoured to defend it by other ar
guments. ##»***#*
And indeed, the words of institution would plainly make it appear
to any man that would prefer truth to wrangling, that it is with the
Bread that the Lord's Body is given, (as His Blood with the Wine,)

205
for Christ, having taken, blessed, and broken the Bread, said, « This
is My Body ;" and St. Paul, than whom none could better under
stand the meaning of Christ, explains it thus ; " The Bread which
we break is the Koivavia, Communion or communication of the Body
of Christ," that whereby His Body is given, and the faithful are
made partakers of it. That it was Bread which He reached to
them, there was no need of any proof, the receivers' senses suffi
ciently convinced them of it; but that therewith His Body was
given, none could have known, had it not been declared by Him
who is the Truth itself. And though, by the divine institution and
the explication of the Apostle, every faithful communicant may be
as certainly assured that he receives the Lord's Body, as if he
knew that the Bread is substantially turned into it ; yet it doth not
therefore follow, that the Bread is so changed, that its substance is
quite done away, so that there remains nothing present, but the
very natural Body of Christ, made of Bread ; for certain it is,
that the Bread is not the Body of Christ any otherwise than as
the Cup is the New Testament, and two different consequences
cannot be drawn from those two not different expressions. There
fore as the Cup cannot be the New Testament but by a Sacramen
tal figure, no more can the Bread be the Body of Christ, but in
the same sense.
As to what Bellarmine and others say, that it is not possible the
words of Christ can be true, but by that conversion, which the
Church of Rome calls Transubstantiation, that is so far from being
so, that if it were admitted, it would first deny the Divine Omnipo
tency, as though God were not able to make the Body of Christ
present, and truly to give it in the Sacrament, whilst the substance
of the Bread remains. 2. It would be inconsistent with the Divine
Benediction which preserves things in their proper being. 3. It
would be contrary to the true nature of the Sacrament, which al
ways consisteth of two parts. And lastly, it would in some manner
destroy the true substance of the Body and Blood of Christ, which
cannot be said to be made of Bread and Wine by a Priest, without
a most high presumption. But the truth of the words of Christ
remains constant, and can be defended, without overthrowing so
many other great truths. Suppose a testator puts deeds and titles
in the hand of his heir, with these words, " Take the house which I
bequeath thee ;" there is no man will think that those writings and
parchments are that very house which is made of wood or stones,
and yet no man will say that the testator spake falsely or obscurely.
Likewise our blessed Saviour, having sanctified the Elements by
His words and prayers, gave them to His Disciples as seals of the
New Testament, whereby they were as certainly secured of those
rich and precious legacies which He left to them, as children are of
their father's lands and inheritance, by deeds and instruments signed
and delivered for that purpose.

206
To the Sacred Records we may add the judgment of the Primi
tive Church. For those orthodox and holy Doctors of our holier
religion, those great lights of the Catholic Church, do all clearly,
constantly, and unanimously conspire in this, that the presence of
the Body of Christ in the Sacrament is only mystic and spiritual.
As for the entire annihilation of the substance of the Bread and
the Wine, or that new and strange tenet of Transubstantiation, they
did not so much as hear or speak any thing of it ; nay, the constant
stream of their doctrine doth clearly run against it, how great so
ever are the brags and pretences of the Papists to the contrary.
And if you will hear them one by one, I shall bring some of their
most noted passages only, that our labour may not be endless by
rehearsing all that they have said to our purpose on this subject.
I shall begin with that holy and ancient Doctor, Justin Martyr,
who is one of the first after the Apostles' times, whose undoubted
writings are come to us. (A. D. 144.) What was believed at Rome
and elsewhere in his time, concerning this holy mystery, may well
be understood out of these his words : " After that the Bishop hath
prayed and blessed, and the people said Amen, those whom we call
Deacons or Ministers give to every one of them that are present a
portion of the Bread and Wine ; and that food we call the Eucharist,
for we do not receive it as ordinary bread and wine." They re
ceived it as bread, yet not as common bread. And a little after ; " By
this food digested, our flesh and blood are fed, and we are taught
that it is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ." Therefore the
substance of the bread remains, and remains corruptible food, even
after the Consecration, which can in no wise be said of the immor
tal Body of Christ ; for the Flesh of Christ is not turned into our
flesh, neither doth it nourish it, as doth that food which is sacra
mentally called the Flesh of Christ. But the Flesh of Christ
feeds our souls unto eternal fife.
After the same manner, it is written by that holy Martyr Irenseus,
Bishop much about the same time. (A. D. 160.) "The bread
which is from the earth is no more common bread, after the invo
cation of God upon it, but is become the Eucharist, consisting of
two parts, the one earthly, and the other heavenly." There would
be nothing earthly if the substance of the bread were removed.
Again ; " As the grain of wheat falling in the ground, and dying,
riseth again much increased, and then receiving the word of Goi»
becomes the Eucharist ; (which is the Body and Blood of Christ ;)
so likewise oUr bodies, nourished by it, laid in the ground and dis
solved, shall rise again in their time." Again ; " We are fed by the
creature, but it is He Himself that gives it. He hath ordained and
appointed that Cup which is a creature, and His Blood also, and
that Bread which is a creature, and also His Body. And so when
the Bread and the Cup are blessed by God's word, they become
the Eucharist of the Body and Blood of Christ, and from them

207
our bodies receive nourishment and increase." Now that our flesh
is fed and increased by the natural Body of Christ, cannot be
said without great impiety by themselves that hold Transubstantia
tion. For naturally nothing nourisheth our bodies but what is made
flesh and blood by the last digestion, which it would be blasphe
mous to say of the incorruptible Body of Christ. Yet the sacred
Elements, which in some manner are, and are said to be the Body
and Blood of Christ, yield nourishment and increase to our
bodies by their earthly nature, in such sort, that by virtue also of
the heavenly and spiritual food which the faithful receive by means
of the material, our bodies are fitted for a blessed Resurrection to
immortal glory.
Tertullian, who flourished about the two hundredth year after
Christ, when as yet he was Catholic, and acted by a pious zeal,
wrote against Marcion the Heretic, who, amongst his other impious
opinions, taught that Christ had not taken of the Virgin Mary the
very nature and substance of a human body, but only the outward
forms and appearances ; out of which fountain the Romish Tran-
substantiators seem to have drawn their doctrine of accidents ab
stracted from their subject hanging in the air, that is, subsisting on
nothing. Tertullian, disputing against this wicked heresy, draws an
argument from the Sacrament of the Eucharist, to prove that Christ
had not a phantastic and imaginary, but a true and natural body,
thus : the figure of the Body of Christ proves it to be natural, for
there can be no figure of a ghost or a phantasm. " But," saith he,
" Christ having taken the Bread, and given it to his Disciples, made
it His Body by saying, ' This is my Body, that is, the figure of my
Body.' Now, it could not have been a figure except the Body was
real, for a mere appearance, an imaginary phantasm, is not capable
of a figure." Each part of this argument is true, and contains a
necessary conclusion. For, 1. The bread must remain bread, other
wise Marcion would have returned the argument against Tertullian,
saying as the Transubstantiators ; it was not bread, but merely the
accidents of bread, which seemed to be bread. 2. The Body of
Christ is proved to be true by the figure of it, which is said to be
bread, for the bread is fit to represent that Divine Body, because of
its nourishing virtue, which in the bread is earthly, but in the Body
is heavenly. Lastly, the reality of the Body is proved by that of
its figure ; and so if you deny the substance of the Bread, (as the
Papists do,) you thereby destroy the truth and reality of the Body
of Christ in the Sacrament.
Origen also, about the same time with Tertullian, speaks much
after the same manner. " If Christ," saith he, " as these men (the
Marcionites) falsely hold, had neither Flesh nor Blood, of what man
ner of Flesh, of what Body, of what Blood did He give the signs and
images when He gave the Bread and Wine ?" If they be the signs
and representations of the Body and Blood of Christ, though they

208
prove the truth of his Body and Blood, yet they being signs, cannot
be what they signify ; and they not being what they represent, the
groundless contrivance of Transubstantiation is overthrown. Also
upon Leviticus he doth expressly oppose it thus : "Acknowledge ye
that they are figures, and therefore spiritual, not carnal ; examine
and understand what is said, otherwise if you receive as things car
nal, they will hurt, but not nourish you. For in the Gospel there is
the Letter, which kills him that understands not spiritually what is
said ; for if you understand this saying according to the Letter, ' Ex
cept you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood,' the Letter will kill you."
Therefore'as much as these words belong to the eating and drinking
of Christ's Body and Blood, they are to be understood mystically
and spiritually. tP tt tF ^
St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, a glorious Martyr of Christ, (A.
D. 230.) wrote a famous Epistle to Coecilius concerning the sacred
Chalice in the Lord's Supper, whereof this is the sum ; " Let that
cup which is offered to the people in commemoration of Christ be
mixt with wine," (against the .opinion of the Aquarii, who were for
water only,) " for it cannot represent the Blood of Christ when
there is no wine in the cup, because the Blood of Christ is exprest
by the Wine, as the faithful are understood by the Water." But the
patrons of Transubstantiation have neither Wine nor Water in the
Chalice they offer ; and yet without them (especially the Wine ap
pointed by our Blessed Saviour, and whereof Cyprian chiefly
speaks,) the Blood of Christ is not so much as sacramentally pre
sent. So far was the Primitive Church from any thing of believing
a corporal presence of the Blood, the Wine being reduced to
nothing, (that is, to a mere accident without the substance,) for then
they must have said, that the Water was changed into the people, as
well as the Wine into the Blood. But there is no need that I should
bring many testimonies of that Father, when all his writings do
plainly declare that the true substance of the Bread and Wine is
given in the Eucharist ; that that spiritual and quickening food which
the faithful get from the Body and Blood of Christ, and the mutual
union of the whole people joined into one body may answer their
type, the Sacrament which represents them.
Those words of the Council of Nice, (A. D. 325.) are well known,
whereby the faithful are called from the consideration ofthe outward
visible Elements of Bread and Wine, to attend the inward and spi
ritual act of the mind, whereby Christ is seen and apprehended.
" Let not our thoughts dwell low, on that Bread and that Cup which
are set before us, but lifting up our minds by faith, let us consider,
that on this sacred Table is laid the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sins of the world. And receiving truly His precious Body and
Blood, let us believe these things to be the pledges and emblems of
our resurrection ; for we do not take, much, but only a little, (of the

209
Elements,) that we may be mindful, we do it not for satiety, but for
sanctification." Now, who is there, even among the maintainers of
Trfnsubstantiation, that will understand this, not much, but a little,
ofthe Body of Christ ; or who can believe that the Nicene Fathers
would call His Body and Blood symbols in a proper sense ? when
.nothing can be an image or a sign of itself. And therefore though
we are not to rest in the Elements, minding nothing else, (for we
should consider what is chiefest in the Sacrament, that we have our
hearts lifted unto the Lord, who is given together with the signs,) yet
Elements they are, and the earthly part ofthe Sacrament, both the
Bread and the Wine, which destroys Transubstantiation.
St. Athanasius, famous in the time, and present in the Assembly of
the Nicene Council, a stout Champion of the Catholic faith, acknow-
ledgeth none other but a spiritual manducation of the Body of
Christ in the Sacrament. " Our Lord," saith he, " made a differ
ence betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit, that we might understand that
what He said, was not carnal, but spiritual. For how many men
could His Body have fed, that the whole world should be nourished
by it ? But therefore He mentioned His ascension into heaven, that
they might not take what He said in a corporal sense, but might un
derstand that His Flesh whereof He spake is a spiritual and heaven
ly food given by Himself from on high ; for the words that I spake
unto you they are spirit, and they are life, as if He should say. My
Body which is shown and given for the world, shall be given in food,
that it may be distributed spiritually to every one, and preserve them
all to the resurrection to eternal life." Cardinal Perron having
nothing to answer to these words of this holy Father, in a kind of
despair, rejects the whole Tractate, and denies it to be Athanasius's,
which nobody ever did before him, there being no reason for it.
* # * #
Likewise St. Ambrose, (A. D. 380.) explaining what manner of
alteration is in the Bread, when in the Eucharist it becomes the Body
of Christ, saith, "Thou hadst indeed a being, but wert an old crea
ture, but being now baptized or consecrated, thou art become a new
creature." The same change that happens to man in baptism, hap
pens to the Bread in the Sacrament : if the nature of man is not sub
stantially altered by the new birth, no more is the Bread by conse
cration. Man becomes by baptism, not what nature made him, but
what grace new-makes him ; and the Bread becomes by consecration,
not what it was by nature, but what the blessing consecrates it to be.
For nature made only a mere man, and made only common bread ;
but Regeneration, of a mere man, makes a holy man, in whom Christ
dwells spiritually ; and likewise the Consecration of common Bread
makes Mystic and Sacramental Bread. Yet this change doth not
destroy nature, but to nature adds grace ; as is yet more plainly ex
prest by that holy Father in the fore-cited place. " Perhaps thou wilt
say," saith he, " this my bread is common bread ; it is bread indeed
27

210
before the blessing of the Sacrament, but when it is consecrated it
becomes the Body of Christ. This we are therefore to declare, how
can that which is Bread be also the Body of Christ ? By Coi^e-
cration. And Consecration is made by the words of our Lord, tnat
the venerable Sacrament may be perfected. You see how efficacious
is the Word of Christ. If there be then so great a power in the
Word of Christ to make the Bread and Wine to be what they were
not, how much greater is that power which still preserves them to
be what they were, and yet makes them to be what they were not ?
Therefore, that I may answer thee, it was not the Body of Christ
before the Consecration, but now after the Consecration, it is the
Body of Christ ; He said the word and it was done. Thou thyself
went before, but wert an old creature ; after thou hast been conse
crated in Baptism thou art become a new creature." By these words
St. Ambrose teacheth how we are to understand that the Bread is
the Body of Christ, to wit, by such a change that the Bread and
Wine do not cease to be what they were as to their substance, (for
then they should not be what they were,) and yet by the blessing
become what before they were not. For so they are said to remain,
(as indeed they do,) what they were by nature, that yet they are
changed by grace ; that is, they become assured Sacraments of the
Body and Blood of Christ, and by that means certain pledges of
our Justification and Redemption. What is there, can refute more
expressly the dream of Transubstantiation ?
St. Chrysostom (A. D. 390.) doth also clearly discard and reject
this carnal Transubstantiation and eating of Christ's Body, without
eating the Bread. " Sacraments," saith he, " ought not to be con
templated and considered carnally, but with the eyes of our souls,
that is, spiritually ; for such is the nature of mysteries ;" where ob
serve the opposition betwixt carnally and spiritually, which admits
of no plea or reply again. " As in Baptism the spiritual power of
Regeneration is given to the material water ; so also the immaterial
gift of the Body and Blood of Christ is not received by any sensi
ble corporal action, but by the spiritual discernment of our faith, and
of our hearts and minds." Which is no more than this, that sensible
things are called by the name of those spiritual things which they seal
and signify. But he speaks more plainly in his Epistle to Ccesarius ;
where he teacheth, that in this mystery there is not in the bread a
substantial, but a Sacramental change, according to the which, the
outward Elements take the name of what they represent, and are
changed in such a sort, that they still retain their former natural sub
stance. " The Bread," saith he, " is made worthy to be honoured
with the name of the Flesh of Christ, by the consecration of the
Priest, yet the Flesh retains the proprieties of its incorruptible na
ture, as the Bread doth its natural substance. Before the Bread be
sanctified we call it Bread ; but when it is consecrated by the divine
grace, it deserves to be called the Lord's Body, though the substance

211
of the Bread still remains." When Bellarmine could not answer
this testimony of that great Doctor, he thought it enough to deny,
thai this Epistle is St. Chrysostom's ; but both he and Possevin do
vainly contend that it is not extant among the works of Chrysostom.
For besides that at Florence and elsewhere it was to be found among
them, it is ched in the Collections against the Severians which are in
the version of Turrianus the Jesuit, in the 4th tome of Antiq. Lec-
tionum of Henry Canisiu^, and in the end of the book of Job. Damas-
cenus against the Acephali. * * # *
Which also hath been said by St. Austin, (A. D. 400.) above a
thousand times ; but out of so many almost numberless places, I shall
choose only three, which are as the sum of all the rest. " You are
not to eat this Body which you see, nor drink this Blood which My
crucifiers shall shed ; I have left you a Sacrament which, spiritually
understood, will vivify you." Thus St. Austin, rehearsing the words
of Christ again ; " If Sacraments had not some resemblance with
those things whereof they are Sacraments, they could not be Sacra
ments at all. From this resemblance they often take the names of
what they represent. Therefore as .the Sacrament of Christ's
Body is in some sort His Body ; so the Sacrament of Faith, is faith
also." To the same sense is what he writes against Maximinus the
Arian. " We mind in the Sacraments, not what they are, but what
they show ; for they are signs, which are one thing, and signifies
another." And in another place, speaking of the Bread and Wine ;
" Let no man look to what they are, but to what they signify, for our
Lord was pleased to say, ' this is My Body,' when He gave the
sign of His Body." * * * *
And the same kind of expressions  were also used
by venerable Bede, our countryman, who lived in the eighth century,
in his Sermon upon the Epiphany ; of whom we also take these two
testimonies following : " In the room ofthe Flesh and Blood of the
Lamb, Christ substituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, in
the figure of Bread and Wine." Also, " At Supper He gave to His
Disciples the figure of His holy Body and Blood." These utterly
destroy Transubstantiation.
In the same century Charles the Great wrote an Epistle to our
Alcuinus, wherein we find these words. " Christ at Supper broke
the Bread to His Disciples, and likewise gave them the Cup, in figure
of His Body and Blood, and so left to us this great Sacrament for
our benefit." If it was the figure of His Body, it could not be the
Body itself; indeed the Body of Christ is given in the Eucharist, but
to the faithful only, and that by means ofthe Sacrament of the con
secrated Bread.
But now, about the beginning of the ninth century, started up
Paschasius, a Monk of Corbie, who first, (as some say whose judg-

212
ment I follow not,) among the Latins, taught that Christ was con-
substantiated, or rather enclosed in the Bread, and corporally united
to it in the Sacrament ; for as yet there was no thoughts of the Tran
substantiation of Bread. But these new sorts of expressions not
agreeing with the Catholic doctrine, and the writings of the ancient
Fathers, had few or no abetters before the eleventh century. And
in the ninth, whereof we now treat, there were not wanting learned
men, (as Amalarius, Archdeacon of Triars ; Rabanus, at first Abbot
of Fulda, and afterwards Archbishop of Ments ; John Erigena, an
English Divine ; Waldfridus Strabo, a German Abbot; Ratramus
or Bertramus, first Priest of Corbie, afterwards Abbot of Orbec in
France ; and many more ; who by their writings opposed this new
opinion of Paschasius, or of some others rather, and delivered to
posterity the Doctrine of the Ancient Church. Yet we have some
thing more to say concerning Paschasius, whom Bellarmine and Sir-
mondus esteemed so highly, that they were not ashamed to say, that
he was the first that had writ to the purpose concerning the Eucha
rist; and that he had so explained the meaning ofthe Church, that
he had shown and opened the way to all them who treated of that
subject after him. Yet in that whole book of Paschasius, there is
nothing that favours the Transubstantiation of the Bread, or its de
struction or removal. Indeed, he asserts the truth of the Body and
Blood of Christ's being in the Eucharist, which Protestants deny
not ; he denies that the consecrated Bread is a bare figure, a repre
sentation void of truth, which Protestants assert not. But he has
many things repugnant to Transubstantiation, which, as I have said,
the Church of Rome itself had not yet quite found out. I shall men
tion a few of them. " Christ," saith he, " left us this Sacrament, a
visible figure and character of His Body and Blood, that by them
our spirit might the better embrace spiritual and invisible things, and
be more fully fed by faith." Again, " We must receive our spiritual
Sacrament with the mouth ofthe soul, and the taste of faith." Item,
" Whilst therein we savour nothing carnal, but we being spiritual, and
understanding the whole spiritually, we remain in Christ." And a
little after, " The Flesh and Blood of Christ are received spiritu
ally." And again, " To savour according to the Flesh, is death ; and
yet to receive spiritually the true Flesh of Christ, is life eternal."
Lastly, " The Flesh and Blood of Christ are not received carnally,
but spiritually." * * # #
As for the opinion of Bertram, otherwise called Ratramnus, or Ra
tramus, perhaps not rightly, it is known enough by that book which
the Emperor Charles the Bald, (who loved and honoured him, as all
good men did, for his great learning and piety,) commanded him to
write concerning the Body and Blood of our Lord. For when men
began to be disturbed at the book of Paschasius, some saying one
thing, and some another, the Emperor being moved by their disputes

213
propounded himself two questions to Bertram. I. Whether, what
the faithful eat in the Church, be made the Body and Blood of
Christ in figure and in mystery. 2. Or whether that natural Body
which was born ofthe Virgin Mary, which suffered, died, and was
buried, and now sitteth on the right hand of God the Father, be it
self daily received by the mouth of the faithful in the mystery of the
Sacrament. The first of these Bertram resolved aflSrmatively, the
second negatively ; and said, that there was as great a difference
betwixt those two bodies, as betwixt the earnest and that whereof it
is the earnest. " It is evident," saith he, " that that Bread and Wine
are figuratively the Body and Blood of Christ. According to the
substance of the Elements, they are after the Consecration what they
were before. For the Bread is not Christ substantially. If this
mystery be not done in a figure, it cannot well be called a mystery
The Wine also which is made the Sacrament of the Blood of
Christ by the Consecration of the Priest, shews one thing by its
outward appearance, and contains another inwardly. For what is
there visible in its outside but only the substance of the Wine?
These things are changed, but not according to the material part,
and by this change they are not what they truly appear to be, but
are something else besides what is their proper being ; for they are
made spiritually the Body and Blood of Christ ; not that the Ele
ments be two different things, but in one respect they are, as they
appear. Bread and Wine, and in another the Body and Blood of
Christ. Hence, according to the visible creature they feed the
body ; but according to the virtue of a more excellent substance
they nourish and sanctify the souls of the faithful." Then having
brought many testimonies of holy Scripture and the ancient Fathers
to confirm this, he at last prevents that calumny which the followers
of Paschasius did then lay on the orthodox, as though they had
taught that bare signs, figures, and shadows, and not the Body and
Blood of Christ were given in the Sacrament. "Let it not be
thought," saith he, " because we say this, that therefore the Body and
Blood of Christ are not received in the mystery of the Sacrament,
where faith apprehends what it believeth, and not what the eyes
see ; for this meat and drink are spiritual, feed the soul spiritually,
and entertain that life whose fulness is eternal." For the question
is not simply about the real truth, or the thing signified being pre
sent, without which it could not be a mystery, but about the false
reality of things subsisting in imaginary appearances, and about the
carnal presence.
All this the Fathers of Trent, and the Romish Inquisitors could not
brook, and therefore they utterly condemned Bertram, and put his
book in tiie Catalogue of those that are forbidden.
^ W TfP IT

CHAPTER VI.
Romish objections considered, as drawn from the writings of the Fathers.

.... Let us see what props these new builders pretend to borrow
from Antiquity to uphold their castle in the air, Transubstantiation.
They use indeed to scrape together many testimonies of the Fathers
of the first and middle age, whereby they would fain prove, that
those Fathers believed and taught the Transubstantiation of the
Bread and Wine into the natural Body and Blood of Christ, just as
the Roman Church, at this day, doth teach and believe. We will
therefore briefly examine them, that it may yet more fully appear
that Antiquity and ail Fathers did not in the least favour the new
tenet of Transubstantiation ; but that, that true doctrine which I have
set down in the beginning of this book, was constantly owned and
preserved in the Church of Christ.
Now, almost all that they produce out of the Fathers will be
conveniently reduced to certain heads, that we may not be too te
dious in answering each testimony by itself.
1. To the first head belong those that call the Eucharist the Body
and Blood of Christ. But I answer, those Fathers explain them
selves in many places, and interpret those their expressions in such
a manner, that they must be understood in a mystic and spiritual
sense, in that Sacraments usually take the names of those things
they represent, because of that resemblance which they have with
them ; not by the reality of the thing, but by the signification of the
mystery ; as we have been shown before out of St. Austin and others.
For nobody can deny, but that the things that are seen are signs and
figures, and those that are not seen, the Body and Blood of Christ.
And that therefore the nature of this mystery is such, that when we
receive the Bread and Wine, we also together with them receive at
the same time the Body and Blood of Christ, which, in the cele
bration of the holy Eucharist, are as truly given as they are repre
sented. Hence came into the Church this manner of speaking,
" The consecrated Bread is Christ's Body."
2. We put in the second rank those places that say, that the
Bishops and Priests make the Body of Christ with the sacred
words of their mouth, as St. Hierom speaks in his Epistle to Helio-
dorus, and St. Ambrose, and others. To this I say, that at the
prayer and blessing of the Priest, the common bread is made Sa
cramental Bread, which, when broken and eaten, is the Communion
of the Body of Christ, and therefore may well be called so, sacra
mentally. For the Bread, (as I have often said before,) doth not

215
only represent the Body of our Lord, but also being received, we
are truly made partakers of that precious Body. For so saith St.
Hierom ; " The Body and Blood of Christ is made at the prayer
ofthe Priest;" that is, the Element is so qualified, that being re
ceived it becomes the Communion of the Body and Blood of
Christ, which it could not without the preceding prayers. The
Greeks call this, " To prepare and to consecrate the Body of the
Lord." As St. Chrysostom saith well ; " These are not the works
of man's power, but still the operation of Him, who made them in
the last Supper ; as for us, we are only Ministers, but He it is that
sanctifies and changeth them."
3. In the third place, to what is brought out of the Fathers, con
cerning the conversion, change, transmutation, transfiguration, and
transelementation ofthe Bread and Wine in the Eucharist, (wherein
the Papists do greatly glory, boasting of the consent of Antiquity
with them,) I answer, that there is no such consequence. Tran
substantiation being another species of change, the enumeration
was not full, for it doth not follow, that because there is a conver
sion, a transmutation, a transelementation, there should be also a
Transubstantiation ; which the Fathers never so much as mentioned.
For because this is a Sacrament, the change must be understood to
be sacramental also, whereby common Bread and Wine become
the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ ; which could not
be, did not the substance of the Bread and Wine remain, for a Sa
crament consisteth of two parts, an earthly and a heavenly. And
so, because ordinary Bread is changed by consecration into a Bread
which is no more of common use, but appointed by divine institu
tion to be a sacramental sign, whereby is represented the Body of
Christ, in whom dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and
being thereby dignified, having great excellencies superadded, and
so made what it was not before, it is therefore said by some of the
Fathers to be changed, to be made another thing. And truly that
change is great and supernatural, but yet not substantial, not of a
substance which substantially ceaseth to be, into another substance
which substantially beginneth to be, but it is a change of state and
condition which alters not the natural properties of the Element.
This is also confirmed by Scripture, which usually describes and
represents the conversion of men, and the supernatural change of
things, as though it were natural, though it be not so. So those
that are renewed by the Word, and Spirit, and Faith of Christ,
are said to be regenerated, converted, and transformed, to put off
the old man, and put on the new man, and to be new creatures ;
but they are not said to become another substance, to be transub
stantiated ; for men thus converted are still the same human body,
and the same rational soul as before, though in a far better state
and condition, as every Christian will acknowledge. Nay, the Fa
thers themselves used those words. Transmutation, Transformation,

216
Transelementation, upon other occasions, when they speak of things
whose substance is neither lost nor changed.
TF TT Vp TV
4. To the fourth head I refer what the Fathers say of our touch
ing and seeing the Body of Christ, and drinking His Blood in the
Sacrament ; and thereto I answer, that we deny not but that some
things emphatical, and even hyperbolical, have been said of the Sa
crament by Chrysostom, and some others ; and that those things
may easy lead unwary men into error. That was the ancient Fa
thers' care, as it is ours still, to instruct the people not to look
barely on the outward Elements, but in them to eye with their
minds the Body and Blood of Christ, and with their hearts lift up
to feed on that heavenly meat ; for all the benefit of a Sacrament
is lost, if we look no further than the Elements. Hence it is that
those holy men, the better to teach this lesson to their hearers, and
move their hearts more efficaciously, spake of the signs as if they
had been the thing signified, and like orators said many things which
will not bear a literal sense, nor a strict examen. Such is this, of
an uncertain author under the name of St. Cyprian ; " We are close
to the Cross, we suck the Blood, and we put our tongues in the
very wounds of our Redeemer, so that, both outwardly and in
wardly we are made red thereby." Such is that of St. Chrysostom ;
" In the Sacrament the Blood is drawn out of the side of Christ,
the tongue is made bloody with that wonderful Blood." Again,
" Thou seeth thy Lord sacrificed, and the crowding multitude round
about sprinkled with His Blood ; He that sits above with the Fa
ther is at the same time in our hands. Thou doth see and touch
and eat Him. For I do not show thee either Angels or Archangels,
but the Lord of them Himself" Again ; " He incorporates us with
Himself, as if we were but the same thing. He makes us His
Body indeed, and suffers us not only to see, but even to touch, to
eat Him, and to put our teeth in His Flesh ; so that by that food
which He gives us, we become His Flesh." Such is that of St.
Austin ; " Let us give thanks, not only that we are made Christians,
but also made Christ." Lastly, such is that of Leo ; " In that
mystical distribution, it is given us to be made His Flesh." Cer
tainly, if any man would wrangle and take advantage of these, he
might thereby maintain, as well that we are transubstantiated into
Christ, and Christ's Flesh into the Bread, as that the Bread and
Wine are transubstantiated into His Body and Blood. But Pro
testants who scorn to play the sophisters, interpret these and the
like passages of the Fathers, with candour and ingenuity, (as it is
most fitting they should.) For the expressions of JPreachers, which
often have something of a paradox, must not be taken according to
that harsher sound wherewith they at first strike the auditor's ears.
The Feithers spake not of any transubstantiated bread, but of the
mystical and consecrated, when they used those sorts of expres-

217
sions ; and that for these reasons ; 1. That they might extol and
amplify the dignity of this mystery, which all true Christians ac
knowledge to be very great and peerless. 2. That communicants
might not rest in the outward Elements, but seriously consider the
thing represented, whereof they are most certainly made partakers,
if they be worthy receivers. 3. And lastly, that they might approach
so great a mystery with the more zeal, reverence, and devotion.
And that those hyperbolic expressions are thus to be understood, the
Fathers themselves teach clearly enough, when they come to inter
pret them.
5. Lastly, being the same holy Futhers who, (as the manner is
to discourse of Sacraments,) speak sometimes of the Bread and
Wine in the Lord's Supper, as if they were the very Body and
Blood of Christ, do also veiy often call them types, elements, signs,
the figure of the Body and Blood of Christ ; from hence it ap
pears most manifestly, that they were of the Protestants, and not
of the Papists' opinion. For we can without prejudice to what we
believe of the Sacrament, use those former expressions which the
Papists believe do most favour them, if they be understood, as
they ought to be, sacramentally. But the latter none can use, but
he must thereby overthrow the groundless doctrine of Transubstan
tiation ; these two, the Bread is transubstantiated into the Body,
and the Bread also is the type, the sign, the figure of the Body of
Christ, being wholly inconsistent. For it is impossible that a
thing that loseth its being should yet be the sign and representa
tion of another ; neithor can any thing be the type and the sign of
itself. But if without admitting of a sacramental sense the words be
used too rigorously, nothing but this will follow ; that the Bread and
Wine are really and properly the very Body and Blood of Christ,
which they themselves disown, that hold Transubstantiation. There
fore in this change, it is not a newness of substance, but of use and
virtue that is produced ; which yet the Fathers acknowledged with
us, to be wonderful, supernatural, and proper only to God's Om
nipotency ; for that earthly and corruptible meat cannot become to
us a spiritual and heavenly, the Communion of the Body and Blood
of Christ, without God's especial power and operation. And
whereas it is far above philosophy and human reason, that Christ
from Heaven, (where alone He is locally,) should reach down to us
the divine virtue of His Flesh, so that we are made one body with
Him ; therefore it is as necessary as it is reasonable, that the Fa
thers should tell us, that we ought with singleness of heart to be
lieve the Son of God, when He saith. This is My Body ; and that
we ought not to measure this high and holy mystery by our narrow
conceptions, or by the course of nature. For it is more acceptable
to God with an humble simplicity of faith to reverence and embrace
the words of Christ, than to wrest them violently to a strange and
28

218

improper sense, and with curiosity and presumption to determine
what exceeds the capacity of men and Angels.

CHAPTER VII.
History of the rise of the Romish Doctrine of Transubstantiation.
We have proved it before, that the leprosy of Transubstantiation
did not begin to spread over the body of the Church in a thousand
years after Christ. But at last the thousand years being expired,
and Satan loosed out of his prison, to go and deceive the nations,
and compass the camp of the Saints about, then, to the great dam
age of Christian peace and religion, they began here and there to
dispute against the clear, constant, and universal consent of the
Fathers, and to maintain the new-started opinion. It is known to
them that understand History, what manner of times were then,
and what were those Bishops who then governed the Church of
Rome ; Sylvester II. John XIX. and XX. Sergius IV. Benedictus
VIII. John XXI. Benedict IX. Sylvester III. Gregory VI. Dama-
sus II. Leo IX.. Nicholas II. Gregory VII. or Hildebrand ; who
tore to pieces the Church of Rome with grievous schisms, cruel
wars, and great slaughters. For the Roman Pontificate was come
to that pass, that good men being put by, they whose life and doc
trine was pious being oppressed, none could obtain that dignity,
but they that could bribe best, and were most ambitious.
In that unhappy age the learned were at odds about the presence
of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament ; some defending the an
cient doctrine ofthe Church, and some the new-sprung-up-opinion.
Fulbert, Bishop of Chartres, (A. D. 1010.) was tutor to Beren
garius, whom we shall soon have occasion to speak of, and his
doctrine was altogether conformable to that of the Primitive Church,
as appears clearly out of his Epistle to Adeodatus, wherein he
teacheth, " That the mystery of faith in the Eucharist, is not to be
looked on with our bodily eyes, but with the eyes of our mind.
For what appears outwardly Bread and Wine, is made inwardly
the Body and Blood of Christ ; not that which is tasted with the
mouth, but that which is relished by the heart's affection. There
fore," saith he, " prepare the palate of thy faith, open the throat of
thy hope, and enlarge the bowels of thy charity, and take that
Bread of life which is the food of the inward man." Again, " The
perception of a divine taste proceeds from the faith of the inward
man, whilst by receiving the saving Sacrament, Christ is received
into the soul." All this is against those who teach in too gross a

219
manner, that Christ in this mystery enters carnally the mouth and
stomach ofthe receivers.
Fulbert was followed by Berengarius, his scholar. Archdeacon
of Angers in France, a man of great worth, by the holiness both of
his life and doctrine. *****
Berengarius stood up valiantly in defence of that doctrine which
170 years before, was delivered out of God's Word and the holy
Fathers, in France, by Bertram, and John Erigena, and by others
elsewhere, against those who taught that in the Eucharist neither
Bread nor Wine remained after the Consecration. Yet he did not
either believe or teach, (as many falsely and shamelessly have im
puted to him,) that nothing more is received in the Lord's Supper,
but bare signs only, or mere Bread and Wine ; but he believed and
openly profest, as St. Austin and other faithful Doctors of the
Church had taught out of God's Word, that in this mystery, the
souls of the faithful are truly fed by the true Body and Blood of
Christ to life eternal. Nevertheless it was neither his mind nor
his doctrine, that the substance of the Bread and Wine is reduced
to nothing, or changed into the substance of the natural Body of
Christ ; or, (as some then would have had the Church believe,)
that Christ Himself comes down carnally from Heaven. Entire
books he wrote upon this subject, but they have been wholly sup-
prest by his enemies, and now are not to be found. Yet what we
have of him in his greatest enemy Lanfrank, I here set down ; "By
the Consecration at the Altar the Bread and Wine are made a Sa
crament of Religion ; not to cease to be what they were, but to be
changed into something else, and to become what they were not ;"
agreeable to what St. Ambrose had taught. Again ; " There are
two parts in the Sacrifice of the Church, (this is according to St.
Irenaeus,) the visible Sacrament, and the invisible thing of the Sa
crament ; that is, the Body of Christ." Item, " The Bread and
Wine which are consecrated, remain in their substance, having a
resemblance with that whereof they are a Sacrament, for else
they could not be a sacrament." Lastly, " Sacraments are visible
signs of divine things, but in them the invisible things are honour
ed." All this agrees well with St. Austin, and other Fathers above
cited. He did not therefore by this his doctrine exclude the Body of
Christ from the Sacrament, but in its right administration he joined
together the thing signified with the sacred sign ; and taught that
the Body of Christ was not eaten with the mouth in a carnal way,
but with the mind, and soul, and spirit. Neither did Berengarius
alone maintain this orthodox and ancient doctrine ; for Sigibert,
William of Malmesbury, Matthew Paris, and Matthew of West
minster, make it certain, that almost all the French, Italians, and
English of those times were of the same opinion ; and that many

220
things were said, writ, and disputed in its defence by many men ;
amongst whom was Bruno, then Bishop of the same Church of
Angers. Now this greatly displeaseth the Papal faction, who took
great care that those men's writings should not be delivered to pos
terity, and now do write, that the doctrine of Berengarius, owned
by the Fathers, and maintained by many famous nations, skulkt only
in some dark corner or other.
The first Pope who opposed himself to Berengarius was Leo the
Ninth, a plain man indeed, but too much led by Humbert and
Hildebrand. For as soon as he was desired, he pronounced sen
tence of excommunication against Berengarius, absent and unheard ;
and not long after he called a council of Verceil, wherein John
Erigena and Berengarius were condemned, upon this account, that
they should say, that the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are only
bare signs ; which was far from their thoughts, and further yet
from their belief. This roaring therefore of the Lion frightened
not Berengarius : nay, the Galilean Churches did also oppose the
Pope, and his Synod of Verceil, and defend with Berengarius the
oppressed truth.
To Leo succeeded Pope Victor the Second, who seeing Beren
garius could not be cast down and crushed by the fulminations of
his predecessor, sent his legate Hildebrand into France, and called
another Council at Tours, where Berengarius being cited, did freely
appear, and whence he was freely dismissed, after he had given it
under his hand, that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrifice of the
Church, are not shadows and empty figures ; and that he held none
other but the common doctrine of the Church concerning the Sa
crament. For he did not alter his judgment, (as modern Papists
give out,) but he persisted to teach and maintain the same doctrine
as before, as Lanfrank complains of him.
Yet his enemies would not rest satisfied with this, but they urged
Pope Nicholas the Second, who, (within a few months that Stephen
the Tenth sate,) succeeded Victor, without the Emperor's consent
to call a new Council at Rome against Berengarius. For, that sen
sual manner of presence, by them devised, to the great dishonour
of Christ, being rejected by Berengarius, and he teaching as he
did before, that the Body of Christ was not present in such a sort,
as that it might be at pleasure brought in and out, taken into the
stomach, cast on the ground, trod under foot, and bit or devoured
by any beasts, they falsely charged him as if he had denied that it
is j^resent at all. An hundred and thirteen Bishops came to the
Council, to obey the Pope's Mandate ; Berengarius came also.
" And, (as Sigonius and Leo Ostiensis say,) when none present could
withstand him, they sent for one Albericus,, a Monk of Mount Cas-
sin, made Cardinal by Pope Stephen :" who having asked seven
days' time to answer in writing, brought at last his scroll against
Berengarius. The reasons and arguments used therein to convince

221
his antagonist are not now extant, but whatever they were, Beren
garius was commanded presently without any delay to recant, in
that form prescribed and appointed by Cardinal Humbert, which
• was thus : " I Berengarius, &c., assent to the Holy Roman and
Apostolic See, and with my heart and mouth do profess, that I hold
that faith concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Table which our
Lord and venerable Pope Nicholas, and this sacred Council, have
determined and imposed upon me by their evangelic and apostolic
authority ; to wit, that the Bread and Wine which are set on the
Altar, are not after the consecration only a sacrament, sign, and
figure, but also the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ ;
(thus far it is well enough, but what follows is too horrid, and is dis
owned by the Papists themselves ;) and that they (the Body and
Blood,) are touched and broken with the hands of the Priests, and
ground with the teeth of the faithful, not sacramentally only, but
in truth and sensibly." This is the prescript of the Recantation im
posed on Berengarius, and by him at first rejected, but by imprison
ment, and threats, and fear of being put to death, at last extorted
from him.
This form of Recantation is to be found entire in Lanfrank, Alge-
rus, and Gratian ; yet the Glosser on Gratian, John Semeca, marks
it with this note ; " Except you understand well the words of Beren
garius," (he should rather have said of Pope Nicholas, and Cardinal
Humbertus,) you shall fall into a greater heresy than his was, for he
exceeded the truth, and spake hyperbolically." And so Richard de
Mediavilla ; " Berangarius being accused, overshot himself in his
'justification :" but the excess of his words should be ascribed to those
who prescribed and forced them upon him. Yet in all this we hear
nothing of Transubstantiation.
Berengarius at last escaped out of this danger, and conscious to
himself of having denied the truth, took heart again, and refuted in
writing his own impious and absurb Recantation, and said, " That by
force it was extorted from him by the Church of Malignants, the
Council of Vanity." Lanfrank of Caen, at that time head of a Mon
astery in France, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and Guit-
mundus Aversanus answered him. And though it is not to be doubt
ed but that Berengarius, and those of his party, writ and replied
again and again, yet so well did their adversaries look to it, that
nothing of theirs remains, save some citations in Lanfrank. But it
were to be wished that we had now the entire works of Berengarius,
who was a learned man, and a constant follower of Antiquity ; for
out of them we might know with more certainty how things went,
than we can out of what his profest enemies have said.
This sacramental debate ceased awhile because of the tumults of
war raised in Apulia and elsewhere by Pope Nicholas the Second ;
but it began again as soon as Hildebrand, called Gregory the Seventh
came to the Papal chair. For Berengarius was cited again to anew

222
Council at Rome, "where some being of one opinion and some
another," (as it is in the acts of that Council, writ by those of the
Pope's faction,) his cause could not be so entirely oppressed but that
some Bishops were still found to uphold it. Nay, the ringleader him
self, Hildebrand, is said to have doubted, " whether what we receive
at the Lord's Table be indeed the Body of Christ by a substantial
conversion." But three months space having been granted to Be
rengarius, and a fast appointed to the Cardinals, " that God would
show by some sign from heaven, (which yet He did not,) who was
in the right, the Pope or Berengarius, concerning the Body of the
Lord;" at last the business was decided without any oracle from
above, and a new form of retraction imposed on Berengarius, where
by he was henceforth forward to confess, under pain of the P(}pe's
high displeasure, " that the mystic Bread," (first made magical and
enchanting by Hildebrand,) " is substantially turned into the true and
proper Flesh of Christ ;" which whether he ever did is not certain.
For though Malmesbury tells us, "that he died in that Roman faith,"
yet there are ancienter than he, who say, "that he never wa^ con
verted from his first opinion." And some relate^ " that after this last
condemnation having given over his studies, and given to the poor
all he had, he wrought with his own hands for his living." Other
things related of him by some slaves of the Roman See, deserve no
credit. These things happened,  in the year 1079; and
soon after Berengarius died.
Berengarius being dead the orthodox and ancient doctrine of the
Lord's Supper which he maintained did not die with him ; (as the
Chronicus Cassinensis would have it ; for it was still constantly re
tained by St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, who Hved about the be
ginning ofthe twelfth century. In his discourse on the' Lord's Sup
per, he joins together the outward form of the Sacrament, and the
spiritual efficacy of it, as the shell and the kernel, the sacred sign, and
the thing signified ; the one he takes out of the words of the Institu
tion, and the other out of Christ's Sermon in the sixth of St. John.
And in the same place explaining, that Sacraments are not things
absolute in themselves without any relation, but mysteries, wherein
by the gift of a visible sign, an invisible and divine grace with the
Body and Blood of Christ is given, he saith, " That the visible sign
is as a ring, which is given not for itself or absolutely, but to invest
and give possession of an estate made over to one."  Now,
as no man can fancy that the ring is substantially changed into the
inheritance, whether lands or houses, none also can say with truth,
or without absurdity, that the Bread and Wine are substantially
changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. But in his Sermon on
the Purification, which none doubts to be his, he speaks yet more
plainly ; " The Body of Christ in the Sacrament is the food of the
soul, not of the belly, therefore we eat him not corporally : but in the
manner that Christ is meat, in the same manner we understand

223
that he. is eaten." Also in his Sermon on St. Martin, which un
doubtedly is his also ; " To this day," saith he, " the same flesh is
given to us, but spiritually, therefore not corporally." For the truth
of things spiritually present is certain also.
* * # *
The thirteenth century now follows ; wherein the world growing
both older and worse, a great deal of trouble and confusion there was
about religion  So that now there remained nothing but to
confirm the new tenet of Transubstantiation, and impose it so per
emptorily on the Christian world, that none might dare so much as
to hiss against it. This Pope Innocent the Third bravely performed.
He succeeding Celestin the third at thirty years of age, and march
ing stoutly in the footsteps of Hildebrand, called a Council at Rome
in St. John Lateran, and was the first that ever presumed to make
the new-devised Doctrine of Transubstantiation an Article of Faith
necessary to salvation, and that by his own mere authority.
Tp ^ TT* ^
In the fifteenth century the Council of Constance, (which by a
sacrilegious attempt took away the sacramental cup from the peo
ple, and from the Priests when they do not officiate,) did wrongfully
condemn Wiclif, who was already dead, because amongst other
things he had taught with the Ancients, " That the substance of the
Bread and Wine remains materially in the Sacrament of the Altar ;
and that in the same Sacrament, no accidents of Bread and Wine
remain without a substance." Which two assertions are most true.
* # * *
By these any considering person may easily see, that Transubstan
tiation is a mere novelty ; nor warranted either by scripture or an
tiquity ; invented about the middle of the twelfth century, out of
some misunderstood sayings of some of the Fathers ; confirmed by
no ecclesiastical or Papal Decree before the year 1215, afterwards
received only here and there in the Roman Church ; debated in the
schools by many disputes ; liable to many very bad consequences
rejected, (for there was never those wanting that opposed it,) by
many great and pious men, until it was maintained in the sacrilegious
Council of Constance ; and at last in the year 1551, confirmed in
the Council of Trent, by a few Latin Bishops, slaves to the Roman
See ; imposed upon all, under pain of an anathema, to be feared by
none ; and so spread too far, by the tyrannical and most unjust conri-
mand of the Pope. So that we have no reason to embrace it, until
it shall be demonstrated, that except the substance of the Bread be
changed into the very Body of Christ, His words cannot possibly
be true ; nor His Body present. Which will never be done.

No. 29.
(ad Populum.)
CHRISTIAN LIBERTY;
OR,
WHY SHOULD WE BELONG TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND?

¦BY A layman.

He that receiveth you, receiveth Me ; and he that receiveth Me, receiv
eth Him that sent Me.
He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a
prophet's reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of
a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. Matt. x. 40, 41.
John Evans was walking Wong the lane between his own house
and the common, when just at the place where the lane makes a
turning, he suddenly met Dr. Spencer, the Rector of his parish.
John was not particularly pleased at thus meeting his Pastor, for
several reasons. He had formerly been a most regular attendant
at the parish church, from which he had lately chosen to absent him
self with his family. Not that he stayed away from idleness, or
from any intentional disregard of the commands of God ; he felt,
as he imagined, the same reverence for the Divine Will as ever ; it
was, indeed, rather a mistaken zeal than any thing else, which had
led to his change of conduct. He had been induced, one Sunday,
by a friend who belonged to a dissenting congregation, to go with
him to the meeting-house ; and when he was there, there was some
thing in the energy of the preacher's manner, in the vehement action
by which his teaching was accompanied, and in his seeming ear
nestness in the holy cause of God, which, as it was quite new to
John, was particularly striking to him. Compared with the fervour
of this man, the quiet but sound discourses of his Rector seemed
spiritless and tame ; and John came out of the meeting under the
influence of such enthusiastic feelings, as led him to resolve to visit
it again the first opportunity. And thus he was led on to go again
and again, till at last he made up his mind to become a regular at
tendant there. Thither he accordingly took his family, Sunday after
Sunday ; and deserted, of course, the old parish church, the ven
erable building in which he and his had received the holy rite of
Baptism, in which, as each of them in turn outgrew their infancy.

225
they had heard for the first time the solemn sound of congregational
prayer, and in which those who had arrived at a proper age, had
frequently received, from Christ's authorized Ministers, the sym
bols of His sacred Body and Blood.
It will be seen from what follows, that in making this change
upon such grounds as have been described, John Evans did not un-.
derstand that he was disobeying the God whom he was trying to
serve, and putting a slight upon that Saviour, whose disciple he not
only professed himself, but in good earnest desired to be. Yet
though he did not enter into this view of the matter ; though he
knew not that he had shown disrespect to Christ in his Minister ;
still he felt as though he had not been behaving with perfect respect
to the Doctor, whom he loved on his own account, as he had in
deed every reason to do. So what with his fear of a rebuke on
this ground ; (a rebuke which he dreaded the more from the mild
ness of the language in which he knew that it would be clothed ;)
what with the irksomeness of having to avow opinions which must
be disagreeable to one whom he so highly respected ; and moreover,
the suspicion which he could not help feeling, that in these new
ways of his, so different from what he had been used to revere, and
so suddenly taken up, he might possibly be wrong ; for all these va
rious reasons, he met his Pastor with a downcast and half-guilty
look, very different from the open, honest smile with which he had
till then ever greeted the good Clergyman.
Dr. Spencer, however, took no notice of the difference. "Well,
John," said he, " I am glad to see you. I was on my way to have
a little conversation with you, and should have been sorry to have
missed you."
John thought it best to be bold, and come out at once with his
defence of himself. " I believe. Sir," said he, " that I can guess
what it is you were wishing to talk with me about. I have taken
a step which I fear  I know,  must be displeasing to
you. Sir. I trust however, that in exercising my Christian Lib
erty in the choice of my spiritual teacher, and joining the meeting
instead of going to Church, I shaU not seem to have acted from dis
respect to you. Sir, who have so long been a good friend to me and
mine." Dr. — By no means, John ; do not suppose either that I feel per
sonally offended by your conduct, or that I do not regard you with
feelings as friendly as ever. But, as to the Christian Liberty you
speak of, we perhaps understand that matter rather differently ; and
it was because I thought you were in some mistake about it, that I
was coming to see you to-day. I have missed yourself and family
for some Sundays past in Church, and understood you had joined
the meeting. Is not this the case ?
John. — It is, Sir ; and, as I have already said, without the slight
est notion of showing you disrespect.
i 29

226
Dr. — Say no more about that, John ; I know you too well to sus
pect you for a moment of such a feeling as that. Speak to me, as
to your sincere friend and well-wisher, in perfect candour ; and do
not fear that I shall be offended by any thing you say, while you tell
me fairly your reasons for this change in your conduct.
J. — I am sure. Sir, that in the old Church I never heard any thing
from you but what was good ; and I never thought, till the other
day, that I could pray better in any other words than in those of
the Church Service. But there is something so fine in the prayers
without book, as they are offered at meeting, and 
Dr. — And something perhaps in the manner and language of the
preacher, who preaches there without book also ? But let me ask,
had you no other reasons than these, and such as these, for leaving
the Church ?
J. — None, Sir, but such as these ; at least none that I am aware
of. Dr. — ^You did not consider that either the Church Prayer-Book,
or my Sermons, taught doctrines contrary to the great truths re
vealed in God's Word ?
J. — God forbid. Sir.
, Dr. — You had then, perhaps, some such notion as this ; you
thought that in the Church you could pray well, but at meeting you
could pray rather better ?
J. — Just so. Sir.
Dr. — And you thought that you were doing God service, then,
by joining that worship which touched you most ?
J. — And surely. Sir, I was right in that thought, at least.
Dr. — You would have been right, if God had not chosen a Min
ister for you. In that case perhaps you might have used your Chris
tian Liberty, as you call it, and joined any congregation and worship
you pleased. But His having given a clear command alters the
case, and makes that which would otherwise have been a matter of
indifference, an act of disobedience and sin.
J. — But if I may be so bold as to ask. Sir, when did God give
this command, and where is it to be found ? I am not so ready
with the Bible as learned people, yet I know it in my own way.
That was the very thing I heard Mr. Tims, who preaches at the
meeting, ask last Sunday. He said, " where is the Church of Eng
land spoken of in the Bible ? name chapter and verse where we are
bid belong to it." And then he went on to say, that the new heart
is eveiy thing ; and that we shall not be asked at the last day, whe
ther we were Churchmen or Dissenters, but what the state of our
heart is.
Dr. — ^We shall be asked at the last day, whether we have obeyed
God's commandments ; now, one of those commandments is, that we
should belong to the Church, as I will soon show you. But first you
shall tell me what has been your reason, till lately, for going to Church.

227
J. — I was born of Church-going parents, and that made me a
regular Church-goer in my youth. And when I grew up, I always,
at least till the other day, thought that I had the best of reasons for
keeping regular to Church. In the first place, the Church was the
Law Church ; and that of itself would be a reason, even if there
were no other, for good subjects keeping to it ; and then, I knew it
had been in the country many, many years, whereas all the meet
ings about are (so to say,) of yesterday, and in one sense upstarts.
And then I had heard from you. Sir, that in former times it had
Saints and Martyrs, such as were when our Lord was on earth.
And I thought it therefore far more likely to be right, and had a
stronger claim on me than any other religion ; and especially since
I was a pretty regular reader of my Bible, and never found the
teaching which I heard at Church different from that which I thus
picked up at home.
Dr. — All good reasons as far as they went : but I see that I was
right in supposing the chief claim the Church has on all Christians,
is unknown to you. Our Church is sprung from that very Church
which Christ set up at Jerusalem when He came upon earth ;
and none of the sects have this great gift. , It is a branch of that
Holy Church, which Christ promised to ¦ be with, " even unto the
end of the world." You must surely often have met in the Bible
with mention of " the Church :" what did you suppose the word to
mean ?
J. — I do not know, Sir, that I had any very clear idea what it
meant ; but I rather thought it meant all sincere Christians in all
parts of the world, to whatever Church or sect they might belong.
Dr. — Then it seems you did not understand the word" Church"
to signify a body of men, bound by the same laws, acting together,
speaking the same thing, attending the same worship, reverencing the
same Pastors and Teachers, and receiving at their hands the Sacra
ments which Christ has ordained. Yet it is quite certain that this is
what our Lord meant, when He spoke of His Church. He meant
a Church such as the Church of England. This will be clear to you
from Matth. xviii. 15, 16, 17. In these verses Christ speaks ofthe
Church ; in the last of them He bids His Disciples regard any one
who should in certain cases refuse to " hear the Church," as a hea
then, and a publican ; as an opposer of His authority, and an outcast
from His sacred fold. Thus it appears the Church He speaks of, is
not a mere number of good people scattered over the world, who
may or may not have communion with each other, (which was your
notion of the word,) but one public orderly body, consisting of Min
isters and people, such as the Church of England. To be sure the
Church of England happens to have wealth and honour, and that
first Church had not ; but this is but an accidental difference between
them. If the Church of England were to lose its wealth and honour,
it would not, could not cease to be a branch of the true Church. For

228
the true Church, and the Church of England, as a branch of it, is
founded on a rock, and against it the gates of hell will never prevail ;
as you may read, Matth. xvi. 18, 19.
J..^-If you would kindly write down these texts for me, I will turn
them out of my own Bible, and think over them. There is one thing,
however, Sir, which comes into my mind to ask you. Even suppos
ing all Christidlns ought to join together in one, yet they do not.
There are a good many religions among us, and how is a plain un
learned man like me to know which is the real Church, spoken of in
these passages ?
Dr. — The matter is not so difficult as you imagine, even t& the
most unlearned. The true Church of Christ must possess, as I will
now show you, certain marks ; to which not even a pretence is made
by the numerous sects of Dissenters with which our country, from
different unfortunate circumstances, abounds. Let me go back to
the time when the Gospel was first preached, and converts made by
the Apostles. Many of these believers, we find, acknowledged in the
Apostles the authority which Christ had given them over the flock,
and were followers of them even as they were of Christ, (1 Cor.
xi. 1.) remembering them in all things, and keeping the ordinances
which they had delivered to the congregation in each place ; and for
this conduct the Corinthians received the inspired praise of St. Paul.
(ibid. xi. 2.) But there were others, who called themselves Christians,
who caused divisions among the brethren, (1 Cor. ii. 18, 19.) forming
parties of their own, and setting at nought the Apostolical Authority.
To these St. Paul spoke in vain, when he said, " I beseech you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you ; but that
ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same
judgment." (1 Cor. i. 10.) They slighted the Lord's accredited
Minister, and said that his bodily presence was weak, and his speech
contemptible, (2 Cor. x. 10.) Many ofthe sects which these men
formed, fell, as was to be expected, into follies and heresies ; but
even without reference tp this fact, even if we suppose them to have
taught the great doctrines of Christianity with the same purity as the
Apostles did, could a reasonable man entertain a moment's doubt,
granting Christ had indeed founded a Church on earth, which that
Church was ; whether the name of Church belonged to the company
of Christians which obeyed His Apostles ; or, on the other hand, to
anyone ofthe sects which viHfied and despised them?
J. — Certainly not ; that is, there could be no doubt, as long as the
Apostles were alive, that the Christians whom they governed must
have made up the true visible Church of Christ.
Dr. — Sharply argued, John ; but you shall not escape from me
notwithstanding. For at all events, is it not plain that there was a
great number of sects then as now? so that a man, who wished to
do his duty, would have to look about him carefully, and would be

229
in danger of doing wrong, if he joined the first body of so-called
Christians, which he met with ? — a great number of sects, I repeat,
in spite of the Apostles being alive ; so that it is not the mere cir
cumstance of the Apostles being dead, which makes a search neces
sary to find the true Church.
J. — I see what you would say. Sir.
Dr. — Now then to proceed. You are disposed to doubt, whether
one Church was truer than another after the Apostles' death. Surely
is it not plain, that that Church would still be the true one, which
they had governed? Now you will find, (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) that
our Lord promised to be with His Apostles in their character of
teachers and baptizers of the nations, alway, even unto the end ofthe
world. What did He mean by that ?
J. — He could not mean that Peter, James, or John, or their brethren,
were to live for ever on earth : for we know that they are long since
dead. Dr. — Certainly not ; and we must therefore ascribe to His words
the only other meaning which they can reasonably bear. As He
could not have spoken of the persons ofthe Apostles, He must have
spoken of their offiices. He must have meant that though Peter,
James, and John should be taken from the world, the true Church
should never be left without Apostles, but be guided by their suc
cessors to the end of time.
John Evans had all this while been retracing with Dr. Spencer
the way he had lately come, and had now arrived at the door of his
own house. The good Clergyman thinking he had given him matter
enough to cast in his mind, took this as a fit momeni to break off the
conversation, determining to resume it some early day. He there
fore merely went into his parishioner's house to turnout for him the
texts he had referred to, and then wished him good evening.
The next Sunday John was at Church ; and after the Service was
over, he kept lingering in the path which led to the Dr.'s house, in
hopes of being overtaken by his Rector. He was not disappointed.
Dr. Spencer soon joined him, and the argument between them was
resumed. J. — If, Sir, as you were saying, our Lord meant, that there should
be teachers and rulers of the Church, to stand in the place of the
Apostles after their death, how is it we hear nothing of these succes
sors, so to call them, in Scripture ?
Dr. — On the other hand I affirm, we hear a great deal about them
in Scripture, as you will agree with me. Surely you recollect the
Apostles solemnly laying their hands on others, or, as it is called,
ordaining them, to act as their assistants and fellows ; and this they
did, when Christians became too numerous for them to attend to
them all by themselves. Such a person was Timothy, whom St. Paul
thus consecrated by the putting on of his hands, (1 Tim. i. 6.) to bear
rule over that branch of the Church which was established at Ephe-

230
sus in Asia ; Titus too, whom he left with authority over the Church
in the island of Crete, " to set in order the things that were wanting ;"
* (Tit. i. 5.) and such Epaphroditus, whom he sent to the Philippians
as his "brother, and companion in labour, and fellow-soldier, but
their messenger," or Apostle, (Phil. ii. 25.) Now in the absence of
the Apostles, what do you suppose would have been the conduct of
all true Christians to these whom the Apostles had appointed ?
J. — Of course they would have shown them all honour and
obedience, in order to show their respect for the Apostles them
selves. Dr. — Certainly ; as reverencing St. Paul, they would have attend
ed to his plain doctrine ; " Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is
my partner and fellow-helper concerning you ; or our brethren (i. e.
Luke and another sent to act jointly with Titus) be inquired of, they
are the Apostles of the Churches, and the glory of Christ. Where
fore show ye to them and before the Churches, the proof of your
love, and of bur boasting on your behalf" (2 Cor. viii. 23, 24.) On
the other hand, how do you think these new Apostles would have
been treated by those who slighted the authority of St. Peter and
St. Paul.
J. — Those who set at nought the Apostles themselves, would also
set at nought those who stood in their place.
Dr. — You see then, that had we lived in the days of the Apostles,
we should have had one plain test among others, for discovering the
true Church, in spite of all counterfeits of it. The true Church was
that Christian body, which was governed by men commissioned by
the Apostles ; ahd those who were perverse towards St. Peter and
St. Paul, would have been disobedient towards them. But let us
now go a step further. Do you suppose that Timothy, for instance,
ceased to be an Apostle, such as St. Paul had made him, on the death
of St. Paul ?
J. — I do not see why he should ; but I should like to know whe
ther there is proof from Scripture that he did not.
Dr. — When St. Paul was just going to be put to death for the
sake of the Gospel, he writes thus to Timothy : " Preach the Word ;
be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort wjth all
long-suffering and doctrine  Watch tlwu in all things, endure
affliction, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy min
istry. For / am now ready to be offered, and the time of my de
parture is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course." (2 Tim. iv. 2 — 7.)
J. — From these words it is certainly clear that St. Paul intended
Timothy, whom he had appointed to act as his brother and fellow-
labourer while he lived, to act as his successor when he should be
no more.
M Dr. — And all true Christians, who had reverented Timothy as if,
really St. Paul, when that Apostle was removed from them for a

231
time by distance, would no less reverence him as such, when the
Apostle was removed once for all by death.
J. — They could do no less.
Dr.— -It follows then, that even when the Apostles had all entered
into their rest, i. e. in the second age of the Gospel, we might still
have used the test I have given, to distinguish the Church of Christ
from sects falsely claiming that name. We should have found the
one set of Christians reverently sitting at the feet of the successors
of the Apostles ; all the others so-called, openly rejecting their right
ful authority.
J. — It is'true ; ever while these successors of the Apostles hved,
all who professed to obey Christ, we're bound to pay them, and
would have paid them, a reverence which th6 false sects would not
have paid ; so that in those times there would certainly have been
no. difficulty in finding which was the Church, which it was our duty
to join.
Dr. — And when Timothy, Titus, or Epaphroditus, as exercising
the same full authority which had been exercised by St. Paul, them
selves appointed fellow-labourers and successors, committing, as the
Apostle had enjoined one of them to do, the things which they had
heard to faithful men who might be able to teach others also ; (2
Tim. n. 2.) would not these faithful men be reverenced by all true
Christians, for the very same reasons which led them to reverence
those that appointed them ?
J. — They would so, no doubt. As long as a direct line was con
tinued from the Apostles themselves onwards, all consistent Chris
tians must have paid them reverence. And such a succes.sion might
have gone on for a long while, — an hundred years or more.
Dr. — What if it have now gone on for eighteen hundred years ?
What if, by the good providence of God, the line which began with
the Apostles Peter and Paul should have continued even to this very
day ? so that there are men who stand in the place of the holy
Saints and Martyrs of Scripture up to this very hour, under the
great and eternal Head of the Church ? You look surprised, but
such is the fact ; and if such persons do really exist, and if we find
one community of Christians acknowledging, and obeying, and ruled
by them, while every other body of professing Christians in our
island disclaims and rejects them, you will see that this test will en
able the .most simple-minded and unlearned person to discriminate
between the true Church of Christ and the unauthorized sects
which call themselves Christ's followers now, almost as clearly as
he could, had He lived in the days of the Apostles themselves.
J. — Yes ; the body of Christians, which reverences and is guided
by the successors of the Apostles must be the true Church of
Christ.' But who are these successors of the Apostles in our
country ? though, to be sure, I think I know what answer you will
give me.

232
Dr.— The Bishops of the Church of England are they. There
is not one of them who cannot trace his right to guide and govern
Christ's Church, and to ordain, its Ministers, through a long line of
predecessors, up to the favoured persons who were consecrated by
the laying on of the holy hands of St. Peter and of St. Paul. This
is a fact whicK dissenters from the Church of England do not, and
cannot, deny ; nor do they profess that the authority of those, whom
they call their ministers, to teach and to administer the Sacraments,
rests at all on such grounds as these.
J. — I understand you. Sir ; but I have one remark to make, if
you will please to hear it. Bishops do not work miracles, as the
Apostles did ; nor can you' mean that we are to look upon their
teaching and writing^ now, as dictated by immediate inspiration,
and consequently infallible, like the New Testament. How then
are they successors of the Apostles ?
Dr. — You are bringing me to a large subject, John ; which we
will discuss some other time, not on a Sunday evening, when you
have your young ones at home, waiting to say their verses to you ;
and I had rather rest than argue after the Services of the day. We
will have some further talk, when occasion offers ; meanwhile, in
answer to your inquiry, I will but bid you compare John xx. with
Acts ii. The miraculous gifts were sent down upon the Apostles
on the day of Pentecost ; but the commission to preach, teach, and
ordain, were given, quite independently of all such extraordinary
endowments, before owr Saviour ascended into heaven. One word
at parting. — You have had a good education : your mind has been
opened to enter into arguments, to see objections, and answer
questions ; your understanding has been sharpened. This is a
talent which may be used rightly or abused ; to the unwary all
gifts are temptations. As riches betray men into selfishness and
an evil security ; so does a sharp wit tend to make them self-confi
dent, arrogant, and irreverent. Look at the advantages which
God has given you, not as a cause of boasting and self-graiification,
but seriously and anxiously, as a treasure of which you are steward
for God, and concerning which you must one day give account to
Him.

No. 30.
(ad Populum.)
CHRISTIAN LIB^ERTY;
OR,
WHY SHOULD WE BELONG TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND?

BY A LAYMAN.

(Continued.)

He that receiveth you, receiveth Me ; and he that receiveth Me, receiv
eth Him that sent Me.
He that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a
prophet's reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man, in the name of
a righteous man, shaU'receive a-righteous man's reward. Matt. x. 40, 41.
John Evans did not fail to look out in his Bible the texts to which
Dr. Spencer had referred him ; and he saw clearly that the miracu
lous powers with which it pleased God tp endue the Apostles, were
by no means necessarily connected with the commission which
those Apostles had previously received from our Lord ; the com
mission, we mean, to teach' and baptize all nations.
John was seen again on the next Sunday, at his accustomed place
in church. The Dr. preached from the text, Mark xvi. 17, 18;
"And these signs shall follow them that believe : in My name shall
they cast out devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall
take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them ; they shall lay hands on4he sick, and they shall recover."
He pointed out to his congregation the beautiful regularity which
pervades the works of God ; the settled laws, the established order,
with which our Maker guides the course of things around us ; the
certainty wi,th which the stars rise and set, the moon waxes and
wanes, the flower follows the bud, and the seed the flower. He re
minded his hearers how truly, from the times o'f the flood, God's
promise has been fulfilled ; and seed time and harvest, cold and
"heat, summer and winter, day and night, have not ceased. (Gen.
viii. 8.) " And surely," said he, " we see in these things the proofs
that God is a God of order ; that He would not lightly or without
important reasons change the system which He has established, the
laws which He has framed. If then we were to hear that the Ai-
30

234
MIGHTY had on a certain occasion broken through these laws, and
violated by miracles the established order of nature, we should have
the strongest reasons to suppose, 1st, that He had only done so, in
order to accomplish something which could not conceivably have
been accomplished without such interpositions ; and 2ndly, that He
would discontinue these interpositions as soon as they became no
longer necessary.
"N9W both these conclusions," continued the Doctor, " we find
to agree alike with the Bible and with the recorded history of man
kind. It was necessary that the doctrines of Christianity should be
known to be the infallible truth of God ; that what the Apostles
said or wrote on the subject should be received as the words of
God Himself speaking to mankind. Now this authority, as far as
we can see, can be given to mortal man only by God's visibly inter
fering in his: support ; and such interferences are what we call mira
cles. We see then, that for the establishment in the world of Chris-
, tianity, and of the authority of those sacred books which form the
New Testament, miracles were necessary ; and we find from Scrip
ture, that miracles were then vouchsafed. But when the interfer
ence had been fully proved, when evidence of it could be handed
down by ordinary means to following generations ; and when no
more divine truth was to be revealed, miracles were needed no
longer ; and the history of the world informs us, that they have
ceased for seventeen hundred years."
And while the Doctor, in conclusion, pointed out on the one hand
the folly of expecting a recurrence of such marvels in our own
days, an expectation which amounts to an acknowledgment that
Christianity is as yet imperfect, and that we are to look for a more
complete revelation ; he dwelt with much earnestness on the danger
of imagining that God's peculiar protection of Christianity, God's
peculiar inward gifts to believers ceased with the cessation of the
outward signs and wonders which at first accompanied the revela
tion of His Word.
John listened with great attention ; and, when the Service was
over, he thought long and deeply upon what had been said. He
looked out also the different texts which the Doctor had mentioned
in his Sermon ; and in so doing, he came to one which rather puz
zled him. It was, John xiv. 16. " It is strange," said he to himself;
" our Lord promised that the Comforter whom He would send,
should abide with His followers for ever ; I really do not see why
this promise should be given, if the greatest and most striking gifts
which that Comforter was to bestow, were to cease at the end of ,
one, or at most of two generations."
That evening, as he was strolling in the fine summer twilight along
the banks of the river, he met the Dr., who had walked that way to
enjoy the fineness of the season, and to refresh himself after tiie holy
labours of the day. He told him his difficulty, nearly in the words in

235
which we have expressed it ; and the Dr., smiling good-naturedly,
thus replied.
Dr. — ^Are you quite sure, John, that you have stated your case
aright? Is it perfectly certain that miraculous powers were the
greatest gifts which the Eternal Spirit was commissioned to bestow
upon mankind ?
J. — It certainly appeared to me that they were ; such marked,
such striking instances of God's favour were surely greater boons
than any thing else which we can conceive to be given to mortals in
this present life. I think. Sir, that I have heard you yourself call
these gifts of the Spirit, as opposed to others. His extraordinary
gifts. Dr. — You may very probably have heard me so call them ; but
"extraordinary" only means "unusual ;" and it does not always fol
low that what is unusual is more important than what is of frequent
occurrence. But tell me, John, in the case in which one thing is
done in order to prepare for the doing of some other thing, which is
the most important of the two ? the first of these things or the last ;
the means or the end ?
J. — The end, of course, is more important than the means ; no
man would venture to call the scaffolding which is raised that the
house may be built, more important than the house itself.
Dr. — Now think a moment, John, before you answer me ; why
were the miraculous powers bestowed on the Apostles ?
J. — To make men believers in Christ.
Dr. — To prepare the way, that is, for their receiving those inwar.d
gifts of the Spirit in which true believers now participate as fully
as those who lived in the days ofthe Apostles.
J. — I sea. Sir; the extraordinary gifts might be compared to the
scaffolding, the ordinary ones to the house.
Dr. — Exactly so, John ; marvellous and striking as were the signs
and wonders of the Apostolic age, we should ever recollect that they
were not greater gifts, or even gifts so great as those inward ones
which are our evangelical inheritance, as well as that of the Primi
tive Christians. When the doctrine of the Holy Ghost, and of His
inward influence, was new to the world, it pleased God to confirm
it, and to show that the influence was real, by permitting, in some
cases, those on whom it descended to perform works which they
coiild not have done, had not God been with them. Thus the real
importance, even then, of these miraculous gifts consisted in their
bearing witness to the inward and unseen ones which God still
showers upon His Church.
J. — And which we dare not suppose to have ceased merely be-
tause the outward signs of them did, when God himself had promis
ed that they should fast for ever.
Dr. — Well ; the promise of support to the Apostles, in the perform
ance of their Ministerial duties, was equally perpetual; Christ

236
was to be with them, we have seen, as the teachers and baptizers of
all nations, " alway, even unto the end of the world." The reality
of their powers, and, among others, of their power of conferring the
Holy Ghost on others, was attested at first by miracles. (Acts viii.
17, 18.) But we have no more reason for supposing that the true
powers of the Ministry ceased with the outward signs, in the case
of the Apostles, than we have for supposing, in the case just men
tioned of the gifts of common believers, that from the moment mira
cles were no longer vouchsafed, the Holy Spirit withdrew Himself
from the guidance of the Church for ever. That God has bestowed
Apostolic gifts upon Apostles, and the regenerating influences of His
Holy Ghost upon other believers, we know from the recorded tes
timony of those who witnessed the miracles by which the reafity of
those gifts and influences was at first established. That those gifts
and influences will be alike perpetual in the Church, we are bound
to believe upon the solemn word of Him who gave them.
J., — Miracles, then, performed in one age, and handed down by
history to others, form the standing proofs of the reality of those
gifts which were given to the Church for ever ; and one of those
gifts was undoubtedly the Apostolic power ; which we must believe.
upon this evidence, to be still existing.
Dr. — Exactly .so ; and infallibility of doctrine, itself a miracle,
ceased with miracles in general. We cannot see any reason for the
continuance of such a gift to the successors of the Apostles, when
the Apostles themselves have recorded all things necessary to salva
tion in those sacred Scriptures which have come down to our times,
and to which we can all refer. Nor have we the slightest ground for
doubting the permanence of those Apo'stolic privileges which were
of perpetual necessity, merely because a miraculous gift, evidently
no longer necessary, has been discontinued.
J. — This, Sir, I understand ; but there is one difficulty which oc
curs to me. As the rulers of the true Church are no longer infalli
ble, what is to prevent their all falling together into error, and thus
leading a.stray the whole Church committed to their care?
Dr. — ^We may infer from Christ's promise already mentioned, that
this will never happen to the whole Church at once ; that some true
Apostles will be found on earth in every age, until that last period
of the world's history, which shall witness His coming. But that with
regard to particular branches of His Church this may happen, and
has happened, is a melancholy truth. There is one simple test, how
ever, by which we may at once assure ourselves that the Church of
England has not so fallen away, or, as it is called, apostatized from
the faith of her Lord and Master.
J. — And what is that. Sir?
Dr. — As the eternal truth of God is contained in His revealed
word, the Bible ; no Church, whatever may be the errors of its in
dividual members, can be said, as a Church, to have fallen away.

237
and consequently to have lost her claim to the obedience of Christ's
true disciples, while she still reverences that Bible ;— while she puts
it into the hand of each of her followers, and bids him read it. and
seek there and there only the proofs ofthe doctrine which she incul
cates ; and while she declares, as the Church of England does in her
6th Article, that " Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to
salvation ; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved
thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed
as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to
salvation." J. — Then according to you. Sir, the Church of England is not only
the true, but the original Church of Christ, established in this king
dom. Now Sam Jones, the Catholic, who attends the Popish Chapel
in the next parish, tells me that his is the original Church, and that
the Church of England is a new one.
Dr. — That which is truly the Catholic Church, is indeed the
oldest ; but though we in a common way call the Papists, or follow
ers of th'e Pope, Cathohcs, yet it is we who are the true Catholics ;
for the term only means members of Christ's universal Church.
The history of the Papists is this. Many centuries ago, strange and
corrupt notions and practices prevailed in many of the churches in
Europe. Among others, people thought that the Pope or Bishop of
Rome was gifted with authority from Heaven to control all the
branches of the Church on earth, and that his Word was to be of
more weight than even the Holy Scriptures themselves. But about
three hundred years ago, the Bishops of the Church of England saw
these errors in their true light ; they saw that the Pope's authority
was not founded on Scripture, and they consequently refused to ac
knowledge it, while they at the same time corrected, upon scriptural
principles, the other errors and evil practices which I have alluded
to. These changes did not make the Church of England a new
church, nor prevent that body which was Christ's true and original
Church before, from being Christ's true and original Church still.
Some Bishops of that day, it is true, disapproved of these changes,
and refused to accede to them ; but as, when they died, they provi
dentially appointed no successors, there has never since been any
real ground for doubt which was the true Church of Christ in this
favoured land. The Bishops of the Church of England, and they
only, are the representatives by succession of those who, more than
a thousand years ago, planted the Gospel on our shores.*
* In the same manner it may be shown, that the established Church of Ireland alone
represents that Church which the labours of St. Patrick, in the fifth century, planted
in the island. Those who preside over the Romanists have received consecration from
Rome at a very recent period. And the corruptions which prevail in their religion, and
whiah distinguish it from ours, became prevalent long after the Saint's death. Our
doctrines, therefore, approach more nearly to his than theirs do ; and our Church is the
true and original Church of Christ in Ireland, in every sense which the words will
bear. <

238
J. — But there are persons whom the Papists call their Bishops —
whence do they come ?
Dr. — They derive what they call their right from their appoint
ment by foreign Bishops in an unauthorized manner. The Pope and
his followers would by no means acknowledge the changes which
had taken place in England ; they declared that our Church had
apostatized from the faith, and refused to communicate with us, till
we should return to all our ancient errors. They have since, upon
the alleged ground that our line of Bishops was extinct, given com
mission from time to time to different persons to exercise episcopal
authority here ; but as the ground was false, the commission was of
course void. We acknowledge the Pope and his Bishops in foreign
countries to be, by station, ministers ofthe Church, though we admit
and lament the fact, that they have led the branches of it over which
they preside into apostacy and shame ; yet we feel that in sending
their representatives hither, to act in defiance of the Church already
established, they are exceeding the limits of their authority. We feel
that God, who is not the author of confusion, but of peace, in all
churches of the saints, (1 Cor. xiv. 33.) cannot sanction the intrusion
of one Bishop, however duly consecrated, into the See of another,
with a view to the usurpation of his name and office, and to the or
ganizing a systematic opposition to his authority. We are compel
led therefore to regard those who are ordained, as Popish Priests
are, by these intruding Bishops, as unauthorized and schismatical
ministers of religion, and as violators, like the other dissenters
around them, of the laws of Christ's Church, and of the unity of
His fold.
J. — I thank you. Sir, for giving rne so good an answer to Sam
when next I meet him. And I thank you too, deeply and sincerely
do I thank you, for teaching me the nature of one great branch of
Christian duty which I never understood before. I seem now to
see that there is a sin of which a Christian may be guilty, of which
I never before thought ; the sin, I mean, of refusing obedience to
the command of our Redeemer lo hear His Apostles ; to demean
ourselves as dutiful members of the Church which those holy per
sons founded, and over which He Himself, invisibly, presides ; a
sin, of which they are deeply guilty who separate themselves from
that Church altogether, and join one or other of the many sects
which reject her authority. Pray, Sir, by what name is such a sin
properly called ?
Dr. — It is called " schism," from a Greek word signifying " divi
sion." A man may forfeit the privileges enjoyed by him as a
member of Christ's Church in two ways , — either on account of
" heresy," of his adopting opinions opposed to the great truths of the
Word of God ; or through schism, through a disregard of Chtirch
authority, and a notion that so long as his doctrine is pure, he may
join what sect he pleases, or even set up one for himself. The ex-

239
ercise of such a privilege I have heard some people call " Christian
Liberty." J. (smiling.)— I understand you. Sir ; but you shall hear me use
the word in this improper sense no more. The true liberty, where
with Christ has made us free, is theirs alone, who, in reverencing
His ministers, walk in the way of His commandments. Admitting,
as I now do, the force of what you have said ; convinced, as I now
am, that the Church of England is the Apostolic Church of Christ,
established by our Lord Himself, I cannot but see that their sin is
indeed great, who wilfully reject and despise it.
Dr. — Such persons would do well to consider our Saviour's
words to those Ministers whose successors they slight. " He that
despiseth you, despiseth Me ; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth
Him that sent Me." (Luke x. 16.)
J. — They would indeed, ^ Sir; and I thank God that you have
shown me the meaning of this text before I had completely sepa
rated myself from the Church to which my Saviour has commanded
me to belong. God knows, I meant to do no such thing when first
my curiosity led me to the meeting.
Dr. — I know it, John ; but let this show you the danger of making
the first step, of yielding to the first temptation. Curiosity led you
to a place, to which, if you understood your duty, you had no busi
ness to go ; you were pleased, and tempted to repeat your visit, and
might soon have been led to unite yourself entirely to that un
authorized congregation ; in defiance, as I have now shown you, of
the solemnly declared will of the Almighty.
J. — Well, Sir ; I will by God's blessing, keep myself from such
temptations for the future. I trust that on each succeeding Sunday,
while life and health are spared me, I shall be found in my old ac
customed seat, at Church, and kneel in the sacred spot where my
forefathers knelt before me ; and God grant that no temptation
may ever again lead me astray, or induce me to separate from the
holy Church of my Redeemer.
Dr. — It gives me, John, the sincerest pleasure to hear you ex
press such sentiments as these. One good effect will, through
God's grace, result even from this your temporary wandering from
the fold. You will now know better than you did what we mean
when in the words of our Liturgy we pray for " the good estate of
the Catholic Church ;" and you will be enabled, I trust, to join more
fully than heretofore in th^ beautiful prayer " that it may be so guid
ed and governed by God's good Spirit, that all who profess and
call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and
hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in right
eousness of life."
J. — 1 hope. Sir, that I shall ; I hope that I shall ever feel duly
thankful for the blessing of being called into Christ's Church, thus
happily established among us ; and I trust that when in the name

240
of the congregation you put up the prayer for protection against
" false doctrine, heresy, and schism" my heart and soul may ac
company my lips in the response, — " Good Lord, deliver us I"

No. 31.
(Ad Clerum.)
THE REFORMED CHURCH.
All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord,
because the foundation of the House of the Loed was laid. But many of
the Priests and Levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men
that had seen the first House, when the foundation of this House was laid
before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. — Ezra iii. 11, 12.
Some remarks may, perhaps, be profitably made on the follow
ing well known fines in Herbert's Church Militant, in which the
text above quoted is applied to our own period :
The second Temple could not reach the first,
And the late Reformation never durst
Compare with ancient times and purer years.
But in the Jews and us deserveth tears.
Nay, it shall every year decrease and fade,
Till such a darkness shall the v/orld invade
At Christ's last coming, as His first did find ;
Yet must their proportions be assigned
To these diminishings, as is between
The spacious world and Jewry to be seen.
Surely there is a close analogy between the state of the Jews
after the captivity, and our own ; and, if so, a clear understanding
and acknowledgment of it will tend to teach us our own place, and
suggest to us our prospects.
1. It is scarcely necessary tp notice the general correspondence
between the fortunes ofthe two Churches Both Jews and Christians
" left their first love," mixed with the world, were brought under the
power of their enemies, went into captivity, and at length, through
God's mercy, were brought back again from Babylon. Ezra and
Nehemiah are the forerunners of our Hookers and Lauds ; Sanballat
and Geshem of the disturbers of our Israel. Samaria has set up its
rival temple among us.
2. The second Temple lacked the peculiar treasures of the Tem
ple of Solomon, the Prince of Peace ; such as the Ark, the visible
glory of God, the tables of the Covenant, Aaron's rod, the manna,
the oracle. In like manner the Christian Church was, in the begin
ning, set up in unity ; unity of doctrine, or truth, unity of discipline.

241
or Catholicism, unity of heart, or charity. In spite of the heresies
which then disturbed the repose of Christians, consider the evidences
which present themselves in ecclesiastical history of their firm endu
rance of persecution, their tender regard for the members of Christ,
however widely removed by place and language, their self-denying
liberality in supplying their wants, the close correspondence -of all
parts of the body Catholic, as though it were but one family, their
profound reverential spirit towards sacred things, the majesty of their
religious services, and the noble strictness of their life and conver
sation. Here we see the " Rod" of the Priesthood, budding forth
with fresh life ; the " Manna" of the Christian ordinances uncor
rupted ; the " Oracle" of Tradition fresh from the breasts of the
Apostles ; the " Law," written in its purity on " the fleshly tables of
the heart ;" the " Shechinah," which a multitude of Martyrs, Saints,
Confessors, and gifted Teachers, poured throughout the Temple.
But where is our unity now ? our ministrations of self-denying love ?
our prodigality of pious and charitable works ? our resolute resist
ance of evil ? We are reformed ;, we have come out of Babylon,
and have rebuilt our Church ; but it is Ichabod ; " the glory is de
parted from Israel."
3. The Jewish polity was, on its restoration, so secularized, that
the vestiges of a Theocracy scarcely remained in the eyes of
any but attentive believers. That it really existed as be'fore, is plain
from the prophetic gift possessed by Caiaphas, wicked man as he
was. Consider the anomaly of the political relation of the Jews to
wards the Ptolemies and Seleucidae, their alliance with Rome, their
dispersion over (he Roman Empire, their disuse of certain of the
Mosaic ordinances, the cruelties and blasphemies of Antiochus, the
reign of Herod, and his virtual rebuilding of the Temple, a remark
able omen as regards ourselves. Turn to the restored Christian
Church, and reflect upon the perplexed questions concerning the
union of Church and State, to which the politics of the last three cen
turies have given rise ; the tyrannical encroachments of the civil
power at various eras ; the profanations at the time of the Great
Rebellion ; the dehberate impiety of the French Revolution ; an3 the
present apparent breaking up of Ecclesiastical Polity every where,
the innumerable schisms, the mixture of men of different creeds and
sects, and the contempt poured upon any show of Apostolical zeal.
4. Consider the following passages from the Prophets, after the
Captivity, and see if they do not apply to present times.
Hagg. i. 4 — 10. " Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled
houses, and this house lie waste ? Now therefore thus saith the
Lord, of Hosts, Consider your ways. Ye have soum much and
bring in little ; ye eat, but ye have not enough ; ye drink, but ye
are not filled with drink ; ye clothe you, but there is none warm ;
and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with
holes" «fcc. 31

242
Mai. 1. 6 — 13. "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his
master ; if then I be a Father, where is Mine honour ? and if I be
a Master, where is My fear?  Ye say, the table of the Lord is
polluted, and the fruit thereof, even His meat, contemptible. Ye say
also. Behold what a weariness is it, . . . and ye brought that which was
torn, and the lame, and the sick ; thus ye brought an offering ; should
I accept this of your hands, saith the Lord ?"
Mai. ii. 1 — 9. " And now, O ye Priests, this commandment is
for you. . . . And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment
unto you, that My covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of
Hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them
to him, for the fear wherewith he feared Me, and was afraid before
My Name. The Law of Truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was
not found in his lips ; he walked with Me in peace and equity, and
did turn many away from iniquity. For the Priest's lips should
keep knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth ; for he
is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. But ye are departed out
of the way ; ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ; ye have
corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of Hosts. Therefore
have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people."
Does not the history of the times of Hoadley and such as he, and
our present trials throw light upon the parallel ?
Mai. iii. 8, 9. "Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed Me ;
but ye say. Wherein have we robbed Thee ? in tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse ; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole
nation." .
5. It is remarkable that, while the reinstated Jewish Church was
so deficient in zeal, piety, and consistent obedience, and was pun
ished by failure and disorganization ; yet it never fell into those
gross and flagrant offences which were the opprobrium of its earlier
period. It was clear of the sin of idolatry.
6. Moreover consider the parties, unknown to the era of the
Theocracy, which divided the Church after the captivity ; the Pha
risees, Sadducees, and the rest ; the necessary consequence of a
relaxation of the original principle of national union. The case is
the same in this day ; as if the Church were already dead, new
forms of organization, multiplied varieties of life and action, show
themselves within her.
7. Lastly. The following texts suggest hope to all true Chris
tians. (Hag. ii. 5 — 9.) "According to the word that I covenanted
with you, when ye came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remaineth
AMONG you : fear ye not." He will be with us even in this base
and grovelling age, as with St. Paul, St. Cyprian, and St. Athana
sius. " Thou wilt ; for Thou art Israel's God ;
And thine unwearied arm
Js ready yet with Moses' rod," &o.

243
" The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the
FORMER, saith the Lord of Hosts."
Strange it now seems before the event, how the Church should
close both with glory and yet in unbelief; yet surely, as in the his
tory of Jerusalem, so now both predictions will be at once fulfilled.
(Mai. iv. 1, 2.) "The day cometh that shall burn as an oven,
and all the proud, yea, and all who do wickedly, shall be stubble : but
unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise
vnth healing in His wings."
And let it be remembered, that when our Lord seems at greatest
distance from His Church, then He is even at the doors. Doubt
less, when the Angel appeared in the Temple to Zacharias, the news
of a miraculous interposition was as great a marvel to the world at
large as if it were now noised abroad of one of our own Ministers
in the course of his Christian Service.

No. 32.
(ad Clerum^
THE STANDING ORDINANCES OF RELIGION
Most of us, perhaps, will find, upon examination, that we do not-
feel and act, as the Apostles and the early Church felt and acted,
with regard to the Ordinances of our Religion. The reader is en
treated to give this suggestion a fair consideration ; not to hurry on,
nor turn away from the recollection, that we shall all one day be
judged, not merely by what we actually knew, but by what we
might have known, respecting our duties to Christ and His Church.
Let him consider, whether his own reason, and the Holy Scriptures,
which were expressly written in order that we might possess full
religious knowledge, do not say more on this subject than he has
yet duly weighed and acted upon.
First, consider what Reason says ; which surely, as well as Scrip
ture, was given us for religious ends.
1. Can you possibly imagine any better method of perpetuating
doctrines, than by ordinances, which live on like monuments ? Con
sider, for instance, what is implied in. Christian Salvation ; remem
ber whose property and subjects we are when we come into the
world ; and then endeavour, if you can, to estimate the value Of
those two Blessed Ordinances, which are the standing and definite
publication, to every one of us, to our fathers, and our children, of
the infinite mercies of God, as manifested in the Covenant of the
Gospel. E. g. a generation of ungodly men (suppose) rise up and
possess the earth ; Satan, through their means, corrupts all that he

244
can, in the world ; but meantime, something is living on, in the very
midst of them, independent of the variable opinions of the human
mind ; something, which they cannot spoil, and which, after they
are gone to their account, and all their wretched folly has spent it
self upon their own head, will come forth pure and unsullied, full
of sweetness and edifying comfort to the remnant which shall then
rise up, who will feed upon it by faith, and form anew the living
temple of the Holy Ghost, in their generation. Thus the conse
crated Form of Religion will be like some fair statue, which lies
buried for ages, but comes forth at length as beautiful as ever ; they
will be furnished with all requisites for teaching us those lessons,
which the preceding age has been engaged in obliterating.
2. If it be true that our weak and carnal minds do not readily
dwell upon, nor comprehend, spiritual things by themselves, can we
conceive any thing more precious to us on earth, than the outward
forms which God Himself has appointed to arrest our attention, to
embody unseen realities, to serve as a kind of ladder between earth
and Heaven, between our spirit and the Spirit of Holiness ? It is
much to our purpose to observe, that Almighty God Himself direct
ly declares that this is His design, in the institution of Forms and
Ordinances. - And the consideration of such passages of Scripture
may perhaps set us on asking ourselves whether we can be really
.desiring the end, if we find ourselves at all irregular in seeking the
means which He has appointed. (Vide Exod. xii. 26. xiii. 5 — 10.
and 11 — 16. Levit. xxiii. 43. Josh. iv. 1 — 7.)
3. Further, religious ordinances are, to the consciences of indi
viduals, a recurring testimony against sin. Can we conceive any
thing more precious in an ungodly world, in the perverse world of
our own heart ? Dare we then suffer to decay, and go to nought,
the means which God has provided for calling sinners to repent
ance, and even the best men to self-examination? Shall we suffer
ourselves to think and speak lightly of them, and neglect to defend
them when they are attacked ? To remove a barrier against
error, is in its measure to encourage and tempt men to it ; and
comes under the denunciation pronounced by our Bletesed Lord,
(Luke xvii. 1,2.) "Wo unto him through whom offences come;
it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck,
and he cast into the sea, than that he should make to stumble one
of these little ones."
Just the same care did G09 take of His peculiar people of old.
" Write ye this song for you, an^ teach it the children of Israel ;
put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against
the children of Israel. For when I shall have brought them into
the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk
and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and
waxed fat ; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them,
and provoke Me, and break My covenant. And it shall come to

245
pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song
shall testify against them as a witness ; for it shall not be forgotten
out of the mouths of their seed." (Deut. xxxi. 19 — 21.)
"Which of you," says Hooker, "receiveth a guest whom he
honoureth, and whom he loveth, and doth not sweep his chamber
against his coming? And shall we suffer the chambers of our
hearts and consciences to lie full of vomiting, full of fllth, full of
garbage, knowing that Christ hath said, ' I and My Father will
come and dwell with you ?' . . . Blessed and praised for ever and
ever be His Name, who, perceiving of how senseless and heavy
metal we are made, hath instituted in His Church a Spiritual Sup-
, per, and an Holy Commuftion, to be celebrated often, that we might
thereby be occasioned often to examine these buildings of ours, in
what case they stand. For sith God doth not dwell in temples which
are unclean ; sith a shrine cannot be a sanctuary to Him ; and this
Supper is received as a seal unto us, that we are His house and His
sanctuary ; tlfet His Christ is as truly united unto me, and I to
Him, as my arm is united and knit unto my shoulder ; that He. dwell
eth in me as verily as the elements of bread and wine abide within
me ; which persuasion, by receiving thqse dreadful mysteries, we
profess ourselves to have ; a due comfort, if truly ; and if in hypoc
risy, then wo with us."
4. These arguments, in behalf of the duty of keeping to the
Standing Ordinances of Religion, are strengthened by the considera
tion of the peculiar influence which old and familiar institutions
exert over the affections. If Christianity were left to select and
reject its ordinances, as one age succeeded to another, there would
be no safeguard for the permanence and identitj' of the religious
temper itself. God indeed might invisibly preserve it ; but so He
might (did He so choose,) without ordinances of any kind. But,
since he has vouchsafed to employ them, it is but judging according
to the revealed course of His Providence, to say, that His purpose
is more fully answered by their being of a standing than of a
variable nature. Thus we find an argument from the reason of
the case, for rigidly adhering to those which have been transmitted
to us.
5. Consider for one moment what becomes of any of us, if we
be not blest and supported with the Divine Grace ; and then con
sider through what channels it is most natural to expect, and safest
to seek this Grace : whether through Standing Ordinances, those to
which the Church has ever had recourse as appointed by Christ
and His Apostles, or those which we follow without inquiry as to
their antiquity or acceptableness. The analogy of former dispen
sations leads us to the same conclusion. Abraham at Hebron (Gen.
XV. 8, 9.) seeks a sign ; Almighty God refers him to the usual ordi
nance of worship, sacrifice, and therein sends him a sign. So again,
He might have revealed Himself to Moses in any place ; but if

246
Moses would find Him, it must be in the Tabernacle. Cornelius
prayed and fasted, certainly not expecting a supernatural vision ;
but one was sent him, with the message of salvation. On the other
hand, it is the 'peculiarity of false prophets and unsound teachers to
seek change and novelty in the rites with which they approach God.
" When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he
went not as at other times to seek for enchantments, but he set his
face towards the wilderness." (Numb. xxiv. I.) Accordingly he is
obliged to speak with a wavering belief: " Peradventure the Lord
will come to meet me."
So much for what Reason suggests to us. Now let us. observe
what God Himself has directly told us in Scripture concerning
Standing Religious Ordinances.
I. He positively enjoins them. Turn to the Jewish ceremonies,
and remember that they were, — (1.) Often unintelligible in their full
import, yet positively enjoined, even on pain of death. E. g. Cir
cumcision, (Gen. xvii. 14.) the Passover, (Exod. xii tb. Numb. ix.
13.) And remember that our faith and obedience are chiefly tried
in things not understood, as, for instance, in the prohibition of the
tree of knowledge. (2.) They were afterwards found to be signi
ficant. See the Epistle to the Hebrews throughout. Just as wise
teachers store the minds of childi'en with things which they will not
fully understand till a future day, so does our Divine Master admit
us to the Symbols of that eternal worship and service of Him,
which shall constitute the blessedness of the next fife, a blessedness
which it hath not entered into man's heart to conceive. (3.) The
ordinances of the Christian Church are held in such high honour,
that even to those whom He had first enriched with His miracu
lous gift, it was yet a farther and indispensable blessing to receive
a solemn admission into her sacred mysteries. Mark, for instance,
St. Peter's converts. Acts x. 44 — 48. They had received the Holy
Ghost, and spake with other tongues : " Then answered Peter, Can
any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? And he command
ed them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." Vide also Acts
xiii. 2, 3.
2. God provided that the Jews should be able to keep His ordi
nances ; rather interrupting the course of nature, and controlling
the feelings of whole nations, than that the ordinances of His ser
vice should be set aside on a single occasion. If He commands the
observance of the Sabbath in the wilderness, He provides for the
people a double store of manna on the day before, and miracu
lously preserves it from corruption. (Exod. xvi. 5. 24.) If He
directs that the land be allowed to lie fallow every seventh
year. He sends a triple harvest in the sixth year. (Levit. xxv. 21.)
If He enjoins all the males to leave their homes, and appear be
fore Him thrice in the year. He suspends all the jealous and hostile

247
feelings of the neighbouring nations, and promises that they should
riot even " desire" the land of the Israelites. (Exod. xxxiv. 24.)
3. We cannot dare to conjecture how much evil may come from
neglecting positive ordinances. King Saul departed from the ex
press command of Gob, respecting the way in which sacrifice should
be made to Him. He could even make a plausible excuse for what
he did; but turn to 1 Sam. xiii. 13, and see what it drew down
upon him : " Thou hast done foolishly ; thou hast not kept the com
mandment of the Lord thy God which He commanded thee ; for
now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for
ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue ; the Lord hath
sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath com
manded Him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not
kept that which the Lord commanded thee." Think again of
Nadab and Abihu ; they did not neglect the worship of God ; but
they thought they might surely take the fire for the sacrifice from
whence they would ; " surely this was a minor point," as some
among us are presumptuous enough to say. But He who gave laws
to them and us, knows nothing of minor points. There can be no
little sin, for there is no little authority to sin against. Nadab and
Abihu were struck dead for offering with strange fire. This is
agreeable to the analogy of the physical world, which is open to our
senses. It is a simple and apparently harmless thing to place a
candle near gunpowder, or to bring certain gases together ; but the
result may cost us our fife.
4. Such was the importance of observing positive ordinances in
the Jewish Church. Surely the lesson delivered in the Old Testa
ment is intended for us Christians. We have the same unchanging
Father, who was the God of Israel, and who has given us the
Scriptures that we may have the means of searching out His will.
First consider the light in which He views in the law of Moses
what we are apt to call " minor points." " Therefore shall ye abide
at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation day and night,
seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not."
(Levit. viii. 35.) After the death of Nadab and Abihu, the charge
is given " unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, un
cover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest ye die, and lest
wrath come upon all the people." (Levit. x. 6.) " Do not drink wine
nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the
Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest ye die." (Ibid.)
This was the uniform tone of the Divine Guardian of the Church
then. Is the duty less urgent now? when, (1.) the added claim on
our gratitude is all that the New Testament tells us : (2.) The Or
dinances are so much fewer, and therefore, first, the trouble of them
is so incomparably diminished ; next, the preeiousness of them (hu
manly speaking) so much more strikingly seen : they are the only
jewels of this sort that we have left.

248
5. Remark may be made upon the very circumstance, that, in the
Christian Covenant, Standing Ordinances are made the channels of
its peculiar blessings. The first use of Ordinances is that of witness
ing for the Truth, as above mentioned. Now their sacramenttd
character is perfectly distinct from this, and is doubtless a greathonour
put on them. Had we been left to conjecture, we might have sup
posed, that in the more perfect or spiritual system, the gifts of grace
would rather have been attached to certain high moral perform
ances ; whereas they are deposited in mere positive ordinances, as if
to warn us against dropping the ceremonial of Christianity.
This last observation leads to the brief notice of an objection some
times brought against the neeessity of a Christian's attention to Or
dinances, grounded on the notion of the spiritual character of Chris
tianity. Now, — I. Are we quite sure that we are more spiritual, and
more independent of the external helps of the Church, than Samu
el, — Hezekiah, — Josiah, and Daniel ? — 2. What does our own ex
perience say ? Do we see the best and holiest of men becoming
most independent' and regardless of them, or the very reverse ? 3.
Are the feelings of love, affection, reverence, tender remembrance,
which are entertained towards such places and things as are associat
ed in our minds with the persons who are the primary objects of
these feelings, inconsistent with spiritual-mindedness ? Are not the
Ordinances which Christ and His Apostles have appointed, the bond
of perpetuated unity to the Church, a precious and mysterious me
dium for the " Communion of Saints" in all countries and ages ? No
one among us would think it a mark of weakness to cherish with at
tachment and respect a Bible which his father had used for half a
century, from which he had learned the words of life and the way
of salvation. And is it not a soothing and elevating privilege, to
feel that we, even at this distant day, are allowed to come and walk
in the very steps of all the holy men of old, the glorious company of
the Apostles, and the noble army of martyrs, to take that narrow
path, whose farther end they have now found to be in heaven? In
walking over the very ground where the holy Apostles lived and
walked as Bishops, or in following our Lord Himself into Gethse-
mane, along the beaCh of the sea of Gennesareth, or in pausing with
Him on the Mount Olivet, as He weeps over Jerusalem, we find
ourselves moved with something too deep and touching for words,
and almost for thought ; and is it no privilege, no blessing, to think
with him, to have our spirit admitted to move in the same path which
His Holy Spirit has chosen ; to be consecrated with Him and to Him
in the water of Baptism, to eat the Holy Supper with Him, to fast
with him, to pray with him in the very form and very thoughts which "
flowed from His divine mind and lips ?
If these things are so, how can we hold up our heads, and dare to
think of the way in which we have handled His Ordinances, handled

249

that Form, in which He has deigned to live on in the worid, and to
move before the eyes of His Church I If we can recollect the mo
ment when we have been so dead in heart as to have found our
selves considering, not how often our Saviour would let us come and
hold communion with Him, but how few times would satisfy Him, —
whether " this one" omission would draw down His displeasure, —
if there be one of us who lives in this spirit, "how dwelleth the love
of God in him ?"
Once more, if, when all times, all places, all fornis, are in them
selves alike, yet it has pleased the High and Lofty One that inhab-
iteth eternity, whose Name is Holy, to choose to Himself certain
forms, places, and times, for His especial dwelling upon earth, — with
what reverend and solemn feelings should we go to meet Him there,
and approach His altar with our gift I We read (Lev. xxii. 18. 26.)
that the God of Israel" would admit no blemished creature to be sa
crificed to Him ; nor will He now accept the offering of our hearts
unless we cleanse ourselves from all unbelief, insincerity, and guile :
" wash our hands in innocency, and so go to His altar."

No. 33.
(Ad Scholas.)
PRIMITIVE EPISCOPACY.

The first step towards evangelizing a heathen country in the early
times, seems to have been to seize upon some principal city in it as
a centre of operation ; to place a Pastor, i. e., a Bishop there ; to
surround him with a sufficient number of associates and assistants ;
and then to wait, till, under the blessing of God, this Missionary Col
lege was enabled to gather around it the scattered children of grace
from the evil world, and invest itself with the shape and influence
of an organized Church. The converts would, in the first instance,
be naturally attracted to the immediate vicinity of the Missionary or
Bishop, whose diocese, nevertheless, would extend indefinitely over
the heathen country on every side, his mission being without restric
tion to all to whom Christ had never been preached. As He pros
pered in the increase of his flock, and sent out his clergy to greater
and greater distances from the city, so would the homestead (so to
call it,) ofthe Church enlarge ; other towns would be brought under
his government, till at length he would find " the burden too heavy
for him," and would appoint other Pastors to supply his place in this
or that part of his diocese. To these he. would commit a greater or
lesser share of his spiritual power, as might be necessary ; sometimes
32

250
he would make them fully his representatives, or ordain them Bish
ops ; at other times he would employ presbyters for his purpose.
These assistants, or (as they were called) Chorepiscopi, would na
turally be confined to their respective districts ; and if Bishops, an
approximation would evidently be made to a division of the large
original diocese into a number of smaller ones connected with and
subordinate to the Bishop of the metropolitan city. Thus, from the
very Missionary character ofthe Primitive Church, there was a ten
dency in its polity to what was afterwards called the Provincial and
Patriarchal system.
It is not, indeed, to be supposed that this was the only way in
which the graduated order of sees (so to call it) originated ; but, at
least, it is one way. And there is this advantage in remarking it :
we learn from it, that large dioceses are the characteristics of a
Church in its infancy or weakness ; whereas,' the more firmly Chris
tianity was rooted in a country, and the more vigorous its rulers,
the more diligently were its sees multiplied throughout the ecclesias
tical territory. Thus, St. Basil, in the fourth century, finding his ex
archate defenceless in the neighbourhood of Mount Taurus, created
a number of dioceses to meet the emergency. These subordinate
sees may be called suffragan to the Metropolitan Church, whether
their respective rulers were mere representatives of the Bishop who
created them, i. e., Chorepiscopi ; or, on the other hand, substantive
authorities, sovereign within their own limits, though bound by ex
ternal ties to each other and to their Metropolitan. The most per
fect state of a Christian country would be, that of a sufficient num
ber of separate dioceses ; the next to it, the system of Chorepiscopi,
or Suffragan Bishops in the modern sense of the word.
Few persons, who have not expressly examined the subject, are
aware of the minuteness of the dioceses into which many parts of
Christendom were divided in the first ages. Some Churches in Italy
were more like our rural deaneries than what we now consider dio
ceses ; being not above ten or twelve miles in extent, and their sees
not above five or six miles from each other. Even now (or, at least,
in Bingham's time,) the kingdom of Naples contains 147 sees, of
which twenty are Archbishopricks. Asia Minor is 630 miles long,
210 broad ; yet in this country, there were almost 400 dioceses. Pa
lestine is in length 160 miles, in breadth 120 ; yet the number of
known dioceses amounted to 48. Again, in the province of Syria
Secunda, the see of Larissa, (e. g.) was about 14 miles from Apa-
mea, Arethusa 16 from Epiphania. And so, again, in the West,
though the dioceses were generally larger, as partaking more of a
Missionary character, yet in Ireland there were at one time from 50
to 60 sees.
Such was the character of the Primitive Regimen, where Chris
tianity especially flourished in the zeal and number of its professors.
But, where the country was mountainous or desert, the inhabitants

251
scanty, or but partially Christian, it was considered advisable to
leave all to the management of one chief Pastor, who appointed
assistants to himself according, to his discretion, as the circumstances
of the times required. The office of these Chorepiscopi, or coun
try Bishops, was to preside over the country clergy, inquire into
their behaviour, and report to their principal ; also to provide fit
persons for the inferior ministrations of the Church. They had the
power of ordaining the lower ranks of clergy, such as the readers,
sub-deacons, and exorcists ; they might ordain priests and deacons
with the leave of the city Bishop, and administer the right of con
firmation ; and were permitted to sit and vote in councils.
Thus their office bore a considerable resemblance to that of
our Archdeacons ; except, of course, that they had the power of
ordination ; whereas the latter are but presbyters. And, in matter
of fact, by such presbyters (visiters as they were called,) they were
superseded in the course of the fourth and following centuries, till
at length the Pope caused the order to be set aside almost altoge
ther in the ninth.
Little use was made of Suffragans during the middle ages ; but,
at the time of our Reformation, Archbishop Cranmer felt the defi
ciency of the English Church in respect of Bishoprics, and project
ed several measures to supply it. The most complete was that of
increasing the number of dioceses ; availing himself of existing cir
cumstances, he advised the King to apply the Abbey lands to the
founding of twenty additional sees. Bishop Burnet gives some of
the particulars of this attempt in the following passage : —
" On the 23d of May, in the session of Parliament, a bill was
brought in by Cromwell for giving the king power to erect new
bishopricks by his letters-patent.* It was read that day for the first,
second, and third time ; and sent down to the Commons. The pre
amble of it was, 'that it was known what slothful and ungodly life
had been led by those who were called religious. But that these
houses might be converted to better uses ; that God's word might
be better set forth ; children brought up in learning ; clerks nour
ished in the universities ; and that old decayed servants might have
livings ; poor people might have almshouses to maintain them ; read
ers of Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, might have good stipends ; daily
alms might be administered, and allowance might be made for
mending of the highways, and exhibitions for ministers of the
Church ; for these ends, if the king thought fit to have more bish
opricks or cathedral churches erected out of the rents of these
houses, full power was given him to erect and found them, and to
make rules and statutes for them, and such translations of sees, or
divisions of them, as he thought fit.' In the same paper, there is a
list of the sees which he intended to found ; of which what was
* It is scarcely necessary to observe, that parliament was then the lay synod of the
Church of England.

252
done afterwards came so far short, that I know nothing to which it
can be so reasonably imputed, as the declining of Cranmer's inter
est at court, who had proposed the erecting the new cathedrals and
sees, with other things mentioned in the preamble of the statute,
as a great mean of reforming the Church."* Some of the pro
posed additional dioceses are then enumerated ; Essex, Hertford,
Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Oxford and Berkshire, North
ampton Eind Huntingdon, Middlesex, Leicester and Rutland, Glou
cestershire, Lancashire,- Suffolk, Stafford and Salop, Nottingham
and Derby, Cornwall. As to the means by which they were to
be endowed, no opinion is here expressed on its lawfulness, as the
present sketch is confined to the consideration of the spiritual part
of the ecclesiastical system. It is scarcely necessary to add, that
Cranmer's views were partly realized, in the subsequent creation
of the dioceses of Chester, Bristol, Gloucester, Oxford, and Peter
borough. The same prelate, whose episcopate has had so important an in
fluence upon the constitution of our Church ever since, also projected
with great wisdom, a system of suffragan bishops or Chorepiscopi,
which he was able to bring into effect, and which lasted till the
reign of King James. Twenty-six such bishops were appointed ;
the bishop of the diocese having the power of presenting two per
sons to the king, who might choose either of them, and present him
to the archbishop of the province for consecration. These suffra
gans exercised such jurisdiction as their principal gave them, or as
had formerly been committed to suffragans ; their authority lasting
no longer than he continued their commission to them. " These
were believed," says Burnet,f " to be the same with the Chorepis
copi in the primitive church ; which, as they were begun before the
first council of Nice, so they continued in the Western Church till
the 9lh century, and then a decretal of Damasus being forged, that
condemned them, they were put down every where by degrees,
and now revived in England. The suffragan sees were as follows :
Thetford, Ipswich, Colchester, Dover, Guilford, Southampton,
Taunton, Shaftsbury, Molton, Marlborough, Bedford, Leicester,
Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Bristol, Penrith, Bridgewater, Nottingham,
Grantham, Hull, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Perelh, Berwick, St. Ger
main's, and the Isle of Wight."
After the disuse of suffragans in the reign of James I. there was
a fresh project .for establishing them on the Restoration. Charles,
in one of his declarations, promises to increase the number of
bishops, in accordance with Archbishop Usher's plan for episcopal
governmcBt. However, his intention was not put into execution,
doubtless owing to existing circumstances, which reasonably inter
fered with it. * Burnet, Hist. Reform, iii. t Hist. Reform, ii.

253
The following extract is made from Bingham, Antiqu. ix. 8.
" One great objection against the present diocesan episcopacy, ana
that which to many may look the most plausible, is drawn from the
vast extent and greatness of most of the northern dioceses of the
world, which makes it so extremely difficult for one man to dis
charge all the offices of the episcopal function. . • . . . . The
Church of England has usually followed the larger model, and had
very great and extensive dioceses ; for at first she had but seven
bishopricks in the whole nation, and those commensurate in a man
ner to the seven Saxon kingdoms. Since that time she has thought
it a point of wisdom to contract her dioceses, and multiply them into
above twenty ; and if she should think fit to add forty or one hun
dred more, she would not be without precedent in the practice of
the Primitive Church  In Ireland, there are not now
above half the number of dioceses that there were before, and con
sequently they must needs be larger by uniting them together. In
England, there are more in number than formerly, some new ones
being created out of old ones, and at present, the whole number
augmented to three times as many as they were for some ages after
the first conversion. Besides that, we have another way of con
tracting dioceses in effect here in England appointed by law, which
law was never yet repealed ; which is by devolving part of the
bishop's care upon the Chorepiscopi, pr suffragan bishops, as the
law calls them : — a method commonly practised in the ancient
Church in such large dioceses as those of St. Basil and Theodoret,
one of which had no less than fifty Chorepiscopi under him, if Na-
zianzen rightly informs us. And it is a practice, which was con
tinued here all the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and even to the end
of King James ; and is what may be revived again, whenever any
bishop thinks his diocese too large or his burden too great to be sus
tained by himself alone."
To the above statements, may be subjoined the present number
of souls, and the area of square miles, in certain of our dioceses, as
given in a pamphlet lately published, which has come into the wri
ter's hands since the foregoing was put on paper. (Vide Plan for a
New Arrangement, &c. by Lord Henley.)
Souls. Square Miles.
Chester  1,806,722 4140
London  1,676,725 1942
York  1,526,288 5300
, Lincoln  920,011 5775
' Lichfield  978,655 3344
¦ By this table, it is not here intended to insinuate the necessity
of any immediate measure of multiplying the English sees or ap^
pointing suffragans, (the expediency of which is to be determined
by a variety of considerations, which it were unprofitable here to

254
detail,) but to show that the genius of our ecclesiastical system fends
towards such an increase, and that it is but a question of time which
has to be determined. These statements are also made with a. view
of keeping up in the minds of churchmen a recollection of the in
jury, which the Irish branch of our Church has lately sustained in
the diminution of its sees.

No. 34.
(Ad Scholas.)
RITES AND CUSTOMS OF THE CHURCH.
'O jih oZv TTiffrbe, &s xpri, Koi i^^ui^ivos oitSe Seirai X(iyou Kai ahtas, ^trcp Ziv 3v hlTttX^t i^^
Chrysost. in 1 Cor. Horn. 26.
He who is duly strengthened in faith, does not go so far as to require reason and
cause, for what is enjoined, but is satisfied with the tradition alone.

The reader of ecclesiastical history is sometimes surprised at find
ing observances and customs generally received in the Church at an
early date, which have not express warrant in the Apostolic writ
ings ; e. g. the use of the cross in baptism. The following pages will
be directed to the consideration of this circumstance ; with a view
of suggesting from those writings themselves, that a minute ritual was
contemporaneous with them, that the Apostles recognise it as exist
ing and binding, that it was founded on religious/>rmcipZes, and tend
ed to the inculcation of religious truth. Not that any formal proof
is attainable or conceivable, considering the brevity and subjects of
the inspired documents ; but such fair evidence of the fact, as may
recommend it to the belief of the earnest and single-minded Chris
tian. It is abundantly eyident that the Epistles were not written to
prescribe and enforce the ritual of religion ; all then we can expect,
if it existed in the days of the Apostles, is an occasional allusion to it
in their Epistles as existing, and a plain acquiescence in it ; and thus
much we find.
Let us consider that remarkable passage, (1 Cor. xi. 2 — 16.) which,
I am persuaded, most readers pass over as if they could get little in
struction from it. St. Paul is therein blaming the Corinthians, for
not adhering to the custom of the Church, which prescribed that
men should wear their hair short, and that women should have their
head covered during divine service ; a custom apparently most un
important, if any one ever was, but in his view strictly binding on
Christians. He begins by implying that it is one out of many rules

256
or traditions (vapaUircis) which he had given them, and they were
bound to keep. He ends by refusing to argue with any one who ob
stinately cavils at it and rejects it : " If any man seem to be conten
tious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." Here
then at once a view is opened to us which is quite sufficient to re
move the surprise we might otherwise feel at the multitude of rites,
which were in use in the Primitive Church, but about which the New
Testament is silent ; and further, to command our obedience to such
as come down to us from the first ages, and are agreeable to Scrip
ture. In accordance with this conclusion, is the clear and forcible com
mand given by the Apostle, (2 Thess. ii. 15.) "Brethren, stand fast,
and hold the traditions which .ye have been taught, whether by word,
or our epistle."
To return. St. Paul goes on to give the reason of the usage, for
the satisfaction of the weak brethren at Corinth. It was, he implies,
a symbol or development (so to say) of the principle of the subordi
nation of the woman to the man, and a memorial of the history of
our creation ; nay, it was founded in " nature," i. e. natural reason.
And lastly, it had a practical object ; the woman ought to have her
head covered " because of the angels." We need not stop to inquire
what this reason was ; but it was a reason of a practical nature which
the Corinthians understood, though we may not. If it mean, as is
probable, " because she is in the sight of the heavenly angels," (I
Tim. V. 21.) it gives a still greater importance to the ceremonies of
worship, as connecting them with the unseen world.
It would seem indeed as if the very multiplicity of the details of
the Church ritual made it plainly impossible for St. Paul to write
them all down, or to do more than remind the Corinthians of his way
of conducting religious order when he was among them. " Be ye
followers of me," he says. " I praise you that ye r-emember me in all
things." It is evident there are ten thousand little points in the work
ing of any large system, which a present instructor alone can settle.
Hence it is customary at present, when a school is set up, or any
novel manufacture in trade, or extraordinary machinery is to be
brought into use, to set it going by sending a person fully skilled in
its practical details. Such was St. Paul as regards the system of
Christian discipline and worship ; and when he could not go himself,
he sent Timothy in his place. He says in the 4th' chapter ; " I be
seech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto
you Timotheus, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways
which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every Church." Here
there is the same reference to an uniform system of discipline,
whether as to Christian conduct, worship, or Church government.
Another important allusion appears to be contained in the 22d
verse of the chapter above commented on. " What, have ye not
houses to eat and drink in ? or despise ye the Church of God?" This

256
is remarkable as being a solitary allusion in Scripture to houses of
prayer under the- Christian system, which nevertheless we know
from ecclesiastical histor-y were used from the very first. Here then
is a most solemn ordinance of primitive Christianity, which barely
escapes, if it escapes, omission in Scripture.
. A passing allusion is made in another passage ofthe same Epistle,
to the use ofthe word Amen at the conclusion of the Eucharistical
prayer, as it is preserved after it and all other prayers to this day.
Thus the ritual of the Apostles descended to minutiae, and these so
invariable in their use as to allow of an appeal to them.
In the original institution of the Eucharist, as recorded in the Gos
pels, there is no mention of consecrating the cup ; but in 1 Cor. x.
16, St. Paul calls it " the cup of blessing, which we bless." This in
cidental information, vouchsafed to us in Scripture, should lead us to
be very cautious how we put aside other usages of the early Church
concerning this sacrament, which do not happen to be clearly nrien-
tioned in Scripture ; as e. g. the solemn offering of the elements to
God by way of pleading his mercy through Christ, which seems to
have been universal in the Church, till' Popery corrupted it into a
superstitious and blasphemous ordinance.
As regards the same Sacrament, let us consider the use of the
word >^ctTovpyomrm, ministering (Acts xiii. 2 ;) a word which, dropt,
(so to say) by accident, and interpreted, as is reasonable, by its use
in the services of the Jewish Law, (Luke i. 23; Heb. x. II.) remark
ably coincides with the luTovpyia of the Primitive Church, according
to which the offering of the Altar was intercessory, as pleading
Christ's merits before the throne of grace.
Again, in 1 Cor. xv. 29, we incidentally discover the existence of
persons who are styled " the baptized for the dead." Perhaps it is
impossible to determine what is meant by this phrase, on which lit
tle light is thrown by early writers. However, any how it seems to
refer to a- custom of the Church, which was so usual as to admit of
an appeal to it, which St. Paul approved, yet which he did not in the
Epistle directly enforce, and but casually mentions.
In 1 Cor. i. 16, St. Paul happens to inform us that he baptized the
household of Stephanus. It has pleased the Holy Spirit to preserve
to us this fact ; by which is detected the existence of a rule of disci
phne for which the express doctrinal parts of Scripture afford but
indirecf warrant, viz. the custom . of household baptism. (Vid. also
Acts xvi. 15. 33.) This accidental disclosure accurately anticipates
the after practice of the early Church, which urged the baptism of
families, infants included, and gave a weighty doctrinal reason for it ;
viz. that all men were born in sin and in the wrath of God, and need
ed to be individually translated into that kingdom of grace, into
which baptism is the initiation.
These instances, then, not to notice others of either a like or a dif
ferent kind, are surely sufficient to reconcile us to the complete ritual

257
system which breaks upon us in the writings of the Fathers. If
any parts of it indeed are contrary to Scripture, that is of course a
decisive reason at once for believing them to be additions and cor
ruptions of the original ceremonial ; but till this is shown, we are
bound to venerate what is certainly primitive, and probably is apos
tolic. It will be remarked, moreover, that many of the religious obser
vances of the early Church are expressly built upon words of Scrip
ture, and intended to be a visible memorial of them, after the man
ner of' St. Paul's directions about the respective habits of men and
women, with which this paper opened. Metaphorical or mystical
descriptions were represented by a corresponding literal action. Our
Lord Himself authorized this procedure when He took up the me
taphor of the prophets concerning the fountain opened for our cleans
ing (Zech. xiii. 1.) and represented it in the visible rite of baptism.
Accordingly, from the frequent mention of oil in Scripture as the
emblem of spiritual gifts, (Is. Ixi. 1 — 3, &c.) it was actually used in
the primitive Church in the ceremony of admitting catechumens,
and in baptizing. And here again they had the precedent of the
Apostles, who applied it in effecting their miraculous cures. (Mark
vi. 13. James v. 14.) And so from the figurative mention in Scrip
ture of salt, as the necessary preparation of every religious sacrifice,
it was in use in the Western Church, in the ceremony of admitting
converts into the rank of catechumens. So again from Phil. ii. 10,
it was customary to bow the head at the name of Jesus. It were
endless to multiply instances of a similar pious attention to the very
words of Scripture, as their custom of continual public prayer from
such passages as Luke xviii. 7 ; or of burying the bodies of martyrs
under the altar, from Rev. vi. 9 ; or of the white vestments of the
officiating ministers, from Rev. iv. 4.
Two passages from the Fathers shall now be laid before the
reader, in order to the further illustration of our subject :
" Though this observance has not been determmed by any text of Scrip
ture, yet it is established by custom, which doubtless is derived from Apos
tolic tradition. For how can an usage ever obtain, which has not first
been given by tradition ? But you say, even though tradition can be pro
duced, still 'a written (Scripture,) authority must be demanded. Let us
examine, then, how far it is true, that an Apostolic tradition itself, unless
written in Scripture, is inadmissible. Now I will give up the point at
once, if it is not already determined by instances of other observances,
which are maintained without any Scripture proof, on the mere plea of
tradition, and the sanction of consequent custom. To begin with baptism.
Before we enter the water, we solemnly renounce the Devil, his pomp, and
his angels, in church in the presence of the Bishop. Then we are plunged
in the water thrice, and answer certain questions over and above what tha
Lord has determined m the written gospel. After coming out of it, we
33

258
taste a mixture of milk and honey ; and for a whole week from that day
we abstain from our daily bath. The sacrament of the Eucharist, though
given by the Lord to all and at supper time, yet is celebrated in our meet
ings before day break, and only at the hand of our presiding ministers.
. . . . We sign our forehead with the cross whenever we set out and
walk, go in or out, dress, gird on our sandals, bathe, eat, light our lamps,
sit or lie down to rest, whatever we do. If you demand a scriptural rule
for these and such like observances, we can give you none ; all we say to
you is, that tradition directs, usage sanctions, faith obeys. That reason
justifies this tradition, usage, and faith, you will soon yourself see, or will
easily learn from others ; meanwhile }'ou will do well to believe that there
is a law to which obedience is due. I add one instance from the old dis
pensation. It is so usual among the Jewish females to veil their head that
they are even known by it. I ask where the law is to be found ; the
Apostle's decision of course is not to the point. Now if I no where find
a law, it follows that tradition introduced the custom, which afterwards was
confirmed by the Apostle when he explained the reason of it. These in
stances are enough to show that a tradition, even though not in Scripture,
still binds our conduct, if a continuous usage be preserved as the witness
of it."— Tertullian de Coron. § 3.
Upon this passage it may be observed, that Tertulhan, flourishing
A. D. 200, is on the one hand a very early witness for the existence
of the general doctrine which it contains, while on the other he
gives no sanction to the claims of those later customs on our ac
ceptance which the Church of Rome upholds, but which cannot be
clearly traced to primitive times.
Basil, whose work on the Holy Spirit, § 66, shall next be cited,
flourished in the middle of the fourth century, 150 years after Ter
tullian, and was of a very different school ; yet he will be found to
be in exact agreement with him on the subject before us, viz. that
the ritual of the Church was derived from the Apostles, and was
based on rehgious principles and doctrines. He adds a reason for
its not being given us in Scripture, which we may receive or reject
as our judgment leads us, viz. that the rites were memorials of
doctrines not intended for publication except among bWptized Chris
tians, whereas the Scriptures were open to all men. This at least
is clear, that the ritual could scarcely have been given in detail in
Scripture, without imparting to the Gospel the character of a bur
densome ceremonial, and withdrawing our attention from its doc
trines and precepts.
" Of those articles of doctrine and preaching, which are in the custody
of the Church, some come to us in Scripture itself, some are conveyed to
us by a continuous tradition in mystical depositories. Both have equal
claims on our devotion, and are received by all, at least by all who are in
any respect Churchmen. For, should we attempt to supersede the usages

259
which are not enjoined in Scripture as if unimportant, we should do most
serious injury to Evangelical truth ; nay, reduce it to a bare name. To
take an obvious instance ; which Apostle has taught us in Scripture to sign
believers with the cross ? Where does Scripture teach us to turn to the
east in prayer ? Which ofthe saints has left us recorded in Scripture the
words of invocation &,t the consecration of the bread of the Eucharist, and
of the cup of blessing ? Thus we are not content with what Apostle or
Evangelist has left on record, but we add other rites before and after it, as
important to the celebration of the mystery, receiving them from a teach
ing distinct from Scripture. Moreover, we bless the water of baptism, and
the oil for anointing, and also the candidate for baptism himself. . . .
After the 'example of Moses, the Apostles and Fathers who modelled the
Churches, were accustomed to lodge their sacred doctrine in mystic forms,
as being secretly and silently conveyed. - . . . . This is the reason
why there is a tradition of observances independent of Scripture, lest doc
trines, being exposed to the world, should be so familiar as to be despised.
. . . . We stand instead of kneeling at prayer on the Sunday ; but
all of us do not know the reason of this  Again, every time
we kneel down and rise up, we show by our outward action, that sin has
levelled us with the ground, and the loving mercy of our Creator has re
called us to heaven."
The conclusion to be drawn from all that has been said in these
pages is this : — That rites and ordinances, far from being unmean
ing, are in their nature capable of impressing our memories and
imaginations with the great revealed verities ; far from being super
stitious, are expressly sanctioned in Scripture as to their principle,
and delivered to the Church in their form by tradition. Further,
that they varied in different countries, according to the respective
founder ofthe Church in each. Thus, e. g., St. John and St. Philip
are known to have adopted the Jewish rule for observing Easter-
day ; while other Apostles celebrated it always on a Sunday. Last
ly, that, although the details of the early ritual varied in importance,
and corrupt additions were made in the middle ages, yet that, as a
whole, the Catholic ritual was a precious possession ; and if we,
who have escaped from Popery, have lost not only the possession,
but the sense of its value, it is a serious question whether we are
not like men who recover from some grievous illness with the loss
or injury of their sight or hearing ; — whether we are not like the
Jews returned from captivity, who could never flnd the rod of
Aaron or the Ark of the Covenant, which, indeed, had ever been
hid from the world, but then was removed from the Temple itself.

No. 35.
(Ad Populum.)
THE PEOPLE'S INTEREST IN THEIR MINISTER'S
COMMISSION.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ; and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and what
soever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt. xvi. 19.)
In these words our blessed Lord delivers to St. Peter, the same
commission, as we find Him, in chapter xviii. of the same Gospel,
giving to the rest of the apostles ; the commission, power, and au
thority of chief shepherds, or pastors to the Church ; — the commis
sion to be the keepers and guardians of the revealed word of God,
and to have authority to teach the people out of it, what they must
do to be saved, what course of faith and duty will admit them to
heaven, through the sacrifice of Christ : and what will exclude
them from all claim to the salvation which He has purchased for
man. It is to this part of the commission that St. Paul alludes
when he says, " As we have been allowed of God to be put in trust
with the Gospel, so we speak not as pleasing men, but God which
trieth our hearts," (1 Thess. ii. 4 ;) and again he says, " we are am
bassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us." (2
Cor. V. 20.)
But something beyond the ministration ofthe Word, is committed
to the care of the pastors, when our Lord speaks of " the keys of
heaven," viz. the ministration of the sacraments. The sacrament
of Baptism, by which souls are admitted into covenant with God,
and without which none can enter into the kingdom of heaven,
(John iii. 5 ;) the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, by
which the souls of the faithful are strengthened for their Lord's
service, and brought into union with Him, (1 Cor. x. 16.) and, with
out which they are, ordinarily speaking, cut off from union with
Him, from communion with the faithful, and cast out of the King
dom of Heaven. For it is expressly said, " Except ye eat the flesh
of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you."
(John vi. 53.) St. Paul also tells us, that the ministration of these
sacraments is intrusted to the pastors of the Church by this com
mission, when he says, " Let a man so account of us, as of the

261
ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (I Cor
iv. 1.)
This commission, which you find in chapter xvi. given to St. Peter,
and in chapter xviii. given to all the Apostles, — which is made men
tion of in St. Luke's Gospel, where our Saviour says to them, " I
appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto
Me," (Luke xxii. 29.) and again in St. John's, where Christ says,
"As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you," (John xx. 21 ;)
this commission, I say, was left by the apostles to their successors,
viz. those apostles or bishops whom they appointed to be their help
ers in governing the churches during their lifetime, and to occupy
their place when dead. And it has been handed down, by the lay
ing on of hands, from bishops to bishops, and will so continue to the
end of time, according to that promise, whereby our Lord en
gaged to continue with them always in the exercise of it, when He
said to the apostles, " Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end
of the worid." (Matt, xxviii. 20.) By virtue of this commission,
each bishop stands in the place of an apostle of the Church ; and
discharges the important trust reposed in him, either in his own per
son, or by the clergy whom he ordains and gifts with a share of his
authority. Herein is the difference between the ministry of such persoi^s as
have received this commission from the bishop, and of those who
have not received it ; — that to the former, Christ has promised that
His presence shall remain, " Lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the world :" and that when they minister the Word and Sa
craments, (which are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.) what
they do upon earth, in His name, according to His will, shall be
ratified and made good in heaven. " Whatsoever thou shalt bind
on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." But to those who have not
received the commission, our Lord has given no such promise. A
person not commissioned from the bishop, may use the words of
Baptism, and sprinkle or bathe with the water, on earth, but there
is no promise from Christ, that such a man shall admit souls to the
Kingdom of Heaven. A person not commissioned may break bread,
and pour out wine, and pretend to give the Lord's Supper, but it
can afford no comfort to any to receive it at his hands, because there
is no warrant from Christ to lead communicants to suppose that
while he does so here on earth, they will be partakers in the Sa
viour's heavenly Body and Blood. And as for the person himself,
who takes upon himself without warrant to minister in holy things,
he is all the while treading in the footsteps of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram, whose awful punishment you read of in the book of Num
bers. (Compare Numbers xvi. with Jude v. 11.)
It is of the utmost importance that you should know and under
stand that it is by virtue of this commission, that we Clergymen

262
lay claim to your attention, when we minister the Word and the
Sacraments. It is not because we have received "an expensive edu
cation ; it is not because we move in the station of what is called
gentlemen ; it is not because we have hitherto been encouraged by
the State ; it is not because we, most of us, have enough of this
world's goods, both to supply our own wants, and to impart to the
necessities of others ; it is not for these things that we dare to speak
to you in the name of God. Time was when the clergy had them
not; the time may come again when they shall not have them.
Men may rudely and unjustly take away these things ; may make
us as poor as the poorest ; may destroy what is called our station
in society ; may make us appear in the eyes of men an humbled and
degraded class, as they did the Apostles ; may " cast out our name
as evil for the Son of Man's sake," as they did theirs. This cannot
alter our position in spiritual things, nor the relation which we bear
to God and Christ, and to your souls. Men cannot take away
what Christ has given us, — I mean the Divine commission ; they
cannot set aside the trust which He has placed in our hands, — ^I
mean " the ministry of reconcihation," (2 Cor. v. 18.) nor make
void the promise He has made, that in the faithful exercise of this
ministry. He is " with us always, even to the end of the world."
Remember, then, that whether your pastors be rich or poor, hon
oured or' despised by the world, it is only the having received this
COMMISSION that makes us " bold in our God to speak unto you the
Gospel of God," (1 Thess. ii. 2 ;) and it is only this that can give
you any security that the ministration of the Word and Sacraments
shall be effectual to the saving of your souls. Learn, then, to che
rish and value the blessing which God has vouchsafed to you, in
having given you pastors who have received this commission. The
Dissenting teachers have it not. They lay no claim to regular suc
cession from the Apostles ; and though the Roman Catholic clergy
have indeed been ordained by the hands of Bishops, they are mere
intruders in this country, have no right to come here, and besides,
have so corrupted the truth of God's word, that they are not to be
fistened to for a moment.

No. 36.
(Ad Populum.)
ACCOUNT OF RELIGIOUS SECTS AT PRESENT EX
ISTING IN ENGLAND.

" I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences,
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them."
Rom. xvii. 17.
It is conceived, that many members of the English Church, whom
late events have awakened to a knowledge of the religious differences
which exist in the world, are but insufficiently acquainted with the
chief points which distinguish the various religious bodies which are
among them ; and may be anxious for information on the subject.
The following statement, drawn up by a Clergyman at the request
of a parishioner, is submitted to their consideration.
The English Church, which is a true branch or portion of the " One
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" of Christ,* receives and
teaches the entire Truth of God, according to the Scriptures ; the
Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. This may be
proved by reference to the Scriptures ; in which no fundamental
doctrine can be pointed out, which the Church does not teach ; nor
can it be shown that the Church teaches any thing, as necessary to
salvation, but what is contained in the Scriptures, or can be proved
by them, — this being the acknowledged rule of teaching set forth in
the 6th Article of the Church.
The parties which are separated from, and opposed to, the Church,
may be arranged into three classes. I. Those who reject the Truth.
2. Those who receive and teach a part, but not the whole, of the
Truth. 3. Those who teach more than the Truth.
I. — Those who reject the Truth.
Under this head are included all who deny that Jesijs " is the
Christ, the Son of the living GoD,"f and that salvation is through
His blood. Such are
1. SociNiANS, (so called from Socinus, a chief teacher of their
error,) who profess to receive the Old and New Testament, but re
ject these fundamental doctrines as there set forth, and reject also
* See Nicene Creed. t Matt. xvi. 16.

264
the doctrine of the Personality and operations of the Holy Ghost.'
These men commonly call themselves Unitarians.
2. Jews, who profess to receive the Old Testament, but denounce
our Lord as an Impostor. These contradict the Prophets of the
Old Testament, to whose evidence our Lord appealed while fulfil
ling their prophecies f and they forget the living witness they them
selves afford to our Saviour's truth, who foretold concerning their
Church and nation, the evils which have since happened, and under
which they are now suffering.'
3. Deists (so called from professing to acknowledge merely a
Deity,) who reject both the Testaments, denying that God has ever
revealed His will to men. Thus they contradict reason, which sug
gests that He would not leave the beings whom He created capable
of happiness, without instruction how to attain that happiness ; they
contradict alsO the unanswerable evidence of history, miracles, and
fulfilment of prophecy, which prove that He actually has revealed
His Will, and that the Book which we call the Bible contains that
Revelation.^ 4. Atheists (i. e. men " without God") who deny altogether the
existence of a God. These contradict the voice of nature, which, by
the regularity of seasons, the succession, growth, and decay, of
plants, of animals, and men, by the course of the planets and all its
other wonderful works, attest the existence, power, and goodness of
a Superior Being, who must have made all these things at the first,
and now continues and preserves them.
These four Classes may be placed together, because to all four the
same passage of St. John is applicable. " 'Whosoever denieth the
Son, the same hath not the Father,"* and of all four it may be truly
said, " They have trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted
the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing, and done despite to the
Spirit of Grace."«
II. — Those who receive and teach a part but not the whole of the
truth, erring in respect of one or more fundamental doctrines.
Under this head are included most of what are called " Protes
tant Dissenters." The chief of these are, —
1. Presbyterians, so called from maintaining the validity of
ordination by Presbyters or Elders only, in other words, by the
second order of the clergy, dispensing with and superseding the
first.''' 1 On these points see " Churchman's Manual." Oxford, 1834. dd. 20—23.
2 John V. 39. 46. ^^
3 See Leshe's Short and Easy Method with the Jews.
4 See Leslie's Short and Easy Method with the Deists.
5 1 John ii. 23. 6 Heb. ix. 29.
7 From this error have sprung all Sects enumerated under this second head.

266
2, Independents, so called from being opposed to and indepen
dent of all ecclesiastical government.'
3. Methodists (subdivided into an immense variety of sects ; the
chief are Wesleyans, Whitfieldians, or Lady Huntingdon's, Ranters,
or Primitive Methodists, Brianites, or Bible Christians, Protestant
Methodists, Tent Methodists, Independent Methodists, and Kilha-
mites.) These three do not receive or teach the Truth respecting the doc
trine of " laying on of hands," which St. Paul classes among the
fundamental doctrines of Christianity,^ and by which the Christian
ministry receives its commission and authority to administer the
Word and Sacraments. For they one and all reject the first (i. e.
the Apostolic, or as we now call it. Episcopal) order of clergy, who
exercised that rite according to the New Testament, and without
whom there is no warrant from Scripture for believing that the
Clergy can be appointed, or the Sacraments be duly administered.*
4. Baptists, who have departed from the Truth not only as con
cerns the doctrine " of laying on of hands," but also as concerns the
doctrine of Baptism ; another of the fundamental doctrines, accord
ing to St. Paul. For they refuse to permit their children to receive
that sign of admission into the Christian covenant. Thus they con
tradict the Old Testament, for there we find that to the Christian
Covenant, or Covenant in Christ, which God confirmed^ with Abra
ham, children were enjoined to be admitted ; and those children
whose parents withheld them from receiving the sign ofthe covenant,
were counted by God to have broken His covenant.* They con
tradict al^o the New Testament, for there our Saviour says, " Suffer
httle children to come unto me, and forbid them not -"^ and St.
Paul declares that where either parent is a believer, then " are the
children holy," i. e. admissible to the covenant of grace.''
5. Quakers, who reject altogether laying on of hands, and both
the Sacraments.
Besides these are, especially in Wales, Jumpers and Shakers,
a chief part of whose religious worship consists in violent exercise
and contortions of the body."
III. — Those who teach more than tlie truth.
Under this head are included all who teach besides the Scriptures,
something else as of equal authority with what is contained in them.
The chief of these are, —
1 See Hebrews xiii. 17. 2 Heb. vi. 2.
3 See " Churchman's Manual," pp. 5—15. Acts xiv. 23. 1 Tim. v. 22. Tit. i. S.
4 Gal. iii. 17. 5 Gen. xvii. 14.
6 Mark x. 14. 7 1 Cor. vii. 14.
8 The Moravians are purposely omitted : for they cannot well be said to be opposed
to the Church. They lay claim also to an Apostohc or ¦Episcopal Ministry, though it
is behoved that they are unable to substantiate the succession.
34

266
I. Romanists, or Papists, (so called because they are the follow
ers of the Pope or Bishop of Rome) who teach that the images of
God and of the Saints ought to be worshipped ; that the Virgin
Mary and other Saints ought to be prayed to ; that in the Lord's
Supper, after consecration, the bread is no longer bread, the wine
no longer wine ; that all Churches owe obedience to the Pope of
Rome, &c. &c.* They have at different times attempted to con
firm these doctrines by pretended miracles.
2. New Jerusalemites, or Swedenborgians, so called from their
leader, who pretended to have received a new revelation.
3. SouTHCoTiANS ; the followers of Johanna Southcote, who pre
tended to be a prophetess.
4. Irvingites ; so called from one of their chief leaders, who
pretend to have received a new Revelation, and a new order of
Apostles, which, like the Papists, they attempt to confirm by pre
tended gifts of unknown tongues, prophecy, and miracles ; like all
under this head, a mixture of delusion and imposture.

Churchman, whosoever thou art, that readest the list of follies and
errors in the 2d and 3d classes, into which the pride of man's heart
and the wiles of Satan, have beguiled so many of those who call
upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,t first give to God your
hearty thanks for having preserved you a member of the *' One
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church," which teaches the way of
God in truth,J " neither handling the Word of God deceitfully," like
the second class, nor following cunningly devised fables,§ like the
third, but by manifestation of the truth, commending itself to every
man's conscience in the sight of God.|| Next pray to Him for your
self, that you may have grace to walk worthy of your high calling
and privilege ; in repentance, faith, and holiness, and in close com
munion with the Church, especially by a frequent participation in
the Eucharistic Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which
is at once the highest and most essential act of Christian worship,
and the surest token of Church membership. Next pray to God
for mercy upon all, both those who have gone beyond or fallen short
of the Truth, and those who have altogether rejected it ; that He
may be pleased so to turn their hearts, and fetch them home to His
flock, that they may be saved together with His true servants, and
be made one fold under one Shepherd.
One word more. From each of these three Classes, which have
been here considered, the Church in England has undergone perse
cution. 1st. In the 4th and 6th centuries, _/rom those who reject the
Truth, when they who denied that Jesus is the Christ the Son of
the living God, expelled and murdered those who believed in Him,
* See Churchman's Manual, pp. 15 — 19. 1 1 Cor. i. 2. | Matt. xxii. 16.
^2 Pet. i. 16. II 2 Cor. iv. 2.

267
and called upon His Name. 2d. In the 1 6th century, /rom <Aose
who teach more than the Truth, when the Papists or Romanists
burned alive those who rejected their corrupt additions to the Catho
lic faith. 3d. In the 1 7th century, /ro?w those who teach less than
the Truth, when the Protestant Dissenters expelled and barba
rously treated the Clergy, shut up the Churches, and forbade the
use of the English Liturgy. But on each occasion, though it pleased
God for a while to try the faith and constancy of His servants by
sufferings. He failed not finally to deliver His people, and to protect
and strengthen His Church.
At the present time, these three Classes of opponents have united
their forces, and Unbeliever, Papist, and Protestant Dissenter, obey
ing Satan's bidding, are endeavouring to do that together, which
they have failed to do singly, namely, to overthrow and destroy our
branch of the Catholic and Apostolic Church. And it is not im
probable that God, for our correction and improvement, or for the
glory of His name, may again put the faith and constancy of His
servants to the proof, by permitting them to suffer afflictions for His
name's sake. But as He is " the same yesterday and to-day and
for ever,"* His power undiminished. His truth unchanged, we may
rest assured, that if we will be true to Him, He will be true to us ;
and will protect the Church of His Son, which is " built upon the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the Chief Corner-stone,"t and concerning which Church, that
Son has said, that " the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."J
Fear not, therefore, neither be faint-hearted ; has not God com
manded you ? Be strong, and of good courage I

No. 3T.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S FORM OF EXCOMMUNICATION.

It is well known that Bishop Wilson, who presided over the Church in
the Isle of Man, from 1698 to 1755, was stirred up by Him who made
him overseer, to revive the Primitive Discipline, and was remarkably blest
in his undertaking. The principle of this discipline is, that no man who
sinned openly, whether in creed or practice, should be allowed to remain
in free and full communion with the Church ; but should be censured, put
to penance, suspended, or excommunicated, as the case might require.
* Heb. xiii. 8. t Eph- ii. 20. i Matt. xvi. 15.

268
The following is the form he proposed to use, in inflicting the extreme
punishment of excommunication.
My Brethren, and all good Christians here met together.
We are met upon a very unusual and mournful occasion.
W9 have hitherto (blessed be God,) preserved, in some good
measure, the ancient discipline of the Church ; and notorious sin
ners have been prevailed upon to take shame to themselves in a
public confession of their offences ; and to desire the prayers of the
Church for the grafee that is necessary for a true conversion.
I am sorry to tell you, that there is a person now under the cen
sures of the Church, who utterly refuseth to submit to this whole
some discipline ; being more concerned for the shame that attends
his censures, than he is for his salvation.
We have laid before you his crimes ; and the Christian methods
which have been made use of to bring him to a sense of his guilt
and danger, and to oblige him to make what satisfaction he can for
the scandal he hath given.
You will see how very long we have waited in hopes of bring
ing him to submit to the discipline of the Church ; until at last our
discipline begins to be slighted, as too weak for such offenders.
However, it ought not to repent us that we have waited with pa
tience ; when we consider with what mighty patience God himself
waiteth to be gracious ; and that the sentence of excommunication
was never, in the primitive Church, executed hastily, nor until all
other probable ways had been made use of without effect.*
Now, this being the last remedy which the Church can make use
of for awakening obstinate offenders, the whole Church ought to
be satisfied upon what grounds, and by Hvhat authority we pro
nounce this sentence ; and what will be the effects of such a sen
tence when passed according to the will and appointment of Jesus
Christ. The Holy Scriptures tell us, that our Lord Jesus Christ, who
came to seek and save his lost creatures, has appointed divers ordi
nances for the conversion and salvation of men.
For instance : — He has appointed Preaching,^ to draw men to
him ; He has appointed the Sacrament of Baptism,^ by which we
are admitted into His household the Church ; and that of the
Lord's Supper,^ as a pledge of his love, and of our communion
with Him. And lastly. He hath ordained Crodly Discipline,^ that
such who do not live as becomes their Christian profession may be
reproved, corrected, and amended, or else cast out of his Church.
And all these ordinances are committed unto His Ministers, who
are called his Stewards ;Tf because to them He has committed the
*Matt. xviii. 15—17. tMark xvi. 15.
} Matt, xxviii. 19. § Luke xxii. 19 1 Cor. xi. 26. x. 16.
II Matt. xvii. 15, &c. IT 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2. Luke xu. 42.

269
keys* of His house and kingdom, that is, the Church; that they
may admit such as are worthy, and that they may shut out such as
behave themselves disorderly in His family.
Jesus Christ, I say, committed this power to His Apostles, and
they to their successors ;t with this assurance from his own mouth.
He that hear-eth you, heareth Me ; and he tluit despiseth you, despis
eth Me, and Him that sent Me.
So that you see, whosoever makes a jest of Church Discipline,
makes a jest of an ordinance of God ; and a man may as well de
spise the whole Christian Religion, as this power, which is as much
the ordinance of Jesus Christ, as preaching, or the use of the Sa
craments. The most unlearned Christian will understand this, when he is
asked. For what end he was baptized ? He will answer. That he
might thereby be made a member of Christ, a child of God, and
an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven.
But why does he believe that Baptism does give him a right to
these blessings ? Why ; because Jesus Christ gave power to His
Ministers to baptize all nations ; that such as are baptized^: into
Christ, have put on Christ ; that is, are members of Christ's
body, which is His Church.
Now, will not our Lord Christ, who has promised to own you
for His children when His Ministers have admitted you into His
Church by Baptism, will He not also disown you, when the same
Ministers, acting in His name, shall by the same power of the keys,
shut you out of His Church ?
For if you believe that they receive you into Christ's Church by
Baptism, you must believe that they shut you out as effectually by
excommunication. In short, every Christian, when he is baptized, is admitted into
the Church upon a most solemn promise to live as a Christian ought
to do ; if he does not do so, those very Ministers who admitted him
are bound to exhort,^ to rebuke and to censure him ; and if these
methods will not do, to excommunicate him ; that is, to cut him off
from the body of Christ, and from God's favour and mercy ; — not
that he may be lost for ever, but that he may see his sad condition,
and repent, and be saved.
The form of excommunication made use of by the Apostles of
our Lord, was, by delivering offenders to Satan.^ Now, because
this is laughed at by profane persons, who do not know the Scrip
tures, I will show you what that means. The Spirit and the Word
of God has told us, that the devil has a kingdom and subjects, over
whom he reigns ; that is, over the children of disobedience.^
* Matt. xvi. 19. xviii. 15, &e. John xx. 23. 1 Cor.-v. 4.
t Compare Matt. ^. 40., Luke x. 16., and Tit. ii. 15. iii. 10.
t Gal. iii. 27. §2Tim. iv. 2.
II 1 Cor. V. 5. and 1 Tim. i. 20. IT Eph. ii. 2.

270
That Jesus Christ has also His kingdom and subjects ; and when
the Apostles gained over any of the subjects of Satan unto Christ,
they are said to turn them from darkness to light, and from thepower
of Satan unto God.*
Now, when any of Christ's subjects become rebellious, and re
fuse to be governed by the laws of the Gospel, His Ministers are
bound to admonish them of their sin, and of their danger ; and if
they refuse to obey their godly admonitions, then to turn them out
of that society of which Christ is the head ; and consequently,
such persons fall under the power of Satan again, who useth his
subjects like slaves. And God permits him to do so, that sinners,
if they are not utterly lost, may with the prodigal, when he was
forced to herd with swine, see the state they are fallen into, and re
pent ; and desire to get out of the snare and power of the devil ;
and be restored to the favour of God.
So that excommunication is made use of, not as a punishment
only, but as a remedy ; that sinners, seeing the evil state they are in,
being deprived of all hopes of salvation while they are out of the
Church, may desire to be restored to God's grace, from which {hey
are fallen, that they may work out their salvation with more fear
for the time to come.
But here I must take notice of one thing that often hinders the
Discipline of the Church from having this good effect upon sin
ners. They are apt to say. If I am shut out of this Church I can
go to another. Why, has Christ more Churches than one ?t Is
Christ divided ?J saith the Apostle. Do not all Christians profess
to believe one holy, Apostolic Church ?§ And is not this Church a
member of that holy Church ? And have not the Ministers of
Christ here the same authority from their Lord and Prince, as
any other Christian Bishop ; namely, the authority of binding, and
loosing ? And will not our sentence, when we proceed according
to the rules which Christ hath given us, be confirmed in Heaven ?
If so, what advantage will a sinner get by going to another society,
if after all Jesus Christ shall confirm the sentence of his former
Pastor 1 And for want of being reconciled by Him, shall shut him
out of Heaven 1
It is true our Lord hath not given us any power to compel men by
outward force, either to come into, or to continue in His Church;
but will people for this reason despise the power which Christ has -
given us ? They will hardly do so, if they know what St. Paul hath
said upon this : " The weapons we use," saith he, " are not carnal,
but mighty through God ;"|| that is, God can humble the stoutest sin
ner, and make the power of His ministers effectual, when they use
their power for His glory, and according to His will.
*AotB xxvi. 18. tEph. iv. 4, &c. XX Cor. i. 13. § Nicene Creed.
11 2 Cor. X. 4.

2'ri
You see, good Christians, that we take upon us no authority but
what Christ has given us ; what His Apostles exercised, and what
we are bound by our most solemn vows to exercise.
Every Bishop, for instance, at his consecration, solemnly promises,
that he will correct and punish disobedient and criminous persons
within his diocese, according to such authority as he has by God's
word.'^ What authority he has by God's Word, you have already
heard ; and all serious Christians must acknowledge, that we should
become adversaries to ourselves, to our Church, and our country, if
we should suffer Christ's discipline to fall into decay, while we are
warranted and bound, both by the laws of God and this land, to ex
ercise it ; especially when vices of this kind begin to grow upon us.
Only let us take care that we use this authority as the Apostle di
rects, /or edification, and not for destruction.^
And if we must be forced to shut this unhappy person out of the
Church, let it be with the same compassion and reluctancy that a fa-
ther turns his rebellious son out of his house, not with a design that
he should starve and be lost for ever ; but that being made sensible
of the misery of being out of his father's house, he may more earn
estly desire to return and be received into favour, and become a
more dutiful child for the time to come.
God has infinite expedients to bring back sinners that are gone
away from Him. We know how^ the prodigal son was brought to
a sense of his condition by the miseries he met with when he was
from under his father's care. How David's eyes were opened by a
parable.* How Manasseh became an instance of repentance, when
in bonds.^ And we should not despair, but be confident rather that
God will bless His own institutions in the hands of us His ministers,
for the good of all such persons as draw these censures upon them
selves. And it will be far from being severity to them, if by these
means they may be brought to a sense of their evil condition, and
" their souls saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."''
This is the design of Church censures ; and that they may have
this good effect, the Apostle has given directions to all Christians''
not to accompany with such, that they may be ashamed. And our
holy Church in her Articles, as you will find it in the thirty-third
Article ofthe Church of England, has declared in these words: That
person which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off
from the unity of the Church, and excommunicated, ought to be ta
ken of the whole multitude of the faithful, as a heathen and publican,
until he be openly reconciled by penance, and received into the Church
by a judge that hath authority thereunto.
1 See Consecration Service.
2 2 Cor. X. 8. See too the Service for the Consecration of Bishops, in the Prayer just
before Consecration.
3 Luke XV. 17. 4 2 Sam. xii. 1, &c. 5 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12.
6 1 Cor. V. 5. 7 2 Thess. iii. 6. 14.

272
Pursuant to which Article, the Church in the eighty-fifth Canon
appoints, that all persons excommunicated, and so denounced, be kept
out of the churph by the churchwardens.
And in the sixty-fifth Canon directs. That all such as stand lawful
ly excommunicated, shall every six montlis he openly denounced and
declared excommunicate ; that others may be thereby admonished to
refrain their company and society, SfC.
As for any temporal penalties or incapacities which an excommu
nicate person may be exposed to ; these do not properly belong to
the Church ; they are no part of our sentence ; they are altogether in
the hands ofthe civil magistrate. Our sentence is purely spiritual ; it is
the sentence of Jesus Christ, and only concerns the good ofthe souls
of those He has .committed to our care. It is part of that ministry
which we received by the imposition of hands, and which we most
humbly pray God to enable us to exercise to His glory, to the put
ting a stop to the growing vices of the age, and to the edification of
the Church of Christ, which He has purchased with his blood,*
Amen. The Sentence.
It is with great reluctancy, God is our witness, and after many
prayers to God for their conversion, that we proceed to this last re
medy which Christ has appointed for the conversion of sinners.
But we hope you are not shut out, that -you may ever remain out
ofthe Church ; but that you may become sensible of your errors, and
return with more zeal to your Heavenly Father.
In the mean time we must do our duty, and leave the event to God.
In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the authority which we have
received from Him, we separate you from the communion of the
Church, which He has purchased with His blood, and which is the
society of all faithful people ; and you are no longer a member of His
Body, or of His kingdom, until you be openly reconciled by penance,
and received into the Church by a judge that hath authority so to do.
When Persons excommunicated are received back into the Church.
I, an unworthy minister of Jesus Christ, by the same authority
and power, even that of our Lord Jesus Christ ; by which for thy
obstinacy, and other crimes, thou hast been excluded from the com
munion of Christ's Holy Church : By the same power, I do now
release thee from that bond of excommunication, according to the
confession now made by thee before God and this Church ; and do
restore thee again unto the communion of the Church of Christ ;
beseeching the Almighty to give thee His grace that thou mayest
continue a worthy member of the same unto thy life's end, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. * Acts XX. 28.

No. 38.
(Ad Scholas.)
VIA MEDIA.
NO. I.

Laicus. — Will you listen to a few free questions from one who
has not known you long .enough to be famihar with you without
apology ? I am struck by many things I have heard you say, which
show me that, somehow or other, my religious system is incomplete ;
yet at the same time the world accuses you of Popery, and there are
seasons when I have misgivings whither you are carrying me.
Clericus. — I trust I am prepared, most willing I certainly am, to
meet any objections you have to bring against doctrines which yo'..
have heard me maintain. Say more definitely what the charge
against me is.
L. That your religious system, which I have heard some persons
style the Apostolical, and which I so name by way of designation, is
like that against which our forefathers protested at the Reformation.
C. I will admit it, i. e. if I may reverse your statement, and say,
that the Popish system resembles it. Indeed, how could it be other
wise, seeing that all corruptions of the truth must be like the truth
which they corrupt, else they would not persuade mankind to take
them instead of it.
L. A bold thing to say, surely ; to make the earlier system an imi
tation of the later !
C. A bolder, surely, to assume that mine is the later, and the Po
pish the earlier. When think you that my system (so to call it) arose ?
— not with myself?
L. Of course not ; but whatever individuals have held it in our
Church since the Reformation, it must be acknowledged that they
have been but few, though some of them doubtless eminent men.
C. Perhaps you would say (i. e., the persons whose views you are
representing,) that at the Reformation, the stain of the old theology
was left among us, and has shown itself in its measure ever since, as
in the poor, so again in the educated classes ; — that the peasantry
still use and transmit their Popish rhymes, and the minds of students
still linger among the eariy Fathers ; but that the genius and princi
ples of our Church have ever been what is commonly called Protes
tant. L. This is a fair general account of what would be maintained.
35 '

274
C. You would consider that the Protestant principles and doc
trines of this day were those of our Reformers in the sixteenth cen
tury ; and that what is called Popery now is what was called Pope
ry then.
L. On the whole : there are extravagancies now, it is obvious. I
would not defend extremes ; but I suppose our Reformers would
agree with moderate Protestants of this day, in what they meant by
Protestantism and by Popery.
C. This is an important question, of course ; much depends on
the correctness of the answer you have made to it. Do you make
it as a matter of history, from knowing the opinions of our Reform
ers, or from what you consider probable ?
L. I am no divine. I judge from a general knowledge of history,
and from the obvious probabilities of the case, which no one can
gainsay. C. Let us then go by probabilities, since you lead the way. Is it
not according to probabilities that opinions and principles should not
be the same now as they were 300 years since ? that though our pro
fessions are the same, yet we should not mean by them what the
Reformers meant ? Can you point to any period of Church history,
in which doctrine remained for any time uncorrupted ? Three hun
dred years is a long time. Are you quite sure we do not need a se
cond REFORMATION ?
L. Are you really serious ? Have we not Articles and a Liturgy
which keep us from deviating from the standard of truth set up in
the sixteenth century ?
C. Nay, I am maintaining no paradox. Surely there is a multi
tude of men all around us who say the great body of the Clergy has
departed from the doctrines of our Martyrs at the Reformation. I
do not say I agree with the particular charges they prefer ; but the
very circumstance that they are made is a proof there is nothing ex
travagant in the notion of the Church having departed from the doc
trine ofthe sixteenth century.
L. It is true ; but the persons you refer to bring forward, at least,
an intelligible charge ; they appeal to the Article's, and maintain that
the Clergy have departed from the doctrine therein contained. They
may be right or wrong ; but at least they give us the means of judg
ing for ourselves.
C. This surely is beside the point. We were speaking of proba
bilities. What change actually has been made, if any, is a further
question, a question of fact. But before going on to examine the
particular case, I observe that change of opinion was probable. Pro
bable in itself you can hardly deny, considering the history of the
universal Church ; not extravagantly improbable, moreover, in spite.
of articles, as the extensively prevailing opinion to which I alluded,
that the clergy have departed from them, sufficiently proves. Now
consider the course of religion and politics, domestic and foreign.

275
during the last three centuries, and tell me whether events have not
occurred to increase this probability almost to a certainty ; the pro
bability, I mean, that the members of the English Church of the pre
sent day differ from the principles of the Church of Rome more than
our forefathers differed. First, consider the history of the Puritans
from first to last. Without pronouncing any opinion on the truth or
unsoundness of their principles, were they not evidently further re
moved from Rome than were our Reformers ? Was not their in
fluence all OH the side of leading the English Church farther from
Rome than our Reformers placed it ? Think of the fall of the Scot-
fish Episcopal Church. Reflect upon the separation and extinction
ofthe Nonjurors, ofthe rise of Methodism, of our political alliances
with foreign Protestant communities. Consider especially the his
tory and the school of Hoadley. That man, whom a high authority
of the present day does not hesitate to call a Socinian,* was for near
fifty years a bishop in our Church.
L. You tell me to think on these facts. I wish I were versed
enough in our ecclesiastical history to do so.
C. But you are as well versed in it as the generality of educated
men ; as those whose opinions you are now maintaining. And they
surely ought to be well acquainted with our history, and the doc
trines taught in the different schools and eras, who scruple not to
charge such as me with a declension from the true Anti-popish doc
trine of our Church. For what the doctrine of the Church is, what
it has been for three centuries, is a matter of fact which cannot be
known without reading.
L. Let us leave, if you please, this ground of probability, which,
whatever you may say, cannot convince me while I am able to urge
that strong objection to it which you would not let me mention just
now. I repeat, we have Articles ; we have a Liturgy ; the dispute
lies in a little compass, without need of historical reading : — do you
mean to say we have departed from them 1
C. I am not unwilling to follow you a second time, and will be
explicit. I reply, we have departed from them. Did you ever study
the Rubrics of the Prayer Book ?
L. But surely they have long been obsolete ; — they are impracti
cable I
C. It is enough ; you have answered your own question without
trouble of mine. Not only do we not obey them, but it seems we
style them impracticable. I take your admission. Now, I ask you,
are not these Rubrics (I might also mention parts ofthe services them
selves which have fallen into disuse,) such as the present day would
call Popish 1 and, if so, is not this a proof that the spirit of the pre
sent day has departed (whether for good or evil) from the spirit of
* " It is true he was a Bishop, though a Socinian." — Bp. Bloomfield's Letter to C.
Butler, Esq. 1825.

276
the Reformation ? — and is it wonderful that such as I should be call
ed Popish, if the Church services themselves are considered so?
L. Will you give me some instances ?
C. Is it quite in accordance with our present Protestant notions,
that unbaptized persons should not be buried with the rites of the
Church ? — that every Clergyman should read the daily service
morning and evening at home, if he cannot get a congregation ? —
that in college chapels the Holy Communion should be administered
every week ? — that Saints' Days should be observed ? — that stated
days of fasting should be set apart by the Church ? Ask even a sober-
minded really serious man about the observance of these rules ; will
he not look grave, and say, that he is afraid of formality and super
stition if these rules were attended to ?
L. And is there not the danger ?
C. The simple question is, whether there is more danger now than
three centuries since ? was there not far more superstition in the six
teenth than in the nineteenth century ? and does the spirit of the
nineteenth move with the spirit of the sixteenth, ifthe sixteenth com
mands and the nineteenth draws back ?
L. But you spoke of parts of the services themselves, as laid
aside ?
C. Alas I . . . .
What is the prevailing opinion or usage respecting the form of
absolution in the office for Visiting the Sick ? What is thought
by a great body of men of the words in which the Priesthood is
conveyed? Are there no objections -to the Athanasian Creed?
Does no one stumble at the word " oblations," in the Prayer for the
Church Mihtant ? Is there no clamour against parts of the Burial
Service ? No secret or scarcely secret complaints against the
word regeneration in the Baptismal?- No bold protestations against
reading the Apocrypha ? Now do not all these objections rest upon
one general ground : viz. That these parts of our services savour
of Popery ? And again, are not these the popular objections of the
day? L. I cannot deny it.
C. I consider then that already I have said enough to show that
Churchmen of this day have deviated from the opinions of our Re
formers, and become more opposed than they were to the system
they protested against. And therefore, I would observe, it is not
fair to judge of me, or such as me, in the off-hand way which many
men take the liberty to adopt. Men seem to think that we are
plainly and indisputably proved to be Popish, if we are proved to
differ from the generality of Churchmen now-a-days. But what if
it turn out that they are silently floating down the stream, and we
are upon the shore ?
L. All, however, will allow, I suppose, that our Reformation was
never completed in its details. The final judgment was not passed

277
upon parts of the Prayer Book. There were, you know, alterations
in the second edition of it published in King Edward's time ; and
these tended to a more Protestant doctrine than that which had first
been adopted. For instance, in King Edward's first book the dead
in Christ were prayed for ; in the second this commemoration was
omitted. Again, in the first book the elements of the Lord's Sup
per were more distinctly offered up to God, and more formally
consecrated than in the second edition, or at present. Had Queen
Mary not succeeded, perhaps the men who effected this would have
gone further.
C. I believe they would ; nay indeed the'y did at a subsequent
period. They, took away the Liturgy altogether, and substituted a
Directory. L. They? the same men?
C. Yes, the foreign party ; who afterwards went by the name of
Puritans. Bucer, who altered in King Edward's time, and the Pu
ritans, who destroyed in King Charles's, both came from the same
religious quarter.
L. Ought you so to speak of the foreign Reformers? to them
we owe the Protestant doctrine altogether.
C. I like foreign interference, as little from Geneva, as from
Rome. Geneva at least pever converted a part of England from
heathenism, nor could lay claim to patriarchal authority over it.
Why could we not be let alone, and suffered to reform ourselves ?
L. You separate then your creed and cause from that of the
Reformed Churches of the Continent ?
C. Not altogether ; but I protest against being brought into that
close alliance with them which the world now-a-days would force
upon us. The glory of the English Church is, that it has taken the
VIA MEDIA, as it has been called. It lies between the (so called) Re
formers and the Romanists ; whereas there are religious circles, and
influential too, where it is thought enough to prove an English Cler
gyman' unfaithful to his Church, if he preaches any thing at variance
with the opinions of the Diet of Augsburg, or the Confessions of
the Waldenses. However, since we have been led to speak of the
foreign Reformers, I will, if you will still listen to me, strengthen
my argument by an appeal to them.
L. That argument being, that what is now considered Protestant
doctrine, is not what was considered such by the Reformers.
C. Yes ; and I am going to offer reasons for thinking that the
present age has lapsed, not only from the opinions of the English
Reformers, but from those of the foreign also. This is too exten
sive a subject to do justice to, even had I the learning for it : but I
may draw your attention to one or two obvious proofs of the fact.
L. "You must mean from Calvin, for Luther is, in some points,
reckoned nearer the Romish Church than ourselves.
C. I mean Calvin, about whose extreme distance from Rome there

278
can be no doubt. What is the popular opinion now concerning the
necessity of an Episcopal Regimen ?
L. A late incident has shown what it is ; that it is uncharitable to
define the Catholic Church, as the body of Christians in every coun
try as governed by Bishops, Priests, and Deacons ; such a definition
excluding pious Dissenters and others.
C. But what thought Calvin ? " Calvin held those men worthy
of anathema who would not submit themselves to truly Christian
Bishops, if such could be had."*. What would he have said then to
the 'Wesleyan Methodists, and that portion of the (so called) Ortho
dox Dissenters, which 'co-operates, at present, with the Church?
These allow us, or numbers among us, to be truly. Christian, yet
make no attempts to obtain Bishops from us. Thus the age is more
Protestant now than Calvin himself
L. Certainly in this respect ; unless Calvin spoke rhetorically un
der, circumstances.
C. Now for a second instance. The following is his statement
concerning the Lord's Supper. " I understand what is to be under
stood by the Words of Christ ; that He doth not only offer us the
benefits of His death and Resurrection, but His very body, wherein
He died and rose again. I assert that the body of Christ is really,
(as the usual expression is,) that it is truly given to us in the Sacra
ment, to be the saving food of our souls." . . . . " The Son
of God offers daily to us in the Holy Sacrament, the same body
which He once offered in sacrifice to His Father, that it may be
our spiritual food."  "If any one ask me concerning
the manner, I will not be ashamed to confess that it is a secret too
high for my reason to comprehend, or my tongue to express." f
Now, if I were of myself to use these words, (in spite ofthe quali
fication at the end, concerning the manner of His presence in the
Sacrament,) would they not be sufficient to convict me of Popery
in the judgment of this minute and unlearned generation ?
L. You speak plausibly, I will grant ; yet surely, after all, it is
not unnatural that the Reformers of the sixteenth century should
have fallen short of a full Reformation in matters of doctrine and
discipline. Light breaks but gradually on the mind ; one age begins
a work, another finishes.
C. I am arguing about a matter of fact, not defending the opin
ions of the Reformers. As to this notion of their but partial illu
mination, I am not concerned to oppose it, being quite content ifthe.
persons whom you arfe undertaking to represent are willing to ad
mit it. And then, in consistency, I shall beg them to reproach me
not with Popery but with Protestantism, and to be impartial enough
to assail not only me, but " the Blessed Reformation," as they often
* Vide the Churcliman's Manual, p. 13.
t Vide Tracts for the Times, No. 27.

279
call it, using words they understand not. It is hard, indeed, that
when I share in the opinions of the Reformers, I should have no
share of their praises of them.
L. You speak as if you really agreed with the Reformers. You
may say so in an argument, but in sober earnest you cannot mean
to say you really agree with the great body of them. Neither you
nor I should hesitate to confess they were often inconsistent, saying,
at one time, what they disowned at another.
C. That they should have said different things at different times,
is not wonderful, considering they were searching into Scripture
and Antiquity, and feeling their way to the Truth. Since, how
ever, they did vary in tbeir opinions, for this very reason it is ob
vious I should be saying nothing at all, in saying, that I agreed with
them, unless I stated explicitly at what period of their lives, or in
which of their writings. This I do state clearly ; I say I agree
with them as they speak in the formularies of the Church ; more
cannot be required of me, nor indeed is it possible to say more.
L. What persons complain of is, that you are not satisfied with
the formularies of the Church, but add to them doctrines not con
tained in them. You must allow there is httle stress laid in the Ar
ticles on some points, which are quite cardinal in your system, to
judge by your way of enforcing them.
C. This is not the first time you have spoken of this supposed
system of ours. I will not stop to quarrel with you for calling it
ours, as if it were not rather the Church's ; but explain to me in
what you consider it to consist.
L. The following are some of its doctrines ; that the Church has
an existence independent of the State ; that the State may not reli
giously interfere with its internal concerns ; that none may engage
in ministerial works except such as are episcopally ordained ; that
the consecration of the Eucharist is especially intrusted to Bishops
and Priests. Where do you find these doctrines in the formularies
of the Church, so prominently set forth, as to sanction you in
urging them at all, or at least so strongly as you are used to urge
them? C. As to urging them at all, we might be free to urge them even
though not mentioried in the Articles ; unless indeed the Articles
are our rule of faith. Were the Church first set up at the Refor
mation, then indeed it might be right so to exalt its Articles as to
forbid to teach " whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved
thereby." I cannot consent (I am sure the Reformers did not
wish me,) to deprive myself of the Church's dowry, the doctrines
which the Apostles spoke in Scripture, and impressed upon the
early Church. I receive the Church as a messenger from Christ,
rich in treasures old and new, rich with the accumulated wealth of
ages. L. Accumulated?

280
C. As you will yourself allow. Our articles are one portion of
that accumulation. Age after age, fresh battles have been fought
with heresy, fresh monuments of truth set up. As I will not con
sent to be deprived of the records of the Reformation, so neither
will I part with those of former times. I look upon our Articles
as in one sense an addition to the Creeds ; and at the same time the
Romanists added their Tridentine articles. Theirs I consider un
christian ; ours as true.
L. The Articles have surely an especial claim upon you ; you
have subscribed these, and are therefore more bound to them, than
other truths, whatever or wherever they be.
C. There is a popular confusion on this subject. Our Articles
are not a body of divinity, but in great measure only protests against
certain errors of a certain period of the Church. Now I will preach
the whole counsel of God, whether set down in the Articles or not.
I am bound to the Articles by subscription ; but I am bound, more
solemnly even than by subscription, by my baptism and by my or
dination, to believe and maintain the whole gospel of Christ. The
grace given at those seasons comes through the Apostle's, not through
Luther or Calvin, Bucer or Cartwright. You will presently agree
with me in this statement. Let me ask, do you not hold the inspi
ration of Holy Scripture ?
L. Undoubtedly.
C. Is it not a clergyman's duty to maintain and confess it ?
L. Certainly.
C. But the doctrine is no where found in the Articles ; and for
this plain reason, that both Romanists and Reformers admitted it ;
and the difference between the two parties was, not whether the
Old and New Testament were inspired, but whether the Apocry
pha was of canonical authority.
L. I must grant it.
C. And in the same way, I would say, there are many other doc
trines unmentioned in the Articles, only because they were not then
disputed by either party ; and others, for other reasons, short of dis
belief in them. I cannot, indeed, make my neighbour preach them,
for he will tell me he believes only just so much as he has been
obliged to subscribe ; but it is hard if I am therefore to be defraud
ed of the full inheritance of faith myself. Look at the subject from
another point of view, and see if we do not arrive at the same con
clusion. A statesman of the last century is said to have remarked
that we have Calvinistic Articles, and a Popish Liturgy. This of
course is an idle calumny. But is there not certainly a distinction
of doctrine and manner between the Liturgy and the Articles?
And does not what I have just stated account for it, viz. that the
Liturgy, as coming down from the Apostles, is the depository of
their complete teaching ; while the Articles are polemical, and ex
cept as they embody the creeds, are only protests against certain

281
definite errors? Such are my views about the Articles ; and if in
my teaching, I lay especial stress upon doctrines only indirectly
contained in them, and say less about those which are therein put
forth most prominently, it is because times are changed. We are in
danger of unbelief more than of superstition. The Christian minis
ter should be a witness against the errors of his day.
L. I cannot tell whether on considerationl shall agree with you
or not. However, after all, you have said not a word to explain
what your real differences from Popery are ; what those false doc
trines were which you conceive our Reformers withstood. You
began by confessing that your opinions and the Popish opinions had
a resemblance, and only disputed whether yours should be called
like the Popish, or the Popish like yours. But in what are yours
different from Rome ?
C. Be assured of this — no party will be more opposed to our
doctrine, if it ever prospers and' makes noise, than that of Rome.
This has been proved before now. In the seventeenth century the
theology of the divines of the English Church was substantially
the same as ours is ; and it experienced the full hostility of the
Papacy. It was the true Via Media; Rome sought to block up
that way as fiercely as the Puritans. History tell us this. In a few
words then, before we separate, I will state some of my irrecon
cilable differences with Rome ; and in stating her errors, I will
closely follow the order observed by Bishop Hall in his treatise on
" The Old Religion," whose Protestantism is unquestionable.
I consider that it is unscriptural to say with the Church of Rome,
that " we are justified by inherent righteousness."
That it is unscriptural that " the good works of a man justified
do truly merit eternal life."
That the doctrine of transubstantiation, as not being revealed,
but a theory of man's devising, is profane and impious.
That the denial of the cup to the laity, is a bold and unwarranted
encroachment on their privileges as Christ's people.
That the sacrifice of masses, as it has been practised in the Ro
man Church, is without foundation in Scripture or antiquity ; and
therefore blasphemous and dangerous.
That the honour paid to images is very full of peril in the case
of the uneducated, that is, of the great part of Christians.
That indulgences, as in use, are a gross, monstrous invention of
later times.
That the received doctrine of purgatory is at variance with Scrip
ture, cruel to the better sort of Christians, and administering deceit
ful comfort to the irreligious.
That the practice of celebrating divine service in an unknown
tongue is a great corruption.
"That forced confession is an unauthorized and dangerous practice.
That the invocation of Saints is a dangerous practice, as tending
36

282
to give, often actually giving, to creatures the honour and reliance
due to the Creator alone.
That there are not seven Sacraments.
That the Romish Doctrine of Tradition is unscriptural.
That the claim of the Pope to be Universal Bishop is against
Scripture and antiquity.
I might add other points in which also I protest against the Church
of Rome, but I think it enough to make my confession in Hall's
order, and so to leave it. And having done so, I will ask you but one
question. Which uses the stronger language against Popery, the
Articles or I ? The only severe words in the Articles being, that
" the Sacrifice of Masses" " were blasphemous fables and danger
ous deceits ;" whereas the " doctrines concerning Purgatory, Par
dons, Worshipping, and Adoration, as well of Images as of relics,
and also invocation of saints," is only called " a fond thing, vainly
invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather
repugnant to the Word of God."
L. Thank you for this conversation ; from which I hope to draw
/natter for reflection, though the subject seems to involve such deep
histbrical research, I hardly know how to find my way through it.

No. 39.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S FORM OF RECEIVING PENITENTS.

After Morning Prayers, the person who is censured to penance
standing in the accustomed place and habit, the Minister shall ex
hort him as follows :
Brother :
The Church being a society of persons professing to five in the
fear of God, and expecting the judgments of God to fall upon them,
if His laws are broken without calling the offenders to account ; it is
reasonable that every member of this society who has been guilty of
any scandalous offence, should either openly confess his sins, and
promise reformation for the time to come ; or else should be cut off
from the body of Christ, which is the Church.
Now, to awaken you to a true sense of your condition, I will set
before you the Word of God ; that you may certainly know what
will be the e.nd of a wicked life ; and that knowing the terror ofthe
Lorr", you may speedily turn unto Him and make your peace.

283
Hear then what the Apostle St. Paul saith of great offenders :
Be not deceived : neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor effemi
nate, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor ex
tortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.*
Hear also what the same Apostle saith :
Now the works of the flesh are these, adultery, fornication, un-
cleanness, lasciviousness, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ^vyings, murders, drunkenness, re-
vellings, ^nd such like : of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inhe
rit the kingdom of God.f
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Uving God, who
can destroy both body and soul in hell ; where the worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched. J
These being the very words of God, you will do well to consider
into what a condition you have brought yourself; and, indeed, the
only comfort you have is this, that you are yet alive, and that the day
of grace and repentance is yet afforded you. Which that you may
make use of, I must also let you know, what God has declared con
cerning such as repent and turn unto God, and bring forth fruits
meet for repentance.
To the Lord our God belong mercies aind forgivenesses, though
we have rebelled against him.§
If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins.y And our blessed Saviour, to show us what great compassion God
has for him that has gone astray, and returns to his duty ; He repre
sents Him as a man, who having found his lost sheep, takes it upon
his shoulders, rejoicing.
And in another parable, to make us understand the love of God
for penitent sinners, he shows us how we may hope to be received,
even as a compassionate father received his prodigal son, whenever
he became humble and sensible of his faults ; he embraced him, he
clothed him, he rejoiced with his whole family. And such joy there
is amongst the angels of God, when a sinner repenteth.TI
Such great encouragement you have to return to God. But then,
you must do it sincerely ; you must not only appear outwardly a
penitent, but with a true penitent heart come before God and His
Church. Which if you do, you will not look upon this as a punish
ment inflicted upon you by the Church, but as a wholesome medi
cine administered for the good of j'^our precious soul. Without which,
you might have gone on, adding sin to sin, until there had been no
more space for repentance.
» 1 Cor. vi. 9. + Gal. v. 19.
t Heb. X. 31. § Dan. ix. 9.
II 1 John i. 9. T Luke xv. 10.

284
You .will suffer yourself to be admonished ; acknowledge your of
fence ; and give glory to God, in owning his power to punish you in
the next life, though you should escape in this.
You will testify to others that it is, indeed, an evil thing and bit
ter to forsake the Lord. And owning this so publicly, you will be
ashamed to return to the sins you have repented of.
Then we shall all pray to God that He would, for Christ's sake,
accept of your repentance ; that He would enable you to live for the
time to come in obedience to the laws of Jesus Christ, that your
souls may be saved at the day of judgment.
These are the wholesome ends the Church proposes in her cen
sures ; following herein the Apostle's directions,* in meekness in
structing those that oppose themselves, that they may recover them
selves out of the snares of the devil, who are taken captive by him
at his will.
Therefore, dear brother, consider that you are in the presence of
God — the searcher of hearts. You may, indeed, deceive this con
gregation with a feigned repentance, but you cannot deceive Him
that made you ; who, if you dissemble in this matter, will shut you
out of heaven, though you continue a visible member of His Church
here. But that we may take "all due caution, I must in the name of this
congregation, ask you these questions :
Are you from your heart sorry for the sin you have committed ? —
Answer. I am.
Will you be more careful for the time to come ; and by God's
help, avoid all temptations to it ? — Answer. I will.
¦Will you constantly pray to God to assist you to do so ? — Answer.
I will. Do you desire the forgiveness of all good Christians whom you
may have offended ? — Ansuxr. I do.
And do you desire that others, seeing your sorrow, may beware
of falling into any grievous sin ? — Answer. I do desire it.
Will you take patiently the admonition of such as, after a Chris
tian manner, shall advise you, if they shall see you forget yourself
and the promises you have now made ? — Answer. I will.
Then shall the Minister say.
May the gracious God give you repentance to life eternal ; receive
you into his favour ; continue you a true member of the Church of
Christ ; and bring you unto his everlasting kingdom, through the
same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
After which he shall speak to the congregation, as follows :
Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this person is moved
*2Tim. ii.25.

285
by the good Spirit of God to confess his sins, and to be afflicted for
them ; let us, that we may mourn with him as becomes good Chris
tians, consider that we are all subject to sin, and to death eternal ;
That there is nothing so vile and wicked which we should not run
into, did not the grace of God prevent us ;
That, therefore, we have nothing to value ourselves for above
others, but what the good Spirit of God has given us.
Let him, then, as the Apostle advises, that thinks he stands, take
heed lest he fall.
Let us ever remember the word of Christ, Watch and pray, that
ye enter not into temptation ; because our adversary the devil, as a
roaring fion, walketh continually about, seeking whom he may de
vour. Let us learn never to be ashamed to acknowledge our sins, but let
us confess and forsake them, that we may find mercy. For it is far
better to suffer shame here, than the wrath of God hereafter.
In a word ; let us all with penitent hearts call our sins to remem
brance, and judge ourselves, though we are not censured by the
Church. Let us confess our sins unto God, who is most willing to
pardon us, if we turn unto Him with all our hearts, steadfastly pur
posing to lead a new life. Which God grant we may all do, for
Jesus Christ's sake. Amen..
Then shall be said distinctly the fifty-first Psalm, togetJier with the
Prayers appointed in the Commination service for Ash-Wednes
day.

No. 40.
"(Ad Populum!)
BAPTISM.
RICHARD NELSON.
No. III.

« Ye hear in the Gospel the express words of our Saviour Christ, that
except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. Wherein) ye may perceive the great necessity of this
Sacrament, where it may be had."— O^ce of Baptism for those of Riper
Years. During the summer after the conversation last related, in which,
as the reader may remember, we had been speaking of the Atha-

286
nasian Creed, I was called away to a distance from home by the
unexpected illness of a near relation, which became serious, and
lasted so long as to keep me absent for two or three Sundays. The
time of year was about Midsummer, and it so happened that one
of the Sundays was the eighth after Trinity. Thinking over the
first morning lesson of the day, as I sat watching by my kinsman's
bedside, I was forcibly struck by the awful way, in which it appears
to impress upon men the duty of separating themselves, in some
way or other, from unbelievers. " Eat no bread, nor drink water,
neither turn again by the jvay that thou camest ;" 1 Ki. xiii. 9 : that
is, " however tired, hungry, and thirsty you may be, and however
kind and pressing they may be, have nothing at all to say to them :
do not even return the same road, but make yourself as strange
among them as ever you can." Long and deeply, with my Bible
in my hand, did I muse upon this history, and the more I thought,
the more I was convinced, putting every thing together, that such
as I have said is its true moral and meaning. I must own, how
ever, that the train of thought was not altogether agreeable to me.
I could not disengage myself from an unpleasant, though not a very
distinct, conviction that this material part of piety, separation from
the enemies of God, had not been sufficiently pressed on my
people, in my course of parochial instruction. The thought came
across my mind, " What if any of them now should go astray for
want of due warning on that point, and should conie to a bad end ?"
And I secretly determined with myself, in the silence of the sick
room, that I would endeavour for the future to supply this great de
ficiency, and that until Church disciphne can be restored again
(which the Prayer Book teaches us to wish and pray for,) I would
try to prevail on those who were most likely to be prevailed to act
upon the principles of it, and establish something like it in their own
houses : using a kind of holy reserve towards those who will not
hear the Ch'irch. These thoughts occupied me that night during
most of my waking hours ; my patient happily sleeping soundly, and
my anxiety about him of course growing less : and when towards
morning Iwas relieved on my post as nurse, the same thoughts still
haunted me in dreams. At last I settled into a sound slumber, and,
as was not unnatural, overslept myself. I was awakened on the
Monday morning, an hour after the usual time, by my friend's ser
vant bringing a letter into my room, which I saw by the postmark
came from my own parish, but I could not at all recollect the hand
writing. I opened it eagerly, not knowing what to expect, and read
as follows :
" Honoured and dear Sir,
" I make bold to trouble you with a few lines, as I find on calling
at the Parsonage that Mr. Mason is not yet well enough for you to

287
leave hini : which a little troubled me, for I wanted to ask your
kind advice on a matter of some consequence, and I could do it
much more comfortably by word of mouth. As it is, I must try and
state my case to you by letter, hoping that I shall be able to make
it plain, and knowing that you will excuse other defects, which will
be many. The thing. Sir, is this : you have seen something of my
nephew, young Philip Carey, the bricklayer of Amdale. For I re
member when he had some work in our parish, he went to you to
buy a Bible, and you had some talk with him, and named him to
me afterwards, seemina rather pleased with him ; and indeed he is
a steady, good tempered lad, though I say it that should not say it.
Well, Sir, that Bible was intended for a present, he would not tell
me then to whom, but I afterwards found that he had given it to a
young woman named Vane, who was in service, where he last
worked : and in short, there was a talk among the people, which I
as a kinsman was one of the last to hear, that they were very soon
going to be married. I was not very much surprised at this : but I
own to you. Sir, I was more vexed than some of our people can
well account for. Not that I have any thing to say against the
j'oung woman's conduct ; indeed I believe she has always borne a
good character, and is, as the world goes, very respectable : but I
knew very well that her father had been for many years unsettled
in his thoughts on religion — more, as I believed, of a Baptist than
any thing else : and I thought to myself, if Letitia (for that is her
name,) is not very different from her father, how can the Church's
blessing go along with such an union? and without the Church's
blessing, how can they expect to be happy? So I made it my busi
ness to see my nephew, and asked him quietly, if no scruple of this
sort had ever come into his mind : and a good deal passed between
us, which I need not at present tire you with. However, the up
shot was, we parted good friends, but both of the same mind as
when we met. And on the Sunday I walked over to Amdale, and
called on my sister Lucy, Philip's mother, (his father died last year,)
and we had a long discourse, in which she seemed to think me
strange and bigoted: but yet I hoped that what I had said would
keep them from going on quite inconsiderately. So much the more
was I disappointed at receiving a note from my sister this morning,
begging me to order my matters so as to be at Amdale church at
10 o'clock next Saturday, they having fixed on that day for the
wedding, and wishing me to give the young woman away. I can
see, they quite reckon upon it, and I fear they will be very much
affronted should I refuse." I conclude they hardly thought me quite
in earnest in what I said to fhem. But though it will be a great
grief to me to have them look unpleasant at me, (for next to my
own family, I have always delighted in my sister's,) I seem to have
made up my mind, unless you. Sir, should think differently, not to
have any thing to do with this marriage ; and I cannot help think-

288
ing they will one day thank me for it. I shall not now intrude on
you with my reasons ; but one line just to say yes or no would
greatly oblige, " Honoured and dear Sir,
" Your obliged and humble servant,
"Richard Nelson."
When I had read this letter, though I was grieved to think that
my friend Richard, who had always lived such a quiet fife, and with
whom I had sometimes talked of the great happiness we both en
joyed — a rare happiness in these times — of belonging, each of us,
to a family undivided in religious opinions : though, I say, I was
grieved to think of Richard's being thus disturbed, yet I was on the
whole more pleased for the thing to have befallen him than if it had
happened to any other man in the parish, for reasons which the
reader will easily guess. I wrote to him as he desired, not a long
letter, but such as to show him that I heartily approved of his prin
ciples, and trusted to his discretion for applying them in the most
effectual way. While I stayed with my relation, I heard no more
of the matter, but I thought of it day and night, and wondered how
it would turn out. The middle of the next week, my relation hav
ing nearly recovered, I returned home ; and the first thing I did was
to contrive a little job of walling, that I might have an excuse for
sending to Richard Nelson. I saw at once, when he came into the
room, that he had been going through a good deal ; he looked anx
ious, though very calm and cheerful. The following conversation,
or something very like it, passed between us, after I had given my
orders about the work : —
" And how goes on this wedding, Richard ?"
" Pretty much as I expected. Sir : we have had a good deal to
say to each other about it, I, and my sister, and Mr. Vane ; but
though I spoke very plainly to them, they would not believe I was in
earnest, till the very day before that intended for the marriage.
And when they saw that I meant what I said, they were forced to
put off the marriage, till a friend of theirs can be written to, and
come, with whom it seems they had made an old engagement, thaf
he should be the father at their wedding, if any one was, out of
their two families. In the mean time I am sorry to say they look
rather black on me ; and not only they, but a many of the neigh
bours too. But luckily I had made up my mind to that beforehand."'
" They must look black upon me, too, then. For I should have
done just the same, according to what I understand of the case. But
I suppose you told them on what gro'und you went ?"
" I did. Sir, as well as I could, in my plain way. I saw them all
at different times, Mr. Vane, and my sister, and the two young peo
ple, and told them all the same thing ; viz., that I look on marriage

289
as a sacred thing ; that the Church never meant her sacred things to
be made common ; that such would be the case, were a person in
Letitia's state (for do you know, Sir, she is not yet even baptized,) to
be admitted to Christian marriage ; that the neglect of this rule is
every day doing great mischief; and that, being as I am, Philip's
Godfather, as well as his nearest relation, I was bound especially to
do what I could to hinder him from the sin and the peril.
" And it was curious to me. Sir, in the midst of my vexation, to
observe in what a different way the different persons I had to deal
with received what I had to say. Each had his own objection, one
to one part of my notions, aiid another to another. Mr. Vane thought
it very strange that marriage should be made so purely a matter of
Religion ; my sister, I am sorry to say, was inclined to think very
slightly of the difference between us and the Baptists ; Philip was
quite sure, that let him be once married, he should soon bring his
wife to the same way of thinking as himself, (for to do him justice, he
has no thought of leaving the Church ;) and, as for the young wo
man, she said but little, but what she said, affected me more than all
the rest ; for she really seemed to think me unkind and cruel, in ex
posing and discrediting her, and making her out (so she said,) to be
no Christian."
" I do not much wonder," said I, " at the young people ; but I own
I am a little surprised that Mr. Vane should utter a thought which
appears to me so very shocking, as that marriage need not be sanc
tified by Religion at all."
" Why, Sir," replied Richard Nelson, "he has been of late much
out and about, talking with all sorts of people ; and then he meddles
with politics and elections, all rather in a wild way, and it brings him
into strange company, and sets him on reading strange books. So
he has picked up this notion among others, which I understand the
French are very full of, as well as our Frenchified newspapers. But
I should not have thought of arguing with him about it, it seems so
absurd and shocking of Uself, if I had not been afraid of his doing my
nephew some harm by' it ; for Philip was in the room with us, of
course listening eagerly to what passed. But I do not know" (inter
rupting himself,) "why lam troubling you, Sii*, with this conversa
tion." " By all means go on, I beg of you. I am a little inquisitive to
know what he could have to say for such a notion."
" His fancy was, as far as I could make it out, that the peace and
order of the country is every thing. And if, said he, people can go
on well, and be faithful and happy in marriage without any public
religious service, why should it be urged on them by the law ?"
" To which I suppose you answered, that there is another worid
as well as this ; and it does not follow that things will turn out well
in that, because to our short and dim sight they seem to go on in
peace and order here." 37

290
" To be sure, Sir, that is very plain ; but I do not think I went so
deep. I took him straight to Scripture ; for in that way I thought
Phihp would attend to me most. I put it to him in this 'way : if mar
riage is a different thing to a Christian from what it would be to any
one else ; if it is not only one of the greatest earthly blessings, but
also a special and holy token, appointed by God to signify unto us
the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church ; then, to
enter on it without prayer, or in any other but a religious way, must
be almost as affronting to the Almighty, as if one profaned the Sa
crament of His Son's body and blood. And again, since we are
plainly told, that Christian men ought never to expect any blessing
from God, except as members of His Son's body, (that is, I take it,
as parts of His Church,) how can one help fearing to forfeit the
whole ofthe blessing intended in matrimony, if one scornfully refuse
it as offered by the Church ? And I take it, that every man does
reject it in God's sight, who, disliking it in his heart, submits to it
merely because it is the law of the land. Thus I went on, not ex
pecting to make any impression on Mr. Vane ; indeed, I saw too
clearly that he was sneering in his heart all the time, but he did not
like to say much, for fear of turning Philip against him ; who, as I
rejoiced to perceive, entered very much into this part of my talk.
And as we walked away to my sister's, he expressed to me some
wonder that so pious a man as Mr. Vane should ever have approv
ed of the notion of marrying by Justices of the Peace. ' But I as
sure you, uncle,' said he, ' that we none of us agree with him. My
mother and Letitia would both of them be miserable if they thought
the Church's blessing would be wanting on our union. And al
though I must acknowledge that I could wish some parts of the ser
vice omitted, yet it must be owned, on the whole, to be extremely
beautiful ; and I for my part,' he went on to say, ' never expect to see
the day, when / shall take any dislike to the Church, for that or any
other reason.' "
Here I interrupted Richard in his recital. " I do wish," I said,
" that people who are so much wiser and more delicate than the
Prayer Book, would look a little into their Bibles too. And when
they have well reformed both, we shall see how purely the world
will go on, the warnings of God being silenced, and the mistake cor
rected, which the Church has made, in speaking out plainly about
fashionable and shameful sins."
My friend Richard smiled at my vehemence, and said, " To be
sure. Sir, it is tolerably plain, (what I have often thought of the
warnings of the Athanasian Creed also,) that the very repugnance
which many men feel towards repeating them, is rather a proof of
their usefulness and necessity, supposing the substance of them to be
true. For it is plain, that people who shudder so much at repeating
them after the Church, would never have courage to deliver the like
warnings for themselves. And the same kind of remark may be

291
made on the passages you now allude to in the Office for Matrimo
ny. And thus people might be left to perish unwarned, through false
delicacy, or false good-nature. I must say, that if I was a Clergy
man, and felt, as I suppose I should feel, that such warnings ought
to be given, I should feel most deeply obliged to the Prayer Book
for putting words into my mouth, and commanding me to speak
them. I would much rather have it so, than be left to form words
of my own. I should feel it less painful to myself, and probably less
annoying to others. And now that we are upon this subject, per
mit me. Sir, just to ask you, do you not think it would do much good,
and correct what may perhaps be justly called the vulgar objections
to the Marriage Service, if men would try to enter a little more into
the spirit of the household stories, and family scenes in the Old Tes
tament ? The book of Ruth especially — can any one read it rever
entially, and not learn a great deal of the difference between True
and False Deficacy ? You will feel my meaning. Sir, at once."
" Indeed," said I, " I do ; and although I am not aware that I ever
before heard it said in so many words, yet, I should imagine it must
have been silently experienced by every right-minded reader. And
if it should turn out, that the spirit of that Book is exactly the same
with the spirit of our Marriage Service, who would desire a more
complete vindication of it ? But pray let us go back to your story,
which I beg pardon for having interrupted. You were on the way
to your sister, Mrs. Carey's ; and I think you told me, that you found
it very hard to make her so much as understand your objection to
the marriage, or how any one could possibly imagine Baptists, as
such, to be ahens to the Church."
f " Yes I she was quite positive at first, that I must have some view
of my ovsrn, some worldly purpose, in ' setting my head' against the
match. As long as she had this fancy, she would not even Hsten to
my arguments : and as it was, I believe she did but half hear them. I
did not indeed trouble her with many ; for I thought that two or
three plain texts, with the interpretation confirmed by a little un
questionable history, might and ought to be sufficient."
" Let me just guess, what line you probably took with her. I sup
pose you first pointed out to her, that our Saviour's promises are
made to individuals, not simply, as believing and repenting, but as
joining themselves, by faith and repentance, to the Church which He
was founding through his Apostles. For instance, you might perhaps
put her in mind, that our Saviour in His prayer before His suffer
ings, in ch. xvii. of St. John, plainly had an eye to the command he
purposed to give them, when he was going to be taken out of their
sight : which command we read in the last three verses of St. Mat
thew. The prayer was 'not for the Apostles alone, but for all who
should believe on Him through their word : that they all might
be one.' For whom was this prayer offered ? Not for all who any
how should believe in Christ, but ' for them who should believe on

292
Him through the word of the Apostles :' i. e. for the very same per
sons described in the other text : ' Go ye and teach, (or, as it is in
the margin, make Disciples, or Christians of) all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.'
Those whom he had before prayed for, he here in effect orders to be
taught or made Disciples, by persons having Apostolical authority.
But these very same Disciples are to be one and all baptized. For
our Lord's words are quite express : ' Make Christians of them by
baptizing them ;' so that if we are to go by these words, it is quite
plain that persons unbaptized cannot properly be called Christians :
and if we compare the same words with the other text, it seems very
doubtful whether such persons are included in the meaning of our
Saviour's gracious intercession ; which is surely a point to be deep
ly considered. Do you quite understand me, Richard ?"
"Yes, Sir, I believe I do. Those are some of the places in
Scripture, which I turned to and begged my sister Lucy to consider.
But of course. Sir, I could not reason on them so exactly as you
have now done. There was another place too, which I begged her
to think a good deal of, which must needs, I think, sound very
awful to those who are inclined to make light of Baptism : I mean
what was said to Nicodemus, ' Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' It
seems to me. Sir, that in speaking those words, our Saviour, who
knew what he would do, must have borne in mind his purpose of
causing water to be what it is made in the Sacrament of Baptism,
the outward and visible sign of our new birth, and admission into
His Church. I pUt the substance of the two places side by side in
this way. St. John iii. 5. St. Matt, xxviii. 19.
If you would enter into the If you would be a Disciple, or
kingdom of God, you must be Christian, you must be baptized
born of water and of the Spirit, by Apostolical authority in the
name of the Holy Trinity.
What made me stronger in this opinion, was observing the like ar
gument in our Divine Master's language, when speaking of the
other Holy Sacrament. As thus : for I wrote the four places down,
to make my meaning plain to the very eye.
St. John vi. 53. St. Matt. xxvi. 28.
If you would have life in you. If you would eat Christ's bo-
you must eat the flesh of the Son dy and drink his blood, you must
of man, and drink his blood. take and eat the bread, and
drink of the cup, blessed by
those who have authority to bless
it, in remembrance of Him.
" I hope, Sir, you will not think that I am using the Bible too

293
freely : but I must own, to me it is very convincing, when I see one
part of our Saviour's discourses thus pointing as it were to another,
and both so thoroughly agreeing with the known customs of the
early Church, as I have always understood these do.
" For it is now some few years. Sir, since I began to think on this
subject, and what few doubts I had, were very much settled by a
book which you kindly spared me from your Lending Library. I
think it was called ' A conference of two men on the subject of In
fant Baptism.' And it showed to my thinking most clearly, the
opinion of the Church on that subject, in times when they must
have known what the very Apostles used to do.
" These things, in my plain way, I tried to point out to my sister ;
and I was in hopes to have convinced her, that wilfully to remain
unbaptized is a more grievous sin than the generaUty of Dissenters
(aye, and a great many Churchmen,) imagine. I thought, when
our Lord so distinctly affirmed, that one must be born of water
and the Spirit, before one could even ' enter into God's kingdom,'
it was not too much to ask of a Christian man, that he should not
marry such a person, considering what the Holy Spirit has said by
St. Paul to all Christians, that if they marry, they must marry ' in
the Lord ;' that is to say, must select such persons as make part of
the body of Christ, considering too what strict charges were given
to the Israelites of old time, not to make marriages with the heathen
and unbelievers. I thought to myself, and I put it strongly to my
sister, how can I, with these convictions, with the Scriptures lying
open before me, and as I think distinctly forbidding such things, how
can I be helper to such a union ? how can I come to God's altar,
and present my relation there to Him, and beg His blessing on an
act which in my conscience I believe to be sinful, and most provo
king to Him ? In short, I told them it was out of the question ;
and if they would put themselves in my place for a moment, they
would see that it must be so."
" I should like to know what the young man thought, as he stood
by and heard all this."
" Oh, Sir, I could see that he was very uneasy ; he made two or
three endeavours to break in upon us with some remarks of his
own : but I was steady in not permitting him till I had stated my
own view, so as to give it a fair chance. When I had finished, and
was going away, leaving my sister, as it seemed to me, more puzzled
than convinced by what had been said, Philip came close up to me,
and said, in the tone of a man more or less vexed, ' You mistake
me quite, uncle, if you think I have any notion of leaving the
Church, because I am proposing to marry one who is not yet a
Churchwoman. I like the Church as well as ever. I was bom
and bred in it, and hope to die in it ; nay, and by this very engage
ment of mine, I expect to do good service to the Church. For I
shall be veiy much disappointed indeed, if Letitia be not very

294
soon prevailed on to be baptized, and conform, after she becomes
my wife.'
" I told him, if such was indeed her mind, the matter might in no
long time be settled to the satisfaction of us all. He had only to
wait till that happy change, which he so confidently looked for, had
taken place, and I would most gladly attend him as he desired. At
this he looked a httle disconcerted, and it was plain enough that he
had been mistaking what he only wished, for what was likely to
happen. So I just asked him one question, whether he thought
himself wiser and steadier than Solomon? He very likely, (said I,)
when he permitted himself first to form an attachment to a heathen,
expected to bring her over to the faith and worship of the one true
God ; but it ended in his becoming himself an idolater. Indeed,
God's warnings to his ancient people, not to be unequally yoked
with unbelievers, every where go upon the notion, that the corrupt
ing side in such unions will be commonly too strong for that which
was originally right. How can it be otherwise, while human na
ture is corrupt, and when the aid of Divine Grace is forfeited by
men's presumptuously running themselves into a state of continual
temptation ? And, I added, what I have more than once heard
from those who have read modern history, that the same kind of
result is there also visible enough, attending on the like profane mar
riages among those who call themselves Christians. I ventured to
mention one example, which had occurred to myself, in such little
reading as I have had time for in that line — the example of one
whom I deeply honour and reverence — you will guess that I mean
King Charles the Martyr. I do not know whether I am right, but
it has always seemed to me, that the one great error of his Majes
ty's hfe was his being ' unequally yoked' with a person of another
creed, — a person with whom I suppose he could not well pray, al
though, as we happen to know for certain, he prayed constantly for
her conversion. His own faith to be sure was unstained ; but we
know what evil ensued to his family and kingdom ; and perhaps
many of his own calamities might be traced to the same cause.
Now if that just and good king cannot be excused for such a mar
riage, what can be said for an ordinary Christian, should he run into
the like danger ? What is 'tempting God, if this be not?' Thus I
ran on ; but Phihp evidently paid little attention to me. He seemed
to be making up his mind that I was prejudiced, and that it was no
use his listening at all. So I went away for the present, hoping be
fore long to have an opportunity of speaking to him when he was
more willing to hear."
" I thought," said I, " that you told me just now of your having con
versed with the young woman herself: did I mistake you ? or was
that at another time ?"
" That was just as I was going away : I passed by accident through
the room where she was, and we had a very few words together.

295
It was plain at once, by her manner, that she considered me person
ally unkind in what I had been saying of her to my sister. I begged
her to bear with me, considering that I was so much older, and that
I could have nothing at heart but my nephew's good ; and I put her
in mind of two or three things which had passed, such as I thought
would be most apt to pacify and soothe her when she remembered
them ; and then I begged her seriously to consider, not at present
whether I was right or no in my opinion ofthe necessity of Baptism,
but, supposing I thought myself right, how could I act otherwise than
I was doing ? Which, I asked, is the truer charity ? to let people go
on unbaptized and unsanctified, for fear of paining them ; — to treat
them as if they were quite safe, when, if you will believe our Sa
viour, you must believe they have not yet even entered into the
Church and Kingdom of God, — or to show them that you feel in
earnest for their danger ; to remind them what sentence the Church
would pass on them, should they die in their present condition ? She
would not, in that case, allow them Christian burial. Why ? Evi
dently, because she thinks them not members of Christ's body ; not
entitled by covenant to those promises, the rehearsing of which over
the grave are in her mind a part of Christian burial. I believe and
obey the Church ; and if it was the nearest and dearest relation I
have, I should count it kindness, not cruelty, to treat him as she
would have him treated ; to ' have compassion on him, making a dif
ference,' and so try to bring him, with an humble and penitrfiit heart,
to our Saviour's Baptism in good time.
" This was the tone of what I said to her ; but I had hardly lime
for so much as this : however, as she is naturally good tempered and
candid, she seemed to take it pretty well."
" I should like to know," said I, " whether she has ever expressed
an^ wish for Baptism. A person who thinks of it, but is as yet irre
solute, may be regarded, I should think, in a different light from one
who distinctly slights and disparages it ; more like one of the begin
ners in Christianity, who were called in old time Catechumens.
Whereas, those who indulge in scorn, and make themselves easy in
such a condition, show the very temper of the worst heretics. Have
you any notion to which of these two classes the young woman you
are speaking of rather belongs ?"
" I should not suppose she had ever thought much of the matter,
until of late, that the question has been started by this proposed wed
ding. What thoughts she has, I should fear, are rather of the scorn
ful kind. She has been used to hear people say, under breath, per
haps, but not the less emphatically for that, something like what
Naaman the Syrian said, ' May I not wash elsewhere and be clean ?'
with plenty of hints about superstition and Popery, and other words
ofthe like sound."
" It is too hkely ; one has heard of late of too much of that kind
among the Baptists, and among others who agree with them in sHght-

296
ing the ancient Church. And worse consequences even than the
contempt of Baptism follow, I fear, too often. Persons become gen
erally irreverent towards religion altogether. A proud common sense,
as it calls itself, usurps the place of that humility which befits a crea
ture and a sinner in judging of his duties towards God. Nothing is
cordially believed which is not theoretically understood : nothing care
fully and reverently practised, of which the use is not perceived.
And thus the religion of our time is in danger of dwindling down to
a wretched kind of political decency : and where, of all parties, is the
change going on most rapidly ? Among those who left the Apostoli
cal Church because ' it was not spiritual enough' for them !"
" And yet, sir, is there any thing so strange in that ? Our blessed
Lord joined the two together, — the high, mysterious, and spiritual,
doctrine of the Trinity, with the no less mysterious communication
of grace by water Baptism. They who begin by being so bold as
to despise the water, which He commanded to be used, it is very na
tural, as far as I see, that they should end by despising the word
which He commanded to be spoken, — the sacred name of the Fa
ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
" It is indeed but too natural, like all the other steps which men
make down the broad way which leads to perdition. But it is some
kind of satisfaction to me to find, that quiet thoughtful laymen see
the danger, as well as we who are of the clergy. And I suppose we
shall be pretty well agreed upon the remedy, namely, to do what
little we can towards reviving among men the knowledge and love
of the ancient Church."
" Ah, Sir, if that might be ! But a Christian must not despond
about the Church, nor the meanest Christian of being made useful,
in his place, towards the highest ends. I will not therefore indulge
in forebodings ; but will rather try again what I can do with the op
portunity which Providence has put in my way. I certainly will do
nothing to countenance this marriage ; and if I cannot prevent it, at
least some part of what I say may rise up in some of their minds
some day, and may help them to truer and better thoughts. But you
must help me. Sir, with your advice, and (may I be so bold ?) with
your prayers."
" It is my bounden duty, Richard," said I, as I shook him by the
hand at parting. " And take this Scripture home for your comfort ;
that if a man humbly ' cast his bread upon the waters,' — if he trust
his Maker with it in earnest, he shall ' find it after many days.' "

No. 41 .

(Ad Scholas.)
VIA MEDIA.

No. II.

Laicus. I am come for some further conversation with you ; or
rather for another exposition of your views on Church matters. I
am not well read enough to argue with you; nor, on the other
hand, do I profess fo admit all you say : but I want, if you will let
me, to get at your opinions. So will you lecture, if I give the sub
jects ?
Clericus. To lecture, as you call it, is quite beyond me, since at
best I have but a smattering of reading in Church history. The
more 's the pity ; though I have as much as a great many others ;
for ignorance of our historical position as Churchmen is one of the
especial evils of the day. Yet even with a little knowledge, I am
able to see certain facts which seem quite inconsistent with notions
at present received. For my practice, I should be ashamed of my
self if I guided it by any theories. Here the letter and spirit of
the Liturgy is my direction, as it is of all classes of Churchmen,
high and low. Yet, though I do not lay a great stress on such
views as I gather from history, it is to my mind a strong confirma
tion of them, that they just account for and illustrate the conclusions
to which I am led by plain obedience to my ordination vows.
L. If you only wish to keep to the Liturgy, not to change, what
did you mean the other day by those ominous words, in which you
suggested the need of a second Reformation ?
C. Because I think the Church has in a measure forgotten its
own principles, as declared in the sixteenth century; nay, under
"stranger circumstances, as far as I know, than have attended any
of the errors and corruptions of the Papists. Grievous as are their
declensions from primitive usage, I never heard in any case of their
practice directly contradicting their Services ; — whereas we go on
lamenting once a year the absence of discipline in our Church, yet
do not even dream of taking any one step towards its restoration.
Again, we confess in the Articles that excommunication is a solemn
duty of the Church under certain circumstances, and that the ex
communicated person must be openly reconciled by penance, before
he is acknowledged by the faithful as a brother ; yet excommunica-
38

298
tion, I am told, is now a civil process, which takes place as a matter
of course at a certain stage of certain law proceedings. Here a
reformation is needed.
L. Only of discipline, not of doctrine.
C. Again, when the Church, with an unprecedented confidence,
bound herself hand and foot, and made herself over to the civil
power in order to escape the Pope, she did not expect that infidels
(as it has lately been hinted,) would be suffered to have the absolute
disposal of the crown patronage.
L. This, again, might be considered matter of discipline. Our
reformation in the sixteenth century was one in matters of faith;
and therefore we do not need a second Reformation in the same
sense in which we needed it first.
C. In what points would you say the Church's /ai'^A was reform
ed in the sixteenth century ?
L. Take the then received belief in purgatory and pardons
which alone was a sufficient corruption to call for a reformation.
C. I conceive the presumption of the Popish doctrine on these
points to lie in adding to the means of salvation set forth in Scrip
ture. Almighty God has said His Son's merits shall wash away all
sin, and that they shall be conveyed to believers through the two
Sacraments, whereas the Church of Rome has added other ways
of gaining heaven.
L. Granted. The belief in purgatory and pardons disparages
the sufficiency, first, of Christ's merits, next, of His appointed Sa
craments. C. And by " received" belief, I suppose you mean that it was
the popular belief, which clergy and laity acted on, not that it was
necessarily contained in any particular doctrinal formulary.
L. Proceed.
C. Do you not suppose that there are multitudes both among
clergy and laity at the present day, who disparage, not indeed
Christ's merits, but the Sacraments He has appointed ? and if so,
is not their error so far the same in kind as that of the Romish
Church — the preferring Abana and Pharpar to the waters of Jor
dan? Take the sacrament of Baptism'. Have not some denomi
nations of schismatics invented a rite of dedication instead of Bap
tism ? and do not Churchmen find themselves under the temptation
of countenancing this Papist-like presumption ? Again ; there is a
well known sect which denies both Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
A Churchman must believe its members to be altogether external
to the fold of Christ. Whatever benevolent works they may be
able to show, still, if we receive the Church's doctrine concerning
the means "generally necessary to salvation," we must consider
such persons to be mere heathens, except in knowledge. Now
would there not be an outcry raised as if I were uncharitable, did I
refuse the rites of burial to such an one ?

299
L. This censure would not proceed from the better informed or
the rulers of our Church.
C. Happily, we are not as yet so corrupted as at the era of the
Reformation. Our Prelates are still sound, and know the difference
between what is modern and what is ancient. Yet is not the mode
of viewing the subject I refer to a grvwing one ? and how does it
differ from the presumption of the Papists? In both cases the
power of Christ's Sacraments is denied : in the one case by the
unbelief of restlessness and fear, in the other by the unbelief of pro
faneness. L. Well, supposing I grant that the Church of this day is in a
measure faulty in faith and disciphne ; more or less, of course, ac
cording to the diocese and neighbourhood. Now, in the next place,
what do you mean by your Reformation ?
C. I would do what our Reformers in the sixteenth century did :
they did not touch the existing documents of doctrine — there was
no occasion ; they kept the creeds as they were ; but they added
protests against the corruptions of faith, worship, and disciphne,
which had grown up round them. I would have the Church do
the same thing now, if I could : she should not change the Articles,
she should add to them : add protests against the Erastianism and
latitudinarianism which have incrusted them. I would have her
append to the Catechism a section on the power of the Church.
L. You have not mentioned any corruptions at present in wor
ship : do you consider that there are such, as well as errors of faith
and discipline ?
C. Our Liturgy keeps us right in the main, yet there are what
may be considered such, though for the most part occasional. To
board over the altar of a Church, place an orchestra there of play
house singers, and take money at the doors, seems to me as great
an outrage as to sprinkle the forehead with holy water and to carry
lighted tapers in a procession.
L. Do not speak so harshly of what has often been done piously.
George the Third was a patron of concerts in one of our Cathe
drals. C. Far be it from my mind to dare to arraign the actions of that
religious king ! The same deed is of a different nature at different
times and under different circumstances. Music in a Church may
as reverentially subserve the feelings of devotion as pictures or ar
chitecture : but it may not.
L. You could not prevent such a desecration by adding a fortieth
article to the thirty-nine.
C. Not directly : yet though there is no article directly condemn
ing religious processions, they have nevertheless been discontinued.
In like manner, were an article framed (to speak by way of illus
tration,) declaratory of the sanctity of places set apart to the wor
ship of God and the reception of the Saints that sleep, doubtless

300
Churchmen would be saved from many profane feelings andprac-
tices of the day, which they give into unawares, such as the holding
vestries in Churches, the flocking to preachers rather than to sacra
ments, (as if the servant were above the Master who is Lord over
His own house,) the luxurious and fashionable fitting up of town
churches, the proposal to allow schismatics to hold their meetings
in them, the off-hand project of pulling them down for the conve
nience of streets and roads, and the wanton preference (for it fre
quently is wanton,) of unconsecrated places, whether for preaching
to the poor, or for administering sacred rites to the rich.
L. It is visionary to talk of such a reformation ; the people would
not endure it.
C. It is ; but I am not advocating it, I am but raising a protest. I
say this ought to be, " because of the angels," but I do not hope to
persuade others to think as I do.
# L. I think I quite understand the ground you take. You consider
that, as time goes on, fresh and fresh articles of faith are necessary
to secure the Church's purity, according to the rise of successive he
resies and errors. These Articles are all hidden, as it were, in the
Church's bosom, from the first, and brought out into form according
to the occasion. Such was the Nicene explanation against Arius;
the English articles against Popery ; and such are those now called
for in this age of schism, to meet the new heresy, which denies the
Holy Catholic Church — the heresy of Hoadley and othdrs like him.
C. Yes, and let it never be forgotten, that whatever were the
errors ofthe convocation of our Church in the beginning of the 1 8th
century, it expired in an attempt to brand the doctrines of Hoadley.
May the day be merely delayed !
L. I understand you further to say, that you hold to the Reform
ers as far as they have spoken out in our formularies, which at the
same time you consider as incomplete ; that the doctrines which may
appear wanting in the Articles, such as the Apostolical Commission,
are the doctrines of the Church Catholic ; doctrines which a mem
ber of that Church holds as such, prior to subscription ; that, more
over, they are quite consistent with our Articles, sometimes are even
implied in them, and sometimes clearly contained in the Liturgy,
though not in the Articles, as the Apostolical Commission in the Or
dination Service ; lastly, that we are clearly bound to beheve, and all
of us do believe, as essential, doctrines which nevertheless are not
contained in the Articles, as e. g. the inspiration of Holy Scripture.
C. Yes, and further I maintain, that while I fully concur in the
Articles, as far as they go, those who call me Papist, do not acquiesce
in the doctrine of the Liturgy.
L. This is a subject I especially wish drawn out. You threw out
some hints about it the other day, though I cannot say you convin
ced me. I have misgivings after all, that our Reformers only began
their own work. I do not say they saw the tendency and issue of

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their opinions ; but surely, had they lived, and had the opportunity
of doing more, they would have given into much more liberal notions,
(as they are called,) than you are disposed to concede. It is not by '
producing a rubric, or an insulated passage from the Services, that
you can destroy this impression. Such instances only show they
were inconsistent, which I will grant. Still, is not the genius of
our formularies towards a more latitudinarian system than they
reach ?
C. I will cheerfully meet you on the grounds you propose. Let
us t-.arefully examine the Liturgy in its separate parts. I think it will
decide the point which I contended for the other day, viz. that we
are more Protestant than our Reformers.
L. What do you mean by Protestant in your present use of the
word? C. A number of distinct doctrines are included in the notion of
Protestantism, and as to all these, our Church has taken the Via
Media between it and Popery. At present I will use it in the sense
most apposite to the topics we have been discussing, viz. as the reli
gion of so called freedom and independence, as hating superstition,
suspicious of forms, jealous of priestcraft, advocating heart-worship ;
characteristics, which admit of a good or a bad interpretation, but
which, understood as they are instanced in the majority of persons
who are zealous for what is called Protestant doctrine, are (I main
tain) very inconsistent with the Liturgy of our Church. Now, let
us begin with the Confirmation Service.
L. Will not the Baptismal be more to your purpose ? In it regen
eration is connected with the formal act of sprinkhng a Uttle water
on the forehead of an infant.
C. It is true, but I would rather show the general spirit of the
Services, than take those obvious instances which, it seems, you can
find out for yourself. Is it not certain that a modern Protestant,
even though he granted that children were regenerated in Baptism,
would, in the Confirmation Service, have inserted some address to
them about the necessity of spiritual renovation, of becoming new
creatures, &c. ? I do not say such warning has not its appropriate
ness ; nor do I propose to account for our Church's not giving it ; but
is it not quite certain that the present prevailing temper in the
Church would have given it, judging from the prayers and sermons of
the day, and that the Liturgy does not ? "Were that day like this,
would it not have been deemed formal and cold, and to argue a want
of spiritual-mindedness, to have proposed a declaration, such as has
been actually adopted, that " to the end that Confirmation may be
ministered to the more edifying of such as shall receive it  none
hereafter shall be confirmed, but such as can say the Creed, the
Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments," &c. ; nothing being
said of a change of heart, or spiritual affections ? And yet, upon this
mere external profession, the children receive the imposition of the

302
Bishop s hands, "to certify them by this sign of God's favour and
gracious goodness towards them."
L. From the line you are adopting, I see you will find Services
more Anti-Protestant, (in the modern sense of Protestant) than that
for Confirmation.
C. Take again the Catechism. What can be more technical and
formal, (as the persons I speak of would say,) than the division of our
duties into our duty towards God and our duty towards our neigh
bour? Indeed, would not the very word duty be objected to by
them, as obscuring the evangelical character of Christianity ? Why
is there no mention of newness of heart, of appropriating the mercies
of redemption, and such like phrases, which are now common among
so called Protestants? Why no mention of justifying faith?
L. Faith is mentioned in an earlier part of the Catechism.
C. Yes, and it affords a remarkable contrast to the modern use of
the word. Now-a-days, the prominent notion conveyed by it regards
its properties, whether spiritual or not, warm, heartfelt, vital. But
in the Catechism, the prominent notion is that of its o5;'eci, the believ
ing " all the Articles of the Christian faith," according to the Apos
tle's declaration, that it is " the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen."
L. I understand, and the Creed is also introduced into the service
for Baptism.
C. And still more remarkably into the order for Visiting the Sick ;
more remarkably, both because ofthe season when it is introduced,
when a Christian is drawing near his end, and also as being a prepa
ration for the Absolution. Most comfortable, truly, in his last hour,
is such a distinct rehearsal of the great truths on which the Christian
has fed by faith, with thanksgiving, all his life long ; yet it surely
would not have suggested itself to a modern Protestant. He would
rather have instituted some more searching examination, (as he
would call it,) of the state of the sick man's heart ; whereas, the
whole of the minister's exhortation is what the modern school calls
cold and formal. It ends thus : " I require you to examine yourself
and your estate, both towards God and man ; so that accusing and
condemning yourself for your own faults, you may find mercy at our
heavenly Father's hand for Christ's sake, and not be accused and
condemned in that fearful judgment. Therefore, I shall rehearse to
you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you believe
as a Christian man should, or no."
L. You observe the Rubric which follows : it speaks of a further
examination. C. True ; still it is what would now be called formal and exter
nal. L. Yet it mentions a great number of topics for examination :
" Whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all
the world ; exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart.

303
all persons that have offended him ; and, if he hath offended any
other, to ask them forgiveness ; and where he hath done injury or
wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his
power. And, if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him
then be admonished to make his will, and to declare his debts, what
he oweth, and what is owing to him ; for the better discharging of
his conscience, and the quietness of his executors." Here is an ex
hortation to repentance, charity, forgiveness of injuries, humbleness
of mind, honesty and justice. What could be added ?
C. You would be told that worldly and spiritual matters are
mixed together ; and, besides, not a word said of looking to Christ,
resting on Him, and renovation of heart. Such are the expressions
which modern Protestantism would have considered necessary, and
would have inserted as such. They are good words ; still they are
not those which our Church considers the words for a sick-bed ex
amination. She does not give them the prominence which is now
given them. She adopts a manner of address which savours of
what is now called formality. That our Church was no stranger
to the more solemn kind of language which persons now use on
every occasion, is evident from the prayer " for a sick person, when
there appeareth small hope of recovery," and, " the commendatory
prayer ;" still she adopts the other as her ordinary manner.
L. 1 can corroborate what you just now observed about the Creed,
by what I lately read in some book or books, advocating a revision
of the Liturgy. It was vehemently objected to the Apostles'
Creed, that it contained no confession of the doctrine of the atone
ment, nor (I think,) of original sin !
C. It is well to see persons consistent. When they go full lengths
they startle others, and perhaps (please God,) themselves. Indeed
I wish men would stop awhile, and seriously reflect whether the
mere verbal opposition whichi exists between their own language
and the language of the Services, (to say nothing of the difference
of spirit,) is not a sort of warning to them, if they would take it,
against inconsiderately proceeding in their present course. But
nothing is .more rare at this day than quiet thought. Every one
is in a bustle, being bent to do a great deal. We preach, and run
from house to house ; we do not pray or meditate. But to return.
Next consider the first exhortation to the Communion ; would it not
be called, if I said it in discourse of my own, dark, cold, and for
mal ? " The way and means thereto" [to receive worthily,] " is,—
First, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's
commandments: etc  Therefore, if any of you be a
blasphemer of God, an hinderer or slanderer of His word, an adul
terer, or be in malice or envy, or any other grievous crime, repent
you of your sins," etc. Now this is what is called, in some quarters,
by a great abuse of terms, " mere morality."
L. If I understand you, the Liturgy, all along, speaks of the

304
Gospel dispensation under which it js our blessedness to live, as
being at the same time, a moral law ; that this is its prominent view ;
and that external observances and definite acts of duty are made
the means and the tests of faith.
C. Yes : and that, in thus speaking, it runs quite counter to the
innovating spirit of this day, which proceeds rashly forward on
large and general views, — sweeps along, with one or two prominent
doctrines, to the comparative neglect of the details of duty, and
drops articles of faith and positive and ceremonial observances, as
beneath the attention of a spiritual Christian, as monastic and su
perstitious, as forms, as minor points, as technical, lip-worship, nar
row minded,, and bigoted. — Next consider the wording of one part
of the Commination Service : — "He was wounded for our offences,
and smitten for our wickedness. Let us therefore return unto Him,
who is the merciful receiver of all true penitent sinners ; assuring
ourselves that He is ready to receive us, and most willing to pardoii
us, if we come unto Him, with faithful repentance ; if we will sub
mit ourselves unto Him, and from henceforth walk in His ways ; if
we will take His easy yoke and light burden upon us to follow Him
in lowliness, patience, and charity, and be ordered by the governance
of His Holy Spirit ; seeking always His glory, and serving Him duly
in our vocation with thanksgiving : — This if we do, Christ vyill de
liver us from the curse of the law,'' &c. Did another say this, he
would be accused by the Protestant of this day of interfering with
the doctrine of justification by faith.
L. You have not spoken of the Daily Service of the Church or
of the Litany.
C. I should have more remarks to make than I like to trouble
you with. First, I should observe on the absence of what are now
called, exclusively, the great Protestant doctrines, or, at least, of the
modes of expression in which it is at present the fashion to convey
them. For instance, the Collects are summaries of doctrine, yet I
believe they do not once mention what has sometimes been called
the articulus stantis vel cadentis EcclesicB. This proves to me that,
true and important as this doctrine is in a controversial statement,
its direct mention is not so apposite in devotional and practical sub
jects as modern Protestants of our Church would consider it.
Next consider the general Confession, which prays simply that God
would grant us " hereafter to live a godly, righteous, and sober life."
Righteous and sober ! Alas ! this is the very sort of words which
Protestants consider superficial ; good, as far as tJiey go, but nothing
more. In like manner, the Priest, in the absolution, bids us pray
God " that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy."
But I have given instances enough to explain my meaning about the
Services generally ; you can continue the examination for yourself.
I will direct your notice to but one instance more, — the introduction

305
of the Psalms into the Daily Service. Do you think a modern Pro
testant would have introduced them into it ?
L. They are inspired.
C. Yes ; but they are also what is called Jewish. I do certainly
think, I cannot doubt, that, had the Liturgy been compiled in a day
like this, but a selection of them, at most, would have been inserted
in it, though they were all used in the primitive worship from the
very first. Do we not hear objections to using them in singing,
and a wish to substitute Hymns ? Is not this a proof what judg
ment would have been passed on their introduction into the service,
by reformers of the nineteenth century? First the imprecatory
Psalms, as they are called, would have been set aside of course.
L. Yes ; I cannot doubt it, though some of them, at least, are
prophetic, and expressly ascribed in the New Testament to the in
spiration of the Holy Ghost.
C. And surely numerous other passages would have been pro
nounced unsuitable to the spiritual faith of a Christian. I mean all
such as speak of our being rewarded according to the cleanness of
our hands, and of our walking innocently, and of the Lord's doing
well to those that are good and true of heart. Indeed, this doctrine
is so much the characteristic of that heavenly book, that I hardly
see any part of it could have been retained but ,what is clearly pre
dictive of the Messiah.
L. I shall now" take my leave with many thanks, and will think
over what you have said. However, have you not been labouring
superfluously ? We know all along that the Puritans of Hooker's
time did object to the Prayer Book : there was no need of proving
that. C. I am not speaking of those who would admit they were Puri
tans; but of that arrogant Protestant spirit (so called,) of, the day,
in and out of the Church, (if it is possible to say what is in and
what is out,) which thinks it takes bold and large views, and would
fain ride over the superstitions and formalities which it thinks it sees
in those who (I maintain) hold to the old Cathohc faith ; and as
seeing that this spirit is coming on apace, I cry out betimes, what
ever comes of it, that corruptions are pouring in which sooner or
later will need a Second Reformation. 39

No. 42.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. I.— SUNDAY.

" Question from the Office of Consecration. — Are you persuaded
THAT YOU BE TRULY CALLED TO THIS MINISTRATION, ACCORDING TO
THE WILL OF OUR LoRD JeSUS ChRIST, AND THE ORDER OF THIS
REALM ? — Ans. I AM SO PERSUADED.
Almighty God, who by Thy Providence hast brought me into
Thine immediate service, accept my desire of serving Thee ; and
grant that, in the sincerity of my soul, I may perform the several
duties of my calhng, and the vows that are upon me.
Blessed be Thy Good Spirit, that ever it come in my heart to
become Thy minister. May the same Good Spirit make me truly
sensible of the honour and danger of so great a trust, and of the
account I am to give. And give me grace to make amends, by my
future diligence, for the many days and years that I have spent un-
profitably. And this I beg for Jesus Christ His sake.
He that doth not find himself endued with a spirit of his calling,
hath reason to fear that God never called him 
Marks of a true Pastor.
St. John X. 1. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-
fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep." A lawful entrance, upon motives which aim at the glory
of God and the good of souls. An external call and mission, from
the Apostolic authority of Bishops.
" The sheep hear his voice ;" that is, when he speaks to their hearts
and to their capacities.
" He that calleth his sheep by name ;" that is, he knows them so
well, as to know all their wants.
" He goeth before them, and they follow him." He leads such a
life, as they may safely follow.
" A stranger will they not follow ;" that is, they ought not to fol
low such as break Catholic Unity.
" I am the door." It is by Jesus Christ, not by us, that the flock

307
is kept in safety ; without Him, we can do nothing ; neither by our
learning, our eloquence, or our labours : — This is to rob Christ of
the glory of saving His sheep ; and to enter into the ministry, only
to plunder the Church of her revenues.
"The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep;" either by-
spending it in the ministry ; or suffering, if there be occasion ; never
sacrificing the flock to his own ease, avarice, or humours.
" The hireling careth not for the sheep." He lords it over them,
makes what advantage he can of them, and counts them his own
no longer than they are profitable to him. , " He leaves them," that
is, when dangers threaten. Then the good shepherd and the hire
ling are discovered.
Heb. V. 4. " No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that
is called of God, as was Aaron."
Heb. V. 2  " High Priest, who can have compassion
on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way." A pastor,
who is sensible of his own infirmities, will not fail to treat sinners
with meekness and compassion.
Heb. xiii. 17. " They watch for your souls, as they that must give
account." A most dreadful consideration this ; insomuch as that
St. Chrysostom said, upon reflecting upon it, " It is a wonder if any
ruler in the Church be saved." It will be work enough for every
man to give an account for himself; but to stand charged, and to
be accountable for many others, who can think of it without trem-
bhng ? O God ! how presumptuous was I, to be persuaded to take
upon me this charge I
Who will value himself upon ecclesiastical dignities, who consi
ders that Judas was chosen to be an Apostle ?
O Good Shepherd ! I beseech Thee, for myself and for my
flock, to seek us, to find us, to lead us, to defend us, and to preserve
us to life eternal.
If God be satisfied with a pastor, it is of little importance whe
ther he please or displease men.
Tit. ii. 15. "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with afl
our authority. Let no man despise thee ;" that is, for want of ex
ercising ecclesiastical discipline.
The following are truths which cannot be preached too often :
viz., the bondage of man by sin, the necessity of a DeUverer, the
manner of our redemption, the danger of not closing with it, the
power of grace to deliver us, &c. A pastor should do all this, and
act with the dignity of a man who acts by the authority of God.
The Authority of Bishops.
We are willing enough to desire to imitate Jesus Christ and his
Apostles in their authority, without thinking of following them in
their humility, their labours, self-denial, ifec.

308
A Bishop is a Pastor set over other Pastors. They were to
ordain Elders. They might receive an accusation against an Elder.
They were to charge them to preach such and such doctrines, to
stop the mouths of deceivers, to set in order the things that were
wanting. And, lastly, this was the form of Church government in
all ages, so that, to reject this, is to reject an ordinance of God.
Matt. V. 19. "Whosoever shall do and teach the commandments,
the same shall be called great in the kingdom of God." It is in this
the true greatness of a Bishop does consist, not in the eminence of
his see, multitude of attendants, favour of princes, &c.
Bishops were called to sit in Parliament, to give their counsel ac
cording to God's Law; as the civil judges were to give their advice
according to the temporal laws in matters of difficulty.
Mark x. 44. " Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be
servant of all." The greatest Prelate in the Church is he who is
most conformable to the example of Christ, by humility, charity,
and care of his flock, and who, for Christ's sake, will be a servant
to the servants of God.
O Sovereign Pastor of souls I renew in Thy Church, and espe
cially in me, this spirit of humility ; that I may serve Thee in the
meanest of Thy servants. If I lie under the necessity of being
served by others, let it be with regret, and let me exact no more
service than is necessary.
Luke X. 3. " Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.''
It belongs to Thee, O Lamb of God, to guard both me and my
flock from wolves who assault us, either openly or in sheep's cloth
ing. I depend entirely upo"n Thee, in whatever relates to my own
preservation, or that of the people committed to my care.
Luke xix. 20. " Lord, behold, here is Thy pound, which I have
kept laid up in a napkin." O my SA^^ouR I I tremble to think how
I have followed the example of this slothful servant ; and what rea
son I have to dread his doom. Rest is a crime in one who has
promised to labour all the days of his life : and in me, therefore, it
is a great evil, not to be always doing good. Pardon me, my God,
for what is past ; and let me not imagine that, because I am free
from gross and scandalous crimes, that, therefore, I lead a good life.
O Lord, give me grace proportionable to the talents I have received,
and to the account I am to give ; that I may faithfully perform all
the duties belonging to my state. Amen.
Whoever is associated in the Priesthood of Christ, ought, in imi
tation of Him, to sacrifice himself for the advantage of His Church,
and for all the designs of God.
Luke xxii. 26. " But ye shall not be so ; but he that is greatest
among you, let him be as the younger ; and he that is chief, as he
that doth serve." A Bishop does not know his office in the Church,
if he pretends to distinguish himself by power, imperiousness, and
grandeur ; or by any other way than by humility, and by a great

309
concern for souls. Marks of distinction are rather a burden, which
he bears out of necessity, but complains of them secretly to God.
He considers himself as the servant, not as the Lord of souls. Even
Jesus Christ made Himself our pattern in this.
Translation of Bishops and Pastors.
Self-love is too often at the bottom, and not the glory of God or
the good of souls. When men's labours are attended with tolera
ble success, yet, because either they can better their temporal con
dition, or think that a more public station would be more suitable
to their great capacities, they leave their station for one more full
of dangers, without any prospect of being more serviceable to God
or to His Church, and the souls of men ; not considering that this
is the voice of pride, self-love, and covetousness, and an evil exam
ple to others, to' whom we do, or should, preach humility, as the
very foundation of Christianity.
The greater share we have in the authority of Jesus Christ, the
greater must we expect to have in His sufferings ; the cross being the
reward of faithful pastors.
To leave a clergy and a people to whom one is perfectly well
known, to go to another to whom one is a stranger, and this for the
sake of riches, which are supposed to have been renounced, — this
was unknown to the first ages of Christianity.
He is but the vain image of a Pastor, an idle shepherd, who chooses
to abandon his flock, and leave them to the conduct of those who
have no concern for them, and intrust the salvation of those souls to
others, for whom he himself is responsible to God. He may be
learned, he may be employed, &c. but he cannot be a good shep
herd. ....... Church Government.
Col. iv. 5. "Walk m wisdom toward them that are without, re
deeming the time." Prudence is very necessary in dangerous times ;
it being no small fault to give occasion to the raising of storms against
the Church and her ministers, for want of having a due regard to the
times and to the passions of carnal men 
Mat. XX. 26, 27. " Whosoever will be great among you, let him be
your minister ; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be
your servant ; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister." God give me a true and prudent humility ;
to have nothing of the air of secular governors, to attend the flock
of Christ as a servant, to look on Him as my pattern, to study His
conduct and spirit, to spend and be spent for my flock, that I may
never desire to increase my burden, that I may be better qualified to
be ministered unto, and that I may never strive to live at ease, in
plenty, in luxury, repose, and independence. Amen.

310
The name of a servant ought to be esteemed honourable to the
eye of faith, and a real privilege ; since Jesus Christ took upon Him
the nature of a servant.
Bishops and Priests, (saith St. Ambrose,) are honourable, on ac
count of the sacrifice they offer. The power of the keys, and the
exercise of that power ; the due use of confirmation, and (previous
to that) examination ; a strict examination into the learning, fives,
and characters, of such as are designed for Holy Orders, are mat
ters of infinite and eternal concern. ...
A man may be ruined by those very means which were designed
to enable him to discharge his duty with more convenience. And
Bishops have too often been puf into such easy circumstances, as to
forget that they were Bishops. . . .
Rev. i. 16. " And He had in His right hand seven stars." Make
me, O Jesus, a shining star in Thy Church ; support me by Thy right
hand ; guide and direct me by Thy light ; let me never become a
wandering star.
A primitive Bishop will be careful to avoid, as much as possible,
worldly equipage and retinue, excess, pomp, and ostentation 
Bishops are called angels in the Revelations, intimating that they
should have no interest on earth at heart so much as that of the good
of the Church and the honour of God 
At the Lord's Supper.
(Before the Service begins.)
May it please Thee, O God, who hast called us to this ministry,
to make us worthy to offer unto Thee this sacrifice for our own sins
and for the sins of Thy people. Accept our service and our per
sons, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who hveth and reigneth with
Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
O, reject not this people for me and for my sins I
(Upon placing the Alms upon the Altar.)
All that we possess is the effect of Thy bounty, O God I Of Thy
own do we give Thee. Pardon all our vain expenses ; and accept
of this testimony of our gratitude to Thee, our benefactor, for the
Lord Jesus' sake.
(Upon placing tlie Elem'ents upon the Altar.)
Vouchsafe to receive these Thy creatures from the hands of us
sinners, O Thou self-sufficient God I
(Immediately after the Consecration.)
We offer unto Thee, our King and our God, this bread and this
cup. We give Thee thanks for these and for all Thy mercies ; be
seeching Thee to send down Thy Holy Spirit upon this sacrifice^

311
that He may make this bread the body of Thy Christ, and this cup
the blood of Thy Christ ; and that all we, who are partakers there
of, may thereby obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits
of His passion.
And, together with us, remember, O God, for good, the whole mys
tical body of Thy Son ; that such as are yet afive may finish their
course with joy ; and that we, with all such as are dead in the
Lord, may rest in hope and rise in glory, for Thy Son's sake, whose
death we now commemorate. Amen.
May I adore Thee, O God, by offering to Thee the pure and un
bloody sacrifice, which Thou hast ordained by Jesus Christ. Amen.
But how should I dare to offer Thee this sacrifice, if I had not first
offered myself a sacrifice to Thee, my God? May I never offer the
prayers of the faithful with polluted lips, nor distribute the bread of
life with unclean hands.
I acknowledge and receive Thee, O Jesus, as sent of God, a Pro
phet, to make His will known to us, and His merciful purpose to
save us ; as our Priest, who offered Himself an acceptable sacrifice
for us, to satisfy the Divine Justice, and to make intercession for us ;
and as our King, to rule, and defend us against all our enemies.
May I always receive the Holy Sacrament in the same meaning,
intention, and blessed effect, with which Jesus Christ administered
it to His Apostles in His last Supper.
Concerning Confirmation.
By faith we receive the Spirit, which is of God. " I will put My
Spirit within you, saith God."
We are truly Christians by receiving the Spirit of Christ.
This is the great blessing of the Gospel, the fellowship ofthe Holy
Ghost, with the desire of which we conclude our daily prayers, with
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
The effect and blessing of Confirmation.
It is to convey the inestimable blessing of the Holy Spirit of
God by prayer and the imposition of the hands of God's ministers,
that lie may dwell in you, and keep you from the temptations of the
world, the flesh, and the devil.
Confirmation is the perfection of Baptism. The Holy Ghost
descends invisibly upon such as are rightly prepared to receive such
a blessing, as at the first He came visibly upon those that had been
baptized 
As the Holy Spirit is present in our baptism, to seal the remis
sion of sins, and to infuse the seeds of Christian life ; so is He pre
sent in confirmation, to shed further influences on those that receive
it, for stirring up the gift of God bestowed in baptism, &;c.

312
Prayer after Confirmation.
Matt. xix. 15. And He laid His hands on them.
O Holy Spirit of grace ! I make my humble suppHcation to Thee
in behalf of those Thy servants on whom I have this day laid my
hands. Be Thou their wisdom, to give them the knowledge of re
ligion ; their understanding, to know their duty ; their counsel in all
their doubts ; their strength against all temptations ; their knowledge,
in what belongs to the state of life in which Thy Providence shall
place them ; their piety and godfiness in all their actions ; and be
Thou their fear, all their life long, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

No. 43.
LENGTH OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE.
RICHARD NELSON.
No. IV.
"What a weariness is it !" — Mal. i. 13.

" O, they be blessed that may dwell
Within Thy house always :
For they all times Thy facts do tell.
And ever give Thee praise.
Yea, happy sure hkewise are they
Whose stay and strength Thou art.
Who to Thy house do mind the way,
And seek it in their heart." Psalm Ixxxiv. 5, 6
Among all the boys of our Sunday-school, none have given me so
much trouble as Absalom Plush, and two of farmer Yawn's sons.
They are almost always behind their time ; at school they are very
inattentive, and at Church their conduct has been repeatedly so dis
graceful that it even attracted the attention of one of the Church
wardens, who gave them a severe reprimand, and threatened to send
for a constable ; since which, they have conducted themselves rather
more decently. Perhaps my readers may be inclined to ask why I
suffer them to remain in the school, their behaviour having been so
bad. My answer must be, that as they are but little boys, (for Absa
lom is the eldest, and he is not more than eleven, if so much,) I still
hope they may improve ; and if I were to put them out of the school.

313
I fear I should lose all chance of gaining any influence over them.
However, I have made up my mind that if they behave in this sort
of way again, they shall go.
There is, too, another consideration which has rather disposed me
to be sorry for these boys in the midst of my displeasure, namely,
^hat if they bad been well instructed, and a good example had been
set them at home, they would, perhaps, have behaved differently at
school and in Church. For young Plush does not want for sense,
though he is so unruly ; and as to the little Yawns, they are not na
turally of bad dispositions, but so determinedly indolent and unwil
ling to make any exertion for their own improvement, that it is a
great trial of one's patience to endeavour to teach them. I am, how
ever, sorry to say, the examples they have before them at home are
not such as to encourage them to turn to good account the instruc
tion they may receive at Church or at the school. This I was fully
aware of from the first, and, accordingly, as it is my usual custom
when the children behave ill at school to take the first opportunity of
mentioning it to the parents and friends, with the hope of throwing
in a word which may be for their good too, I determined that I would
do so in these instances.
An occasion soon offered itselfofspeaking to farmer Yawn, whose
house is very near to mine. But before I state what passed between
us, I should say that I had, that same morning, talked the matter over
with my friend Richard Nelson, in whose class Absalom was, as well
as the elder of the two Yawns.
" Sir," replied Richard, in answer to my question respecting the
conduct of these boys, " as to Lawrence Yawn, I cannot say that
he applies much to his book, or, as I think, ever means to do so. In
deed, I have heard that he should say he likes to be at the bottom
of the class, because then he has a chance of leaning against the
wall, or of resting on the corner of my chair. But Absalom Plush
is much more untractable, and inclined to be impudent too. To give
you an instance. Sir, what happened only last Sunday. He came
in very late, as he frequently does, and when I spoke to him about
it he only laughed, and said he could not come sooner, and under
breath, as I thought, he should not, and he seemed to me occasional
ly to be humming to himself some kind of song."
" A song I" said I ; " what, in the school ? that is something new in
deed." " However," proceeded Nelson, " according to your advice to us
in such cases, I took no notice at the time ; but in the evening, as he
happened to come along the path by our garden, I said to him, " Ab
salom, I do wish you would pay a little more attention at school, I
really fancied to-day you were singing something of a song." ' Well,'
said he, ' suppose I was — what then ? 'twas only a bit of a tune that
a man was singing in at father's, one night last week ; and father said,
that altering the words a little, it would just suit us boys ofthe Sun-
40

314
day-school. There is no harm, (he continued) in the words, I will
tell you what they were.' But they seemed to me. Sir, to be part
of a very mischievous ballad, signifying that instead of Churches
and Prayer Books, people had better sit in public houses and study
newspapers ; that Church-going is time-wasting, and so forth. So
it is plain that the boy is encouraged at home in his bad ways ; and,
as you ask me the question. Sir, I fear it is not much better with the
two Yawns^ for I dare say you must have observed that there are
six or seven people, who alyi^ays come late into Church, rain or shine,
morning or evening, and amongst them Master Yawn comes in as re
gularly as possible, just about the end ofthe first Lesson."
"Yes," I said, " I have observed it, and have long wished for an
opportunity of inquiring into the cause of such a practice."
After some other observations we parted, and it happened, as I
before observed, that on the same day my neighbour Yawn came to
our house to borrow a milking bucket, which 1 very readily lent him,
though not with my servant's good will, as such articles are seldom
returned from the farmer's in exactly as good a condition as they
went. Seeing him, then, go out of the yard with the bucket in his hand, I
met him at the garden gate, and said to him at once, " I do wish, Mr.
Ya"wn, you would speak to Lawrence and the little boy, for by their
irregularity and extreme idleness, they vex me very much, and do
harm to the other boys in the school."
" Sir," he replied, making a low bow, " I am very sorry indeed to
come troubling again so soon for a bucket, but our people are so
careless — " " O never mind about the bucket," I said, " only please
let it be thoroughly cleaned — but I want you to tell me what will be
the best way of treating that idle fellow, Lawrence, and his little
brother." " Sir," he answered, " I am very sorry indeed they should have
done any thing to offend you, but you may depend on it they shall
always for the future come to school in good time, and mind what is
said to them ; otherwise, their mother or I will give them the stick as
sure as every Sunday morning comes round."
" Mr. Yawn," I replied, " I should be. very sorry to have Sunday
made the day for such unpleasing performances in your house or in
any other. I do not at all wish any boys to come to the school against
their will, especially if their friends only send them to please me."
" O Sir," he said, " I am sure it is not at all against our will —
though, certainly, 'tis a longish while for the children to stay, from
nine to half past twelve, or more ; and I don't altogether wonder
that the boys are tired. But they shall come for the future, and stay
too, tired^or not tired, for I should be very sorry we should do any
thing to offend you. Sir."
" You have told me so now three times, Mr. Yawn," I answered,
" so of course I ought to believe it. But at all events, I hope / shall

315
not offend you if I take this opportunity to ask you, why you and
Edward Gape, and two or three others, make a rule of treating our
Church service in such a careless, and I must say scornful, way ?"
" Me treat the Church with scorn !" he repUed, " why. Sir, what
can you be thinking of? Why I scarcely ever miss a Sunday.
'Twould be a good thing for you clergymen if every body else was
as regular."
" As to that," I replied, " it makes no sort of difference to us
whether people come or stay away, except so far as that we ought
to be thankful when they do right, and grieved when they neglect
their duty. In this respect, Mr. Yawn, we are the really ' indepen
dent' ministers. But what I allude to is, your strange unaccounta
ble custom of coming into Church so late. I have been here now
nearly six years, and in all that time, though by your own account
you have come to Church regularly once every Sunday, yet I doubt
if ever you have been within the walls till after I had begun reading
the Lessons."
" Yes, Sir, I have," he said, " you are mistaken there."
" Come now," I said, " if I have been here five years and a half,
I have been here two hundred and eighty-six Sundays, and I think
I may venture to say, that during all that time you have not been
in Church time enough to hear all the first Lesson more than twen
ty times."
" Perhaps not," he said, " twenty is a good many."
" Well," I replied, " I will venture to say not more than ten
times." " I am not sure of that," he answered.
"But I am sure of it," I said, " sure that you have not been in by
the time I mention, even five Sundays."
" I can remember at least three times," he answered, " once when
I mistook the clock, and once when old Thomas Pout brought his
new bassoon, and on the Fast-day I was in at the Psalms, I am
confident. But I don't wish to make an argument about the mat
ter ; I will tell you. Sir, plainly, that I have a great deal to do on a
Sunday morning, more than you think of, and that instead of find
ing fault with me for being so late, you should thank me for coming
at all. Think, .Sir, how many don't come at all, and there am I in
the pew as regular, pretty near, as old Job the clerk, only half an
hour later."
" Yes," I said, " you are very regular, in your irregularity. But,
Mr. Yawn, let me ask you this one question, — do you come to
Church to do any good to Almighty God, or to me, or to yourself?
Is it any profit to the Almighty that you serve Him, if such an im
perfect attendance as yours can be called service ; or to me is it
any profit or advantage in the way of worldly interest ? You know
full well, my friend, that yours is the danger, yours will be the loss,
if you persist in thus dishonouring the holy, jealous God."

316
To this his only reply was, that he had been used to do it for a
good way in forty years, and it was not to be expected he should
alter now ; and with this observation he walked slowly away with
the bucket over his arm. But thinking, I suppose, that he had not
been quite civil to me, he turned round with the intention, as I hoped,
of making some sort of promise of amendment ; but my hope was
groundless, for he came back and said in rather a low voice, "I
hope. Sir, nothing I have said will prevent you taking your butter
of us as usual ; and as to the boys, I promise you they shall be well
punished every Sunday morning, and then. Sir, if they do behave
ill, you know it will not be my fault, or my wife's."
I made no answer, but as I walked back to the house, I was led
sadly to reflect on the tendency of a worldly and selfish spirit to
deaden not merely all serious sense of Religion, but even the na
tural affection of a parent for his children.
Some few evenings afterwards, as I was returning homewards
from a distant part of the parish. Nelson overtook me, when I told
him of the conversation I had with my neighbour Yawn, adding
that I had little hope his boys would ever come to any good, espe
cially as their father seemed determined to keep to his bad habit
merely because it was his habit, without giving any sort of reason
or excuse for it.
" O Sir," replied Nelson, " he fancies he has a very fair reason,
only he did not like to mention it to you. He thinks, or at least
pretends to think, (for I do not imagine he puts his mind much lo
any thing,) that the Church Service altogether is too long and te
dious. And he and some others have of late been much encouraged
in this their notion by a travelling man, (whether he comes from
Hull or Preston I am not sure,) who quarters at Plush's occasion
ally, sometimes for a fortnight at a time, and is so kind as to offer
to enlighten us in this dark corner of the world."
" I have heard of him," I said ; " it seems then he dabbles in re
ligion as well as in politics."
"Yes, Sir," replied Richard, " that he certainly does, for I had
the whole account of him from a man who was working with me the
week before last; you know him. Sir, I dare say, Wilham Burnet."
" O yes, I know him," I said, " very well ; any thing like the pros
pect of a change in religion or politics William dearly loves, with
out troubling himself much to inquire whether or not it is likely to
be a change for the better in either case. But what did the wise
man from Hull say about the Church Service ?"
" Why," answered Nelson, " as I never was in company with the
man myself, perhaps it will be the best way for me to tell you. Sir,
if you like to hear it, what passed between Burnet and me on the
subject. And indeed it is not Burnet only, but a good many others
are of the same way of thinking, more than used to be formerly."
' Yes," said I, " their number increases, I fear, very rapidly, and

317
if so, all who love Truth and the Prayer Book, ought to be on their
guard. But now will you please to tell me how you answered
Burnet's arguments?"
" Sir," he replied, " I will tell you as near as I can remember,
what passed between us on this subject, though I do not promise to
be able to repeat his exact words ; and certainly nothing I said is
worthy to be called an answer to arguments."
" Make no apologies," I said, " but proceed."
Well, then. Sir, said Nelson, thus it was, — Burnet was constantly
commending this friend of his, who was then lodging at Plush's, and
wishing me to come along if it were but one evening, that I might
judge for myself how beautiful he could talk and expound on any
subject a person might choose to mention, poUtics, trade, agricul
ture, learning, religion, and what not.
But I said to him, " No, Will, I have something else to do of an
evening than to sit in a beer-shop listening to your friend Tiptop
(for that is the man's name.) But I dare say you can give me some
account of his wise sayings ; what was he upon last night ?"
" Last night, (said Will, after some little consideration,) last night
he was lecturing about the Church Prayer Book, a subject that he
has often spoken very well upon in my hearing, but never better
than he did yesterday evening."
" What was his argument ?" I asked.
"Judge by this," said Will, taking a printed paper out of his
pocket, " it, is one of Mr. Tiptop's perspectuses, as he calls them."
(I have this paper with me, said Nelson to me, and with your leave.
Sir, I will read some of the heads.) " The Church Service lengthy,
tedious, and prolix — in this respect lamentably prejudicious to the
spread of vital religion — vast numbers of highly-talented individuals
unable to devote their time and attention to these procrastinated
forms — consequently compelled to neglect religion altogethei — sur
prising effects, if the service was abbreviated at least one half — the
churches immediately sure to be filled with crowds of devout worship
pers — this with facility accomplished by merely shortening the les
sons three-fifths, omitting all superstitious forms, such as the absolu
tion, creeds, SfC. — the Lord's Prayer repeated usque ad nauseum."
(At this expression. Will said all the company expressed their ap
probation very vehemently, some even clapping their hands ; but he
did not like to ask what it meant, for fear of appearing ignorant :)
and so Mr. Tiptop finished with saying, that in his opinion, about a
couple of pleasing hymns, a dozen verses out of the Testament,
three or four prayers, and a sermon in quantity and quality accords
ing to the taste of the audience ; this would be enough for him in
all conscience, and he supposed for others too, and need not alto
gether take up more than thirty-five or forty minutes at the outside,
allowing fifteen or twenty for the sermon.

318
" But, Will," said I, " do you really and seriously imagine it would
be well if such alterations as these were made in the Church Ser
vice ?"
" To be sure I do," he answered, " and so do many other people,
who understand these things better than I or you do. Indeed Mr.
Tiptop told us that some gentlemen had actually taken the matter
up, and that it would be brought before the parliament very speedi
ly, and such alterations would be made as should suit the spirit
of the age ; above all, that the Service must be shortened, otherwise
the Church would be entirely deserted, and the Establishment upset."
" God forbid," I said, " that the Church should be governed by
the spirit of the times. I trust she is governed by a very different
Spirit. I trust she may be willing to be (as you threaten,) utterly
deserted, rather than herself desert the station allotted to her by the
Chief Shepherd. And as to the Establishment being in danger, it
may be perhaps true, yet I am sure nothing more dangerous can
befal it, than for our governors to hearken to the counsels of such
orators as Tiptop, though encouraged by all the Plushes in England,
each with a company of puffers and smokers about him."
" But Dick," said he to me, " what is the use of a Church, my
friend, if people are tired of it, and won't go to it ?"
To this I answered, " You might as well ask, what is the use of
our Saviour's precepts, if people are tired of them and won't obey
them ? You will not, I suppose, say, that the holy rules of the Gos
pel ought to be publicly set aside, merely because they are so gene
rally neglected ?"
" No," he replied, " of course I do not mean that."
" Well then," said I, " neither should you affirm that it is the duty
of the Church to withdraw or alter her rules, merely because people
are weary of complying with them."
" That may be true," he answered, " but you must remember
that the Church herself did not mean that the Service should be so
long. What we have all at once, was formerly divided into two
or three parts, as I have understood. Why should it not be so
again ?"
"What you say is, I believe, no more than the truth," I replied:
"I have been lately reading a little book upon the subject, and
from that I understood that there were first the early morning pray
ers — then, perhaps, after two or three hours, the Litany — and then
again, after a short interval, the Communion Service, including a
sermon of considerable length, (an hour possibly,) and afterwards
the administration of the Sacrament. But this last service alone,
would be much beyond Mr. Tiptop's limit of forty minutes ; and in
this way, ' the spirit of the age' would be more opposed even than
it' is now." ,
" O," he said, " I never thought of having the Sacrament admin-
; istered every Sunday."

319
" Then," repHed I, " you forgot one of the principal intentions of
the Church in having the Services so divided. If the Bishops and
clergy thought well, I do not deny that it would in many respects
be edifying, if this ancient custom in all its parts could be revived ;
but yet 1 will tell you plainly, that I do not think it would have the
effect you seem to imagine, of bringing more people to Church, for,
to my knowledge, it was tried by a clergyman in a parish near
Sheffield, and to his great surprise, many of his parishioners staid in
consequence quite away from the Church. Some said, they should
not think of going to hear half a service ; others, who had a mile
or two to come to Church, said they were scarcely allowed to rest
themselves, but that as soon as they got in it was time to go back.
So the clergyman thought it best to return to the old, or, rather I
should say, the modern custom again, of uniting the services."
"And yet," said Burnet, "the American Church has shortened
the Lessons very much, Mr. Tiptop told us."
i " It may be so," I answered, " but it does not follow that it is a
wise measure nevertheless, though far be it from me to say that it
is otherwise. Still, of the two, the daughter should take pattern
from the mother, rather than the mother from the daughter. And
for myself I must say, that I have often been glad that the lessons
are of considerable length, for two reasons especially."
" What are they ?" he asked.
" The one is," I replied, " that in very short readings it is not so
easy to discover the general meaning and argument ; and the other,
that if I have from any cause been inattentive in one part, I have
not been so throughout. So also with respect to the Lord's Prayer,
I have often and often been glad to have had a second and a third
opportunity of joining in it with increased attention. Therefore,
Will, I for one shall never give my vote to have the Service short
ened in either of these ways ; and as to Mr. Tiptop's fine perspec-
tus, or what he calls it, I don't think it worth a rush."
To this Burnet answered, " That it was plainly of no use to
reason with me, as he saw I was determined to keep to the old
ways." " That I am," said I, " and think I have pretty good authority for
it, authority somewhat more to be depended on than Mr. Tiptop's
opinion." " But," continued Will, " I do still persist in affirming that great
numbers of people are weary of the length of the Service, and that
it would be but common kindness to see what can be done to re
lieve their grievance. And since nothing can be more easy than
just to omit a few prayers and other old-fashioned forms, and short
en the lessons, it would be a shame not to try it, and when it is
done, every body will be pleased, and the Church establishment will
be greatly strengthened."
" Well," said I, " whatever effect such a measure m'lght have on

320
the Establishment, I am confident it would deeply injure the Church.
And as to what you say about refieving a grievance, I wish you to
consider this argument which I met with in a book of Sermons that
was lent to me a few weeks ago. ' If people were weary merely
of the length of the Service, they would be at least attentive at the
beginning, and their weariness would come on by degrees ; but we
know it is not so. Of the two, they are often more tired in the
early part of the Service than in the later.' I do not remember
the exact words, but such is the meaning."
" Yes," he said, " that is because they care more about the sernion
than they do about the Prayers and Lessons."
" Very well," I replied, " you have supplied me with a strong ar
gument against your own views. For by whose opinion do ypu
think the Church ought to be chiefly guided, that of the few (if tKey
be few,) who delight in the Prayers and Lessons, or that of the
many (if they be many,) who are weary of them even from the
beginning ?"
" Why," he replied, " I thought it was now almost universally
agreed, that What most people think, is True — What most people
determine, is Just — What most people like, is Good. Mr. Tiptop
called these ' Three Grand Parliament Principles," and we all ad
mired them."
"But, Will," I said, "suppose it should happen that 'What most
people like' might be to get rid of the restraints of Religion alto
gether, I reckon you would not consider this\a safe and good prin
ciple to be guided by ; and yet you may be sure that this, and nothing
less than this, lies at the root of all these pretended Church Re
forms. And as to the principal contriver of these deceits, the Great
Reformer himself, I do not choose to mention his name to you, but
I think you will find him spoken of, and his character awfully set
forth, in the eighth chapter of St. John, and, if I recollect right, the
44th verse.
" But really now. Will," I continued, " will you be kind enough
to tell me, what are people hindered from by the length of the Ser
vice ? how comes it men's time is so much more precious now than
it was formerly ? and if the Service were made shorter, how would
they be better employed than in hearing God's holy word, and
praying for His blessing on themselves and their friends ? .
" I say. Will, what do Farmer Yawn, and Ned Gape, and the rest
of you do, who walk always so late into church ; are you spending
your time any better than as if you came into God's house before
the bell ceases ?"
" As to that," said he, laughing, " we generally sit on the wall, at
least when the weather is dry, and look at Ned's pigs, or talk over
the news, or any thing, just to pass the time. But the farmer's rule
is, to begin shaving just as the bells chime, and then he comes in at
the first lesson as exact as clock-work, and we after him."

321
" Then," said I, " why should you and he trouble about having
the Service shortened, for I suppose, whatever were its length or
shortness, you would always come in twenty minutes after it had
begun." " That would be as we should please," he said. " However, I
see plainly I shall never be able to reason you out of your bigoted
old-fashioned notions. I only wish I could bring you and Mr. Tip
top together. I think he would soon settle you and your arguments
too : he would quickly turn the laugh against you, I can assure you.
Master Nelson."
To this I answered, " That I had no reason to be afraid of Tip
top, his arguments, or his jests, but that I never would willingly go
or stay in the company of persons who could make light of serious
matters ; and I told JBurnet, that I was sure, sooner or later, he
would allow that I was right in this resolution."
" This, Sir, was the substance of my conversation with Will ; and
if you should be disengaged next, Sunday evening and disposed to
see me, I should be glad to have a few more words with you on the
same subject."
To this I readily agreed, so we parted at his garden-gate ; and
as I heard his door shut, I could not but say to myself, if happiness
is to be found on earth it is in that cottage, and what is the precious
secret whereby it has been attained ? No secret at all, (I answered
myself,) but simply the practice of " pure and undefiled religion,"
" patient continuance in well doing," with " glory, honour, and im
mortality" in view.
When he came to me into my study on the Sunday evening, ac
cording to appointment, he said that he really was anxious to know
whether there was any truth in the report which Tiptop and others
had so confidently spread about, that some alteration of the Prayer-
book was intended, especially (as they said) for the purpose of mak
ing the Service more ' short and compact, and suitable to the taste of
the times.'
I answered, " that of course it was out of my power to say what
our governors in Church or State might wish, but that I feared that
in Religion, as in other matters, there was some reason to apprehend
too great regard might be paid to popular fancies, even by those
who are as far as possible from approving of them."
" Sir," he replied very earnestly, " I hope and trust the Church
Services will never be shortened one sentence, line, or word. Grown
people. Sir, are but children in Religion. If once you begin to yield
to their indolence and dislike of trouble, you sanction the bad feel
ing, and it will go on increasing till it has eaten out the very heart of
piety." " Yes," I replied, " I fully agree with you. And to say the truth,
it is my firm opinion that if any alteration is necessary, it is the other
41

322
way, that the Service should be longer instead of shorter. I mean,
for instance, that the " Prayer for Christ's Church Militant" should
be regularly used as appointed, after the morning sermon when there
is no Communion ; at least where it can be done without any great
inconvenience, which possibly in some churches may not be the case.
It is to my mind one of the most perfect of uninspired compositions,
and it is greatly to be wished that it might be made familiar to every
ear and every heart."
" Sir," said he, " I have often thought so. Still at the best our
weakness is great : ' the corruptible body,' as the wise man says,
' presses down the soul ;' and I suppose it is the case with all of us oc
casionally, and even when we would most earnestly deplore and
strive against it, that our thoughts are apt to wander and our devo
tions to be cold. Whenever, therefore, I have found myself dispos
ed to be weary of God's house and service, or have heard others
complaining of the tediousness of the Prayers and Lessons, I have
said to myself, — if David, the Prince of Penitents, were here now,
would he speak or think thus, he who desired to abide in God's ta
bernacle for ever — who envied (as it were) the sparrows and the
swallows their continual abode under the sacred roof — who, when
shut out, or far away, longed, yea, even fainted for the courts of the
Lord, as a hart thirsting for the water brooks I If holy Daniel, that
greatest of statesmen, that real ' man of business ;' if he were among
us now — he, who in a far distant land, and prime minister to the
greatest of earthly kings, would yet let no day pass in which he
would not thrice find or make leisure to offer solemn prayers to the
God of his fathers, his windows being open in his chamber towards
Jerusalem, where lay the temple of his God in ruins; that as he
could not be there in person, he would be so in heart and mind,
would he say that our Church Service is too long ? If St. Paul, that
most heroic, and (if there were such a word,) that most unselfish of
men, — ^if he were now among us, would he be weary of our Lessons,
Prayers, and Creeds, — he, whose conversation and home was in hea
ven — who desired to depart and to be with Christ, and who calls
on all true Christians to ' hold fast the form of sound words,' in
Christian faith and love 1 Or the beloved John, the last and greatest
of prophets, — weary, not of his Lord's service, but of being kept so
long from His presence — would he, and all the other holy men of
every age, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, and saints,
whether of the Patriarchal, Jewish, or Christian Churches, would
they complain of our Services being too long ?
" O no. Sir, that is not to be imagined. So neither ought we to
complain, heirs with them of the same promises, and looking to meet
them hereafter in our one great eternal Home."
" Richard," I replied, " you say true. As it is dangerous for an
individual to take for his guidance any but a perfect pattern of Chris
tian conduct, so is it dangerous for the Church to follow any but a

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perfect model of Christian worship, so far as perfection can be ob
tained. Her rules should be framed not according to what people
are, but to what they ought to be ; otherwise you must plainly see
that a door will be at once opened for numberless errors as well m
doctrine as in practice."
" Yes, Sir, I see it," he replied. " And, therefore, it seems to me,
that when on such subjects popular opinion runs vehemently in a
wrong direction, (or if not wrong, at least questionable,) that then it
is not the best time, but the very worst possible, for yielding to its
fancies. So that even if it should be, at any time, necessary or ex
pedient (which I cannot think it ever will be) to shorten the Church
Services, yet then is the very worst of all times to set about it, when
there is the greatest demand for it."
" You are quite right," I said, " beyond all doubt. But I think it
would be a great support to the good cause, that is, to the cause of
God, and truth, the Church, and the Prayer Book ; and also a great
encouragement to such among us ofthe clergy as desire to stand in
the old paths ; if in every parish a few serious thinking persons would
consider of drawing up and signing a solemn address to their respec
tive Bishops, plainly saying that they utterly disapprove of all .plans
whatever for shortening the Church Service, unless some urgent
cause should arise, stronger than they have ever yet heard ; and that
as churchmen they never can or will consent to any such plans of
miscalled Church reform. For you know, Richard, laymen are quite
as much part of the Church as the clergy ; and it is your right and
duty to stand up in its defence, as much as it is ours."
" Sir," he replied, "you may be sure I would gladly sign such a
declaration as this you propose, and I think I know four or five more
who would sign it also with all their hearts."
" That will be sufficient," I said, " for our parish, for no doubt the
Bishops will estimate the value of such addresses, not by the quan
tity, but by the quality of those who sign them — not by the number
of names, but by the worth of those who bear them, their honesty,
piety, and truth."
So we agreed that an address of this kind should be prepared, and
kept ready to be presented to the Bishop whenever circumstances
should seem to require.
Not of course that we were so vain as to expect that owr exertions
could be of much avail ; but still, as Richard said, " We cannot stand
by and see the noble old Prayer Book pulled to pieces, just to humour
a mob of Tiptops, Gapes, and Yawns."

No. 44.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. IL— MONDAY.

Question from the Office of Consecration. — Are you per
suaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine re
quired of necessity to eternal salvation through faith in Jesus
Christ ? And are you determined, out of the same Holy Scriptures,
to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach or
maintain nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but
that which you shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved by
the same? — ^Ans. I am so persuaded and determined by God's
grace. Question. — Will you then faithfully exercise yourself in the
same Holy Scriptures, and call upon God by prayer for the true un
derstanding of the same ; so as you may be able by them to teach
and exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to vnthstand and convince
gainsayers ? — Ans. / will do so by the help of God.
O God, the fountain of all wisdom, enlighten my mind, that I my
self may see, and be able to teach others, the wonders of Thy law ;
that I may learn from Thee, what I ought to think and speak con
cerning Thee ; and that whatever in Thy Holy Word I shall pro
fitably learn, I may in deed fulfil the same. Direct and bless all
my labours. Give me a discerning spirit, a sound judgment, and
an honest and a religious heart, that in all my studies, my first aim
may be to set forth Thy glory, by setting forward the salvation of
men. And if, by my ministry, Thy kingdom shall be enlarged, let
me, in all humility, ascribe the success, not unto myself, but unto
Thy Good Spirit, which enables us both to will and to do what is
acceptable to Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Luke xxiv. 45. " Then opened He their understanding, that they
might understand the Scriptures." O Jesus, cause me to read, to
understand, to love, to practise, and to preach Thy word. . . .
Luke xxii. 32. " When thou art converted, strengthen thy breth
ren." God grant that we may all of us consider the absurdity of
going about to convert others, without being converted ourselves. To
understand the Holy Scriptures aright, is to understand them as the
Primitive Church did.

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1 Sam. iii. 9. « Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hearetb." Speak
to my heart, that I may obey Thy word. " Teach me to do Thy
will, for thou art my God." It belongs to God, to give the true un
derstanding of His own word.
Matt. vu. 5. " Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of
thine own eye, and then shalt thou see cleariy to cast out the mote
out of thy brother's eye." That is, purify your own heart from all
worldly aims ; mortify your own passions, which are the cause of
your blindness ; study that Word which alone can enlighten you ;
and lay aside all prejudices which are contrary to piety. A Pastor
should never undertake to teach a virtue which he has never prac
tised himself.
Luke v. 5. " We have toiled all the night, and taken nothing."
So does every preacher, who does not beg God's blessing upon his
labours. It is impossible for any man to teach well, who does not
live well 
John vii. 16. "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me."
To preach our own thoughts, forsaking God's word, is like an am
bassador, who neglects his prince's instruclions, and follows his own
fancy. With what truth can it be said, that " the sheep hear his
voice," when the shepherd speaks of things, or in such a manner,
as is above their capacity ? . . . .
Sermons.
Should be instructions, not declamations, or displaying curious
thoughts, which may amuse, but not edify Christians.
If God suffers even an holy pastor not presently to see the fruits
of his labours, it is to convince him, that the success of his labours
belongs to God ; that he ought to humble himself, and pray much,
and fear lest the fault should be in himself.
Pride and irreligion meet with darkness in the midst of light ;
raise vain disputes, unprofitable reflections and inquiries ; while hu
mility attains to light, in the midst of darkness and difficulties.
Whenever God vouchsafes to open the heart, be the understand
ing and parts never so small, we see the reasonableness and beauty
of His "Word, we taste the sweetness, and feel the power thereof.
John xii. 16. "These things understood not His disciples at the
first ; but, when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that
these things were written of Him, and that they had done these
things unto Him." We often read Scripture, without comprehend
ing its full meaning ; however, let us not be discouraged ; the light,
in God's good time, will break out, and disperse the darkness, arid
we shall see the mysteries ofthe Gospel. Grant me, O Lord, a
persevering love of Thy Word, and so much light, as is necessary
for myself, and those that hear me.
John xii. 30. " Jesus said, This voice came not for Me, but- for

326
your sakes." The way to profit by reading the sacred Scriptures,
is, to apply to ourselves that which is spoken in general to all ; this
truth, this command, this threat, this promise, this intimation, is to
me 
Acts i. 1. "The former treatise have I made of all that Jesus
began both to do and teach." This is the whole of a Pastor's life.
For a man to preach the Gospel before he has practised it, is to be
a very bad imitator of the Prince of Pastors  More
sinners are converted by holy, than by learned men. . . . Who
can say it is not owing to himself, that his flock are ignorant of their
duty? 
Col. iv. 4. " That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak."
All preachers do not speak as tliey ought. A man may have the
skill to give Christian truths a turn agreeable to the hearers, without
affecting their hearts 
2 Tim. iv. 1,2, &c. " I charge thee, before God and the Lord
Jesus Christ, preach the Word. Be iqstant in season, out of sea
son; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and gravity.
For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine,"
&c  Preaching is a duty, but not the only duty of a
Pastor. He is to take all occasions to instruct those that seek the
truth ; refute such as oppose it ; reprove those that do not practise
it ; and confirm such as have embraced it. And the more we per
ceive the times of Apostacy approaching, the more zealous ought
we to be to defend sound doctrine. It will be no comfort to a Pas
tor, that the world praises him for some one part of his duty, while
God condemns him for the neglect of another 
Reading Scripture.
John xvi. 13. "The Holy Spirit shall lead you into all truth."
O Holy Spirit, make me to understand, embrace, and love the
truths of the Gospel. Give, O GoDy Thy blessing unto Thy Word,
that it may become effectual to my conversion and salvation, and to
the salvation of all that read or hear it  Let Thy gra
cious promises, O God, contained in Thy Word, quicken my obe
dience. Let Thy dreadful threatenings and judgments upon sinners,
fright me from sin, and oblige me to a speedy repentance, for Jesus
Christ His sake  Grant, O Lord, that in reading Thy
Holy Word I may never prefer my private sentiments before those
of the Church in the purely ancient time of Christianity. Give me
a full persuasion of those great tiniths, which Thou hast revealed in
Thy Holy Word  From hardness of heart and con
tempt of Thy Word, Good Lord, deliver us 
Matt. xiii. 36. " Declare unto us this parable." This should in-
1 struct us, that the knowledge of God's Word, and the mysteries of
the Gospel, are favours which we must always beg of God.

No. 45.
(Ad Clerum!)
THE GROUNDS OF OUR FAITH.

Every system of theology has its dangers, its tendencies towards
evil. Systems short ofthe truth have this tendency inherent in them
selves, and in process of time discover it, and work out the anticipa
ted evil, which is but the legitimate though latent consequence of their
principles. Thus, we may consider the present state of Geneva the
fair result on the long run of the system of self-will which was estab
lished there in the sixteenth century. But even the one true system
of religion has its dangers on all sides, from the weakness of its reci
pients, who pervert it. Thus the Holy Catholic doctrines, in which
the Church was set up, were corrupted into Popery, not legitimate
ly, or necessarily, but by various external causes acting on human
corruption, in the lapse of many ages. St. Paul's command of obe
dience to rulers, was changed into the tyrannical rule of one Bishop
over all countries ; his recommendation of an unmarried life, forcer-
tain religious objects, was made a rule of celibacy in the case of the
clergy. Now, let us ask, what are the bad tendencies of Protestant
ism ? for this is a question which nearly concerns ourselves. We
are nearly 300 years from its rise in this country ; have any evils yet
shown themselves from it ? It is not here proposed to examine the
question at large ; but a hint on one part of the subject, may be
made in answer to it.
At the Reformation, the authority of the Church was discarded by
the spirit then predominant among Protestants, and Scripture was
considered as the sole document both for ascertaining and proving
our faith. The question immediately arose, " Is this or that doctrine
in Scripture?" — and in consequence, various intellectual gifts, such
as argumentative subtilty, critical acumen, knowledge of the lan
guages, rose into importance, and became the interpreters of Chris
tian truth. Exposition lay through controversy. Now the natural
effect of disputation is to make us shun all but the strongest proofs,
those which an adversary will find substantial impediments in his line
of reasoning ; and, therefore, to generate a cautious, discriminative
turn of thought, to fix in the mind a standardof proof sima[at\ng de
monstration, and to make light of mere probabilities. This intellec
tual habit, resulting from controversy, would also arise from the pe
culiar exercises of thought necessary for the accurate scholar or an
tiquarian. It followed, that in course of time, all the delicate shades

328
of truth and falsehood, the unobtrusive indications of God's will, the
low tones of the " still small voice," in which Scripture abounds,
were rudely rejected ; the crumbs from the rich man's table, which
Faith eagerly looks about for, were despised by the proud-hearted
intellectualist, who, (as if it were a favour in him to accept the Gos
pel,) would be content with nothing short of certainty, and ridiculed
as superstitious and illogical whatever did not approve itself to his
own cold, hard, and unimpassioned temper. For instance, if the
cases of Lydia, ofthe jailer, of Stephanas, were brought to show our
Lord's wish as to the baptism of households, the actions of his apos
tles to interpret his own commands, it was answered ; " This is no
satisfactory proof ; it is not certain that every one of those house
holds was not himself a believer ; it is not certain there were any
children among them :" — though surely, in as many as three house
holds, the probability is on the side which the Church has taken, es
pecially viewing the texts in connexion with our Saviour's words,
" Suffer the little children," &c. Again, while the observance of the
Lord's day was grounded upon the practice of the apostles, it was
somehow felt, that this proof was not strong enough to bind the mass
of Protestants; and so the chief argument now in use is one drawn
from the Jewish law, viz., the direct Scripture command, contained in
the fourth commandment.
Our Saviour has noticed the frame of mind here alluded to, in
Mark viii. 11, 12, where his feelings and judgment upon it are also
told us : — " And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question
with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him. And
He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith. Why doth this generation
seek after a sign ? Verily I say unto you, Tliere shall no sign be given
unto this generation. And He left them."
We are warned against the same hard, intractable temper in the
book of Psalms : — " I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way
wherein thou shalt go ; and I will guide thee imth Mine eye. Be ye
not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding ; whose
mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee."
Ps. xxxii. 9, 10: This stubborn spirit, which yields to nothing but
violence, is determined to feel Christ's yoke ere it submits to it, will
not see except in broad day-light, and like the servant who hid his
talent, is ever making excuses, murmuring,, doubting, grudging obe
dience, and stifling docile and open-hearted faith, is the spirit of ultra-
Protestantism, i. e. that spirit, to which the principles of Protestant
ism tend, and which they have in a great measure realized. On this
subject the reader may consult Nos. 4, 8, and 19, of this series of
Tracts. Now to apply this to the doctrines, at present so much undervalu
ed, which it is the especial object of these Tracts to enforce.
"When a cler^man has spoken strongly in defence of Episcopacy,
^ hfisxer will go away sayipg,that there is much very able and lorci-

329
ble, much very eloquent and excellent, in what he has just heard ;
but after all, there is very little about Episcopacy in Scripture. This
is the point to which a shrewd, clear-headed reasoner will resort, —
"after all;" we come round and round to it ; the doctrine advoca
ted is plausible, useful, generally received hitherto ; — ^granted, — but
Scripture says very little about it.
Now it cannot be for a moment allowed, that Scripture contains
little on the subject of Church Government ; though it may readily
be granted that it obtrudes on the reader little about it. The doctrine
is in it, not on it ; not on the surface. This need not be proved here,
since the subject has been variously considered in former Numbers
of this series. But it may be useful in a few words to show how the
state of the argument and controversy concerning Episcopacy, illus
trates the above remarks, and how parallel it is to the state in which
other religious truths are found, which no Churchman ventures to
dispute. I. Now in the first place, let us suppose, /or the sake of argument,
that Episcopacy is in fact not at all mentioned in Scripture : even
then it would be our duty to receive it. Why? because the first
Christians received it. If we wish to get at the truth, no matter how
we get at it, if we get at it. If it be a fact, that the earliest Christian
communities were universally episcopal, it is a reason for our main
taining Episcopacy ; and in proportion to our conviction, is it incum
bent on us to maintain it.
Nor can it be fairly dismissed as a non-essential, an ordinance
indifferent and mutable, though formerly existing over Christen
dom ; for, who made us judges of essentials and non-essentials ? how
do we determine them ? In the Jewish law, the slightest transgres
sion of the commandment was followed by the penalty of death ; vide
Lev. viii. 35 ; x. 6. Does not its universality imply a necessary con
nexion with Christian doctrine ? Consider how such reasonings would
carry us through life ; how the business of the world depends on
punctuality in minutes ; how " great a matter" a mere spark drop
ped on gunpowder " kindleth."
But, it may be urged, that we Protestants believe the Scriptures
to contain the whole rule of duty. Certainly not ; they constitute a
rule of faith, not a rule of practice : a rule of doctrine, not a rule of
conduct or discipline. Where (e. g.) are we told in Scripture, that
gambling is wrong ? or again, suicide ? Our Article is precise ;
"Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation, so that
whatsoever is not read therein, &c. is not to be required of any man,
that it should be believed as an article of faith." Again it says, that
the Apocrypha is not to be applied " to establish any doctrine," im
plying that this is the use of the canonical books.
2. However, let us pass from this argument, which is but founded
on a supposition, that Episcopacy is not enjoined in Scripture. Sup
pose we maintain, as we may well maintain, that it is enjoined in
43

330
Scripture. An objector will say, that, at all events it is but obscure
ly contained therein, and cannot be drawn out from it without a great
deal of delicate care and skill. Here comes in the operation of that
principle of faith in opposition to criticism, which was above explain
ed ; the principle of being content with a little light, where we can
not obtain sunshine. If it is probably pleasing to Christ, let us main
tain it. Now take a parallel case : e. g. the practice of infant bap
tism ; where is this enjoined in Scripture ? No where. Why do
we observe it ? Because the primitive Church observed it, and be
cause the Apostles in Scripture appear to have sanctioned it, though
this is not altogether certain _/row Scripture. In a difficult case we
do as well as we can, and carefully study what is most agreeable to
our Lord and Saviour. This is how our Church expresses it in the
xxviith Article : " The baptism of young children is in any wise to be
retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of
Christ." This is true wariness and Christian caution ; very different
from that spurious caution which ultra-Protestantism exercises. Let
a man only be consistent, and apply the same judgment in the case
of Episcopacy : let him consider whether the duty of keeping to
Bishops, be not " most agreeable with the institution of Christ." If,
indeed, he denies this altogether, these remarks do not apply ; but
they are addressed to waverers, and falsely moderate men, who can
not deny, that the evidence of Scripture is in favour of Churchmen,
but say it is not strong enough. They say, that if Almighty God had
intended an uniformity in Church Government among Christians, he
would have spoken more clearly.
Now if they carried on this line of argument consistently, they
would not baptize their children : happily they are inconsistent. It
would be more happy still, were they consistent on the other side ;
and, as they baptize their children, because it is safer to observe
than to omit the sacrament, did they also keep to the Church, as
the safer side. The received practice, then, of infant baptism
seems a final answer to all who quarrel with the Scripture evidence
for Episcopacy.
3. But further still, infant baptism, like Episcopacy, is but a case
of discipline. What shall we say, when we consider that a case
of doctrine, necessary doctrine, doctrine the very highest and most
sacred, may be produced, where the argument lies as little on the
surface of Scripture, — where the proof, though most conclusive, is
as indirect and circuitous as that for Episcopacy ; viz. the doctrine
of the Trinity? Where is this solemn and comfortable mystery
formally stated in Scripture, as we find it in the creeds ? 'Why is
it not ? Let a man consider whether all the objections which he
urges against the Scripture argument for Episcopacy may not be
turned against his own belief in the Trinity. It is a happy thing for
themselves that men are inconsistent ; yet it is miserable to advocate
and establish a principle, which, not in their own case indeed, but

331
in the case of others who learn it of them, leads to Socinianism.
This being considered, can we any longer wonder at the awful fact,
that the descendants of Calvin, the first Presbyterian, are at the
present day in the number of those who have denied the Lord who
bought them ?

No. 46.

(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. III.— TUESDAY.

Question from the Office of Ordination. — Are you ready,
with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous
and strange doctrine, contrary to God's word; and both privately
and openly to call upon and encourage others to do the same ? — ^Ans.
/ am ready, the Lord being my helper.
Blessed be the good providence of God, who, in great compas
sion for this Church and Nation, has hitherto preserved us from
heresies and schisms.
O Lord, continue to us this great mercy, and grant that we, who
are appointed to watch over Thy flock, may employ our learning
and our time in promoting of true piety ; that we may never grow
secure and careless, but that we may endeavour to secure the
power, as well as the form of godliness. Have pity upon all Chris
tian Churches, that are distracted by contending parties, and reduce
all that wander out of the way. Enable us to preserve this Church
in peace and unity, by all means becoming the spirit of the Gospel.
Keep us steadfast in the faith, that we may never be tossed about
with any wind of doctrine, or the craft of men. Let the zeal and
industry of those that are in error provoke us to be zealously affect
ed in a righteous cause ; in labouring to make men good, and in
converting sinners from the error of their ways ; which God grant
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
" But," the Bishop, " himself also, as his important affairs will
permit him, shall use his best endeavour by instruction, persuasion,
and all good means he can devise, to reclaim both them and all
other within his Diocese so affected." — Canon 66th. ,
2 Tim. iv. 3. " The time will come when they will not endure

332
sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to them
selves teachers, having itching ears."
N. B. We are now in these sad times, and it behoves all faithful
Pastors to know it. It is not the doctrine of the Gospel, if it fa
vours men's lusts. They that will not receive, or who reject, the
- truth, are often judicially punished with a greediness to receive
errors, falsehoods, and fables.
Ver. 5. " Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, make full
proof of (or fulfil,) thy ministry." He that is wanting in any essen
tial part, is wanting to his own salvation.
Lord, Thou art just in all the troubles which Thou hast brought
upon this Church and Nation. Yet, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
and restore to us that peace and unity which we once enjoyed.
Matt. vii. 20. "By their fruits ye shall know them." This rule,
though given by Christ himself, is seldom observed. The best
fruits are counted as nothing, are overlooked, and often condemned
by those who have none good to show. Hence, all the evils the
Church suffers.
Matt. xiii. 25. " But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
tares among the wheat." O Jesu, awaken the Pastors of Thy
flock, and open their eyes, that they may perceive the tares which
choke the seed, — the wolves which destroy Thy sheep.
A mixture of good and bad in the Church is necessary to instruct,
exercise, purify, sanctify, and keep the righteous in humility.
Matt. xiii. 29. " Nay, lest, while ye gather up the tares, ye root
up also the wheat with them." A zeal not regulated by this prohi
bition, allows no time to the good to grow strong in goodness, or to
the wicked to forsake their evil ways ; but chooses rather to destroy
the good, provided they can but destroy the bad.
Rev. ii. 14, 20. " I have a few things against thee, because thou
hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak
to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. Thou sufferest that
woman Jezebel to teach and to seduce my servants to commit for
nication." How dreadful is the government of the Church, wherein
a man must answer for those sins which he does not hinder ? To
tolerate by silence those who favour and promote sin, Jesus Christ
rebukes in the persons of these Bishops.
O my Saviour ! Thou who givest me this warning, enable me to
profit by it. Assist me, in this day of trial, effectually to oppose
and suppress that spirit of impurity, idolatry, profaneness, and irre
ligion, which is broken in upon us.
If for fear of offending men, or from a false love of peace, we
forbear to defend the truth, we betray and abandon it.
Acts xxviii. 29. " And when he had said these things, — the Jews
had great reasonings among themselves." A preacher of the truth
is not to be blamed for the contests which it gives occasion to car-

333
nal men to raise. Even Christ Himself could not preach without
disturbing sinners ; — and if He came not to bring peace on earth,
but a sword of division. His Ministers ought to expect to do the
same. It is not by the heat of disputation, but by the gentleness of
charity, that souls are gained over to God. And when controversy
is necessary, as sometimes it is, let it never be managed with harsh
ness, bitterness, or severity, lest it exasperate and harden, more
than convert and edify. A prudent condescension has often pre
vailed upon the weak, and rendered them capable of hearkening to
reason, when the contrary conduct would have renioved them far
ther from the light.
We ought to avoid evil men and seducers, in order to shame
them ; — to deprive them of that credit, whereby they may do
hurt ; — to make them to return to a right mind ; — and that we may
avoid the snare ourselves. Disputes.
The primitive Fathers were ever modest upon religious questions.
They contented themselves with resolving such questions as were
proposed to them, without starting new ones ; and carefully sup
pressed the curious, restless temper.
May I receive from Thee, O God, at all times, the rules of my
behaviour on these occasions.
God judges otherwise than we do of these things. He knows
the good He intends to bring out of evil, — either for the sanctifica
tion of the righteous, — conversion of the wicked, by His goodness
in bearing with them, — or leaving them without excuse.
One single soul is vi^orth the utmost pains of the greatest Minister
of Christ. But, then, let us take care, when it is brought into the
fold, that he be a better Christian than before, — that he be not two
fold more the child of hell than before.

No. 47.
(Ad Clerum.)
THE VISIBLE CHURCH.
LETTER IV.

I AM sorry my delay has been so considerable in answering your
remarks on my Letters on the Church. Indeed it has been ungrate-

334
fill in me, for you have given me an attention unusual with the mul
titude of religious persons ; who, instead of receiving the arguments
of others in simplicity and candour, seem to have a certain number
of types, or measures of professing Christians, set up in their minds,
to one or other of which they consider every one they meet with
belongs, and who, accordingly, directly they hear an opinion ad
vanced, begin to consider whether the speaker be a No. 1, 2, or 3,
and having rapidly determined this, treat his views with considera
tion or disregard, as it may be. I am far from saying our know
ledge of a person's character and principles should not influence
our judgment of his arguments; certainly it should have great
weight. I consider the cry " measures not men," to be one of the
many mistakes ofthe day. At tlie same time there is surely a con
trary extreme, the fault of fancying we can easily look through men,
and understand what each individual is ; an arbitrary classing of the
whole Christian family under but two or three countenances, and
mistaking one man's doctrine for another's. You at least have not
called me an Arminian, or a high Churchman, or a Borderer, or one
of this or that school, and so dismissed, me.
To pass from this subject. You tell me that in my zeal in advo
cating the doctrine of the Church Cathohc and Apostohc, I " use
expressions and make assumptions which imply that the Dissenters
are without the pale of salvation." So let me explain myself on
these points.
You say that my doctrine of the one Catholic Church in effect
excludes Dissenters, nay, Presbyterians, from salvation. Far from
it. Do not think of me as of one who makes theories for himself
m his closet, who governs himself by book-maxims, and who, as
being secluded from the world, has no temptation to let his sympa
thies for individuals rise against his abstract positions, and can afford
to be hard-hearted, and to condemn by wholesale the multitudes in
various sects and parties whom he never saw. I have known those
among Presbyterians, whose piety, resignation, cheerfulness, and
affection, under trying circumstances, have been such, as to make
me say to myself, on the thoughts of my own higher privileges,
" Wo unto thee Chorazin, wo unto thee Bethsaida I" Where little
is given, little will be required ; and that return, though little, has its
own peculiar loveliness, as an acceptable sacrifice to Him who sin
gled out for praise the widow's two mites. Was not Israel apostate
from the days of Jeroboam ; yet were there not even in the reign
of Ahab, seven thousand souls who were " reserved," an elect rem
nant ? Does any Churchman wish to place the Presbyterians,
where, as in Scotland, their form of Christianity is in occupation, in
a worse condition under the Gospel than Ephraim held under the
Law ? Had not the ten tribes the schools of the Prophets, and has
not Scotland at least the word of God ? Yet what would be
thought of the Jew who had maintained that Jeroboam and his

335
kingdom were in no guilt ? and shall we, from a false charity, from
a fear of condemning the elect seven thoiisand, scruple to say that
Presbyterianism has severed itself from our temple privileges, and
undervalue the line of Levi and the house of Aaron ? Consider
our Saviour's discourse with the woman of Samaria. While by
conversing with her He tacitly condemned the Jews' conduct in
refusing to hold intercourse with the Samaritans, yet He plainly
declared that "salvation was of the Jews." "Ye worship ye
know not what ;" He says, " we know what we worship." Can
we conceive His making light of the differences between Jew and
Samaritan ?
Further, if to whom much is given, of him much will be required,
how is it safe for us to make light of our privileges, if we have them ?
is not this to reject the birth-right ? to hide our talent under a nap
kin ? When we say that God has done more for us than for the
Presbyterians, this indeed may be connected with feelings of spiritu
al pride ; but it need not. We may, by so saying, provoke ourselves
to jealousy ; for we dare not deny that, in spite of our pecufiar pri
vileges of communion with Christ, yet even higher saints may lie
hid (to our great shame) among those who have not themselves the
certainty of our especial approaches to His glorious majesty. Was
not Elijah sent to a widow of Sarepta ? did not Ehsha cure Naaman?
and are not these instances set forward by our Lord Himself, as
warnings to us " not to be high-minded but to fear ;" and, again, as a
gracious consolation when we think of our less favoured brethren ?
Where is the narrowness of view and feehng which you impute to
me ? Why may I not speak out, in order at once to admonish my
self, and to attempt to reclaim to a more excellent way those who
are at present severed from the true Church ?
And what has here been said of an established Presbyterianism,
is true (in its degree) of dissent, when it has become hereditary, and
embodied in institutions.
Further, it is surely parallel with the order of Divine Providence
that there should be a variety, a sort of graduated scale, in His me
thod of dispensing His favour in Christ. So far from its being a
strange thing that Protestant sects arc not " in Christ," in the same
fulness that we are, it is more accordant to the scheme ofthe world
that they should lie between us and heathenism. It would be strange
if there were but two states, one absolutely of favour, one of disfa
vour. Take the world at large, one form of paganism is better than
another. The North American Indians are theists, and as such more
privileged than polytheists. Mahometanism is a better religion than
Hindooism. Judaism is better than Mahometanism. One may be
lieve that long established dissent affords to such as are born and bred
in it a sort of pretext, and is attended with a portion of blessing,
(where there is no means of knowing better,) which does not attach
to those who cause divisions, found sects, or wantonly wander from

336
the Church to the Meeting House ; — that what is called an orthodox
sect has a share of Divihe favour, which is utteriy withheld from
heresy. I am not speaking of the next world, where we shall all
find ourselves as individuals, and where there will be but two states,
but of existing bodies or societies. On the other hand, why should
the corruptions of Rome lead us to deny her Divine privileges, when
even the idolatry of Judah did not forfeit hers, annul her temple-sa
crifice, or level her to Israel ?
I say all this, merely, for the purpose of suggesting to those who
are " weak," some idea of possible modes in which Eternal Wisdom
may reconcile the exuberance of His mercy in Christ to the whole
race of man, with the placing of it in its fulness in a certain ordain
ed society and ministry. For myself I prefer to rely upon the sim
ple word of truth, of which Scripture is the depository, and since
Christ has told me to preach the whole counsel of God, to do so fear
lessly and without doubting; not being careful to find ways of
smoothing strange appearances in His counsels, and of obviating
difficulties, being aware on the one hand that His thoughts are not
our thoughts, nor our ways His ways, and on the other, that He is
ever justified in His sayings, and overcomes when He is judged.

No. 48.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
Ifo. IV.— WEDNESDAY.

Question prom the office of Consecration. — Will you deny
all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world, that you may show yourself in all things
an example of good works unto others, that the adversary may be
ashamed, having nothing to say against you ? — Ans. / will so do, the
Lord being my helper.
1 Cor. ix. 27. " I keep under my body, and bring it into subjec
tion, lest, by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway." And if Paul, what shall be said of us ?
Gal. V. 24. " They, that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts." Nature is content with a little, grace
with less.
Tit. ii. 15. " Let no man despise thee ;" that is, demean thyself
agreeable to the authority which thou hast received from Jesus

337
Christ, not making thy office contemptible by any mean action ; but
act with the dignity of one who stands in the place of God.
Lev. iv. 3. " If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the
sin of the people, then let him bring a sin-offering." N. B. 'That the
same sin, in a single priest, is to have as great a sacrifice as a sin of
the whole people of Israel. The flesh never thrives but at the cost
of the soul. Let us ever remember, that mortification must go fur
ther than the body. Self-love, pride, envy, jealousy, hatred, malice,
avarice, ambition, must all be mortified, by avoiding and ceasing from
\the occasions of them. The sobriety of the soul consists in humility,
and in being content with necessaries.
Matt. vii. 14. " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." But, if the difficul
ties of an holy life affright us, let us consider, " who can dwell with
everlasting burnings ?" All mankind being under the sentence of
death, certain to be executed, and at an hour we know not of, a state
of penance and self-denial, of being dead and crucified to the world,
is certainly the most suitable, the most becoming temper that we can
be found in, when that sentence comes to be executed, that is, when
we come to die.
The more we deny overselves, the freer we shall be from sin, and
the more dear to God. God appoints us to sufferings, that we may
keep close to Him, and that we may value the sufferings of His Son,
which we should have but a low notion of, did not our own experi
ence teach us what it is to suffer. Had there been any better, any
easier way to heaven, Jesus Christ would have chosen it for Him
self and for His followers. Take up the Cross.
This is designed as a peculiar favour to Christians, as indeed are
all Christ's commands. Miseries are the unavoidable portion of
fallen man. All tfie difference is. Christians suffering in obedience
to the will of God, it makes them easy ; unbelievers suffer the same
things, but with an uneasy will and mind  Self-denial is ab
solutely necessary to prepare us to receive the grace of God ; it was
absolutely necessary that John the Baptist should prepare the way,
by preaching repentance and self-denial. Men need not be at pains
to go to hell ; if they will not deny themselves, if they make no resist
ance, they will go there of course. One does not begin to fall, when
the fall becomes sensible. " They that are Christ's, have crucified
the flesh, with the affections and lusts." This is the only true test of
being truly Christians  Every day deny yourself some sa
tisfaction ; your eyes, objects of mere curiosity ; your tongue, ewery
thing that may feed vanity, or vent enmity ; the palate, dainties ; the
ears, flattery, and whatever corrupts the heart ; the body, ease and
luxury ; bearing all the inconveniences of life, (for the love of God,)
43

338
cold, hunger, restless nights, ill health, unwelcome news, the faults
of servants, contempt, ingratitude of friends, malice of enemies, ca
lumnies, our own failings, lowness of spirits, the struggle in overcom
ing our corruptions ; bearing all these with patience and resignation
to the will of God. Do all this as unto God, with the greatest pri
vacy  It being much more easy to prevent than to mortify a
lust, a prudent Christian will set a guard upon his senses. One un
guarded look betrayed David. Job made a covenant with his eyes.
Evil communications corrupt good manners. Sensuality unfits us
for the joys of heaven. If that concupiscence which opposes virtue
be lessened, a less degree of grace will secure innocence 
Self-love would wish to be made perfect at once ; but self-love is
what God would destroy by a course of wholesome trials. Our
disorder is an excessive love for ourselves, and for this world. God
orders or permits a train of events to cure us of this self-love. The
cure is painful, but it is necessary. We suffer from His love. He
is a Father, and cannot take pleasure in our misery 
All ways are indifferent to one who has Heaven in his eye. He
that does not practice the duty of self-denial, does not put himself
into the way to receive the grace of God 
Virtues of a Holy Life.
Fervency in devotion ; frequency in prayer ; aspiring after the
love of God continually ; striving to get above the world and the
body ; loving silence and sohtude, as far as one's condition will per
mit; humble and affable to all; patient in sufl'ering affronts and
I contradictions ; glad of occasions of doing good even to enemies ;
' doing the will of God, and promoting His honour to the utmost of
one's power ; resolving never to offend Him willingly, for any tem
poral pleasure, profit, or loss. These are virtues highly pleasing to
God. There is no pleasure comparable to the not being captivated
to any external thing whatever .... Always suspect your
self, when your inclinations are strong and importunate. It is ne
cessary that we deny ourselves in little and indifferent things, when
reason and conscience, which is the voice of God, suggests it to us,
as ever we hope to get the rule over our own will. Say not, it is a
trifle, and not fit to make a sacrifice of to God. He that will not
sacrifice a little affection, will hardly offer a greater. It is not the
thing, but the reason and manner of doing it, viz. for God's sake,
and that I may accustom myself to obey His voice, that God re
gards, and rewards with greater degrees of grace. (Idfe of Mr.
Bonnell,p. 122.)
Rom. XV. 3. " Even Jesus Christ pleased not Himself;" as ap
pears in the meanness of His birth, relations, form of a servant, the
company He kept. His life, death, (fee  They who im
agine that self-denial intrenches upon our liberty, do not know that

4

339
It is this only tnat can make us free indeed, giving us the victory
over ourselves, setting us free from the bondage of our corruption,
enabling us to bear afflictions, (which will come one time or other,)
to foresee them without amazement, enlightening the mind, sanctify
ing the will, and making us to slight those baubles, which others so
eagerly contend for.
Mortification consists in such a sparing use of the creatures, as
may deaden our love for them, and make us even indifferent in the
enjoyment of them. This lessens the weight of concupiscence,
which carries us to evil, and so makes the grace of God more effec
tual to turn the balance of the will. (Norris's Christian Prudence,
p. 300.) (To be continued.)

No. 49.
(Ad Clerum.)
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

In referring to Scripture for the proof of points relating to the
doctrine of the Church, we sometimes find the force of our argu
ments evaded by the objection that, although the texts and passages
we refer to seem to prove the points for which they are cited, we
still appear to be giving them an undue prominence in our system.
It is admitted, for instance, that the Epistles to Timothy and Titus
prove an Episcopal form of Church government : that certain pas
sages in the First Epistle to the Corinthians indicate the existence
of a certain order of Church Service, &c. ; but then these passages
are thought to occupy a subordinate place in the records of the
New Testament, while our doctrine of the Church would put them
prominently forward. This is, doubtless, a point to be well consi
dered ; for the apostolic rules of Scripture teaching and interpreta
tion, must be faithfully observed : " If any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God," or " prophesy," let him prophesy " accord
ing to the proportion (or analogy,) of faith."
Now, to meet this difficulty, let it be considered that the restora
tion of a doctrine so evidently important in its bearings as that of
the Church, must necessarily produce a great change upon a system
out of which it has been lost. We have been accustomed to a
Ptolemaic theory of our spiritual system ; we have made our own
little world the centre, and have ranged the doctrines of Scripture

340
around it, according to the relation they seem severally to bear to
our own individual profit. We find ourselves called upon to adopt
an opposite theory ; to take for the centre of our system a body
which we had been used to regard as a mere satelfite attending
upon our own orb. No wonder if we feel our notions deranged ;
if every thing seems put into a new place ; that which before was
primary, now made subordinate ; and vice versa. This is no more
than we might naturally expect : the only question for us to settle
is this ; does the theory which is proposed for our acceptance bring'
facts to support it? "The maintainor ofthe Cgpernican theory, per
haps, directs our attention principally, or even exclusively, to objects '
which we had else comparativel)"^ neglected, or entirely overlooked.
But this is no fatal objection to his views. The satellites of Jupiter
might seem to hold a subordinate place in the solar system, and
their eclipses to be comparatively uninteresting phenomena : and
yet the examination of them led, we know, to great and imjiortant
discoveries. Just so, some apparently insignificant text, lying in
the depth of Scripture, far removed, as we think, from the centre
light of Christian doctrine, may be the means of suggesting to us
most important considerations, — of impressing upon us the convic
tion that we have been going upon a false theory, and leading us
to a truer notion of the system in which we are placed. We do
well, indeed, to weigh carefully the meaning of the texts which are
brought before us, and to examine the deductions which are
founcied upon them, whether they follow naturally from the pre
mises. But we do not well if we allow ourselves to be prejudiced
against the evidence which is brought from Scripture, merely be
cause it is contrary to our pre-conceived notions ; because it seems
to put us in a strange country, exalting the valleys, and making
low {he mountains and hills, turning Lebanon into a fruitful field,
and causing the fruitful field to be counted, in comparison, as a
forest. This is not to inquire after truth in the spirit of true phi
losophers, or, which is the same thing, of little children. And for
such only is knowledge in store ; " of such" only " is the kingdom
of heaven."
For illustration of these remarks I would refer to the passages in
St. Matthew's Gospel, which are first pressed upon our notice, when
our attention is turned to the evidence of Scripture respecting the
nature and office of the Christian Church. First and foremost, of
course, is the well known promise to St. Peter, (chap. xvi. 18.)
" Upon this rock will I build my Church." It is argued by the
Churchman, that the obvious sense of the word 'EnKXr/da, (Assembly,)
as it would strike an unprejudiced reader, is that of a visible body;
and that this sense is confirmed by the use of the term in chapter
xviii. 17. Again, we are referred to the remarkable passage, (chap.
xxiv. 45 — 51.) " Who then is that faithful and wise servant, whom
his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their

341
portion of meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his
Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing," «&c. It is asked whe
ther we do not find traces here of a line of ministry to continue in
Christ's " Church" and " household" until His coining again. And
we are bidden to compare with this passage that final promise of
our Lord to His Apostles, with which the Gospel concludes, (chap.
xxviii. 20.) " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world," as confirming the proof of an uninterrupted succession of
the Apostolical ministry. Fronh these passages, then, put together,
we seem to derive some idea of the Church as a visible Spiritual
Society formed by Christ Himself; a household over which He
has appointed His servants to be stewards and rulers to the end.
But then this view is drawn from what might seem a few insulated
passages, occurring in a Gospel which we have been accustomed
to look to for what we think more practical truths. And how do
they affect us? We do not like to have our minds called off to
such external relations. The interpretation offered us of these pas
sages, seems, indeed, correct, and the argument grounded on them,
legitimate : but after all they are but a few scattered passages, re
ferring to points which we consider of inferior importance, and not
entitled to have so much stress laid upon them, or to be made foun
dations of a system.
But now, discarding prejudice and theory, let us calmly and teach-
ably take up the Gospel of St. Matthew, in the hope, by diligently
comparing of spiritual things with spiritual, to obtain an insight into
its true meaning. Let us take the passage first referred to. The
promise is made to St. Peter : it may be well, therefore, to look
through the Gospel, and collect the scattered notices of this Apostle.
We shall thus ascertain whether the promise would seem to have
been made to St." Peter individually, as the Romanist would argue,
or whether, as Churchmen in England would say, it was made to
him as the representative of the Apostolic body, and so the type of
the Christian ministry. Or, on the other hand, we shall see whe
ther the mention of St. Peter in this passage, and the prominent
place which seems in it to be given him, stand so completely alone
that it cannot be wrought into any thing like a regular system.
Now, if we look carefully into St. Matthew's Gospel, we seem to
find, throughout, a pecuUar place occupied by St. Peter. In chap.
xiv. we have the narrative of the strength and weakness of his faith,
in walking on the water to go to Jesus ; a circumstance not related
by any other of the Evangelists. In the next chapter we find Peter
asking for an explanation of our Saviour's " parable" respecting
the things which defile a man, and the " blind leaders of the blind,"
who had been offended at the saying, (xv. 15.) In chap. xvi. is the
tiromise under our consideration, and the offence which so soon fol-
owed, and called down upon him his Master's displeasure. In chap.
xvii. we have the story of the tribute money, and that discourse of

342
our Lord with St. Peter which seems to have given rise to the dis
ciples' question, " Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ?"
Again, in chap, xviii. when our Lord has been explaining to His
disciples how the offending brother is to be dealt with by "the
Church," (ver. 17.) and has confirmed to them the solemn declara
tion before made to St. Peter, (which shows in what sense it was
made in the first instance to St. Peter,) " Verily, I say unto you.
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven," &c.,
we read, " Then came Peter to him, and said. Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him ?" In chap. xix.
we find him anxiously inquiring of his Lord, what reward should
be given to himself and his fellow-apostles, who had forsaken all
and followed Him. The answer is the remarkable and solemn pro
mise to the Twelve, which this Evangelist alone records in this
place : " Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in
the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of
his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel." Throughout St. Matthew's Gospel,- St. Peter
seems to be put forward in a very peculiar manner, of which, how
ever, we are scarcely aware until we compare the other Evange
lists, and observe the difference between them in their selection and
arrangement of the events they record. This is, however, too ex
tensive a subject to enter upon at present. Our only object is to
suggest the inquiry, whether there is not something more than casual
in the prominent place which St. Peter occupies in St. Matthew's
Gospel, and whether this peculiarity does not imply the existence
of some deeper meaning than we should at first sight attach to
several apparently insulated passages, in the centre of which stands
the noble confession in the sixteenth chapter, and the gracious and
glorious promise which was founded upon it.
In that promise, made by our Lord to St. Peter, it is said, " I
will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Here we
find an expression which is of very common occurrence in St. Mat
thew, and peculiar to his Gospel : no other Evangelist employs the
phrase, " the kingdom of heaven." Here again we shall do well to
collect together the various passages in which the expression is
used ; and then we shall see that the doctrine of the Church and
its Ministers, unfolded in the promise to St. Peter, is no insulated
and subordinate point in St. Matthew's Gospel. In the beginning
of the Gospel we find the Baptist preaching and saying, " Repent
ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ;" and the ministry of our
blessed Lord, taking up the Baptist's message, opens with the same
announcement. " From that time (the time that John was cast into
prison,) Jesus began to preach and to say. Repent ; for the king
dom of heaven is at hand." (iv. 17.) We read of his going about
all the synagogues of Galilee, " preaching the Gospel of the king
dom," (iv. 23 ;) and in His Sermon on the Mount we hear Him de-

343
daring who they are to whom that kingdom belongs, (v. 3, &c.)
"The kingdom of heaven" was to be the fulfilment of the eariier
dispensation, the law and the prophets ; " whosoever therefore shall
break one of these least commandments," says our blessed Lord,
"and shall teac/i men so, the same shah be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven ; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the
same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say
unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteous
ness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven." (v. 17 — 19.) This, with other parallel pas
sages, seems to give us a clue to the view of the Gospel dispensa
tion as unfolded by St. Matthew. Our Lord appears in the
character of a prophet, like Moses, raised up to be the Giver of a
new law, and the Founder of a new Kingdom or Polity. The
Scribes and Pharisees were corrupt expounders of the Divine law,
they were unfaithful stewards of the mysteries of the kingdom :
other servants were therefore to be chosen into their place, who
should be the true " light of the world ;" faithful rulers over God's
household, giving to every one their portion of meat in due season.
The Scribes and Pharisees were to be deposed from Moses's seat ;
St. Peter and his fellow apostles were to be exalted in their room.
They had " the keys of knowledge" committed to them, to open the
kingdom of heaven unto men ; but they had abused their trust, and
they were to be deprived of their sacred office. Thus does our
Lord pass sentence upon them : " Wo unto you. Scribes and Pha
risees, hypocrites : for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men : for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are
entering to go in." And thus, in terms strictly corresponding, as it
would appear, is their bishoprick given for another to take : " Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-jona ; and I say unto thee, that thou art Peter ;
and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."
The kingdom of heaven, of which the keys were thus taken away
from the Scribes and Pharisees, and given to St. Peter and his
brethren, was that everlasting kingdom prepared from the founda
tion of the world, which had been committed to the Son by the
Almighty Father. To Him of proper right it belongs ; of Him
alone it is properly said, that " He openeth, and no man shutteth ;
and shutteth, and no man openeth." " The law and the prophets
were until John," He himself declares: since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
" From the days of John the Baptist until novv, the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." (Luke
xvi. 16. Matthew xi. 12.) For the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins was then first preached to sinners. The Son
of Man had power upon earth to forgive sins, (ix. 6. ;) and He had

344
also power to retain them : He was empowered to gather the wheat
into his garner, and to bum up the chaff with unquenchable fire, (iii.
12.) But when, as the Messenger of the Covenant, He came, in ful-
filment of prophecy, to visit His temple, and to punish the priests who
had corrupted the covenant, and been partial in the law. He came,
at the same time, to " purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as
gold and silver," that they might " offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness." Let us bear this prophecy in mind when we turn to
St. Matthew's Gospel, and let us see whether the long vista of God's
dispensations in reference to his elder " church" and household, the
covenant made with his ministers, the promises given to them, their
unfaithfulness and corruption, will not throw a new light upon many
passages of the Gospel, which seemed before dark and uninteresting.
We might, for instance, put side by side the discourses of our blessed
Lord with the Pharisees, and those which He held with His own
disciples ; we might see the one cavilling against the truth, and lay
ing snares for Him who came to try and prove them, until at length
He gave them over to their blindness, and denounced a fearful cata
logue of woes upon their heads : we might watch the other, gradu
ally weaned from prejudice and carnal-mindedness, instructed in " the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," as they were able to learn
them, until they were fit to be left alone in the world, with the Spi
rit of their departed Master to be with them to the end of their
ministry, while they made disciples of all nations, and taught them to
observe the things which he had commanded them. We should then
trace, with no careless feeling, in the sixteenth chapter, the lines of
the Christian Church. When we see the faithless Pharisees, leagued
with their bitterest enemies, to tempt the Great Prophet of the
Church ; when we hear Him affectionately reproving His own dis
ciples for their want of faith, and warning them to beware of the
leaven ofthe Pharisees and Sadducees ; when we then hear the so
lemn question put to the twelve, and the bold and undoubting an
swer of St.. Peter, we shall see a depth and fulness of meaning in our
Saviour's blessing, which perhaps we never saw before, and feel that
" blessed" indeed are we too, unto whom, through the covenant made
with Simon, the son of Jonah, the blessed Chieftain of a blessed com
pany, it has been revealed of the Father which is in heaven, that
Jesus is "the Christ, the Son ofthe living God."
Or, let us turn to the passage in the eighteenth chapter, in which
the name of " the Church" occurs again, and the promise made to
St. Peter is incidentally confirmed to the whole Apostolic body. Our
Blessed Lord is there teaching His disciples how we are to deal
with our brethren when they offend us, and hovp oft to forgive them.
" If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone ; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
thy brother ; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee two or
three more, that in the mouth pf two or three witnesses every word

345
may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto
the Church : but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto
thee as an heathen man and as a publican. Verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven : and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." In
this passage, taken by itself, we must understand by the term
ituAriaia, as has been observed, a visible body : but let us look at it
again in its connection with the series of passages in which we have
seemed to trace the idea of " the kingdom of heaven" as the fulfil
ment of that elder visible Church, which was established by the mi-
mistry of Moses. The repetition ofthe promise before made to St.
Peter connects this passage closely with that in chap. xvi. : there
the power of the keys was promised by our Lord: here the princi
ples and rules are given for its exercise. For these our blessed Lord
refers to the spirit of the Mosaic law. The first step to be taken to
wards an offending brother breathes the general spirit of the Mosaic
law, and closely agrees with the injunction specially given, " Thou
shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart ; thou shalt in any wise rebuke
thy brother, and not suffer sin upon him." (I-ev. xix. 17.) The next
step is in exact fulfilment ofthe command in Deut. xvii. 6 ; "At the
mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of
death be put to death ; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not
be put to death." And the final rejection of the brother that " will
not hear the Church," is in no less strict accordance with the spirit
ofthe Mosaic denunciation: "And the man that will do presump
tuously, and will not hearken unto the priest (that standeth to minis
ter there before the Lord thy God,) or unto the Judge, even that
man shall die : and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel." (Deut.
xvii. 12.) The Christian "Church" seems thus to come into the
place of the congregation of Israel ; the Apostles, into the office of
the Levitical priest and judge ; and since their Master came to fulfil
the law, they were to " do and teach" that law in his spiritual mean
ing. Now " the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure
heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned ; from which
some having swerved," says the Apostle, " have turned aside unto
vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding
neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." (I Tim. i. 5 — 7.)
This description of false apostles, the rivals of the .true apostles of
Christ, is equally applicable to those whom they were appointed to
supersede. If we look to our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, we find
how the Scribes " swerved" from the commandment in its true " end"
and object ; their explanations of the sixth and seventh command
ments show how little they understood the spirit of the law of love.
In that Sermon Christ's disciples are instructed how they are to
fulfil the commandments : they are now directed how, as faithful min
isters of God's word, they are to " do and teach" them, viz. by go
verning the Church of God according to the spirit of true brotherly
44

346
love. Why had Levi been so grievously rebuked by the ministry of
the last of the prophets? (Mal. ii. 1 — 9.) Why was not "the of
fering of Judah and Jerusalem pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days
of old, and as in former years?" (Mal. iii. 4. comp. ii. 13.) They
had forgotten the brotherly covenant which bound Israel together as
children of one earthly parent, and one Father in heaven, who had
a care for his " little ones," and would not that one of them should
perish. " Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created
us ? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother,
by profaning the covenant of our fathers ? Judah hath dealt treach
erously, covering the altar of God with tears, and with crying out,
insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth
it with good-will at your hand." (Mal. ii. 10 — 13.) But when the
sons of Levi had been duly purified, that they might offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness — the true righteousness of the
law, perfect brotherly love — then would the Lord again return to
his temple, renew with Levi this " covenant of life and peace," and
bless the sacred service of his holy congregation. " Verily I say unto
you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,"
&c. Again, " I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree as touch
ing any thing that they shall ask on earth, it shall be done for them
of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Can
we doubt of the meaning of this solemn promise ? and is it not full
of comfort to faithful members of Christ's Holy Catholic and Apos
tolic Church ? Does it not teach us, that upon us truly " the ends
of the world are come ;" that we are the children of a long line of
spiritual ancestry, the heirs, highly blessed and favored indeed, of a
rich and glorious inheritance ?
It would be easy to follow out, to an almost indefinite extent, the
line of illustration, of which a few points have been traced. Other
similar lines might also be drawn, throwing much light upon sepa
rate passages of the same Gospel ; as, for instance, the comparison
of " the kingdom of heaven" to a householder, which might be tra
ced through many parables, &c. throwing light upon the remarkable
passage already referred to in the twenty-fourth chapter. Or again,
in illustration of the fearful outline, which is there set before us, of
the misconduct and punishment of the " wicked servant," we might
draw out the intimations, which our Lord's words, on several occa
sions, give us, of unfaithful ministers and stewards, who were in af
ter days to abuse the power committed to them, to lord it over their
fellow servants, to eat and drink and to be drunken: or, still further,
we might borrow from the condemnation of the Scribes and Phari
sees a fearful light on the character of the " hypocrites," with whom
his portion is assigned.
But enough, perhaps, has been said for our present purpose, which
has been, not to urge for exclusive adoption a particular interpreta-

347
tion of certain passages, nor even to recommend any particular idea
as supplying the only clue to their meaning ; but simply to meet an
objection, which, it is believed, indisposes the minds of many thought
ful readers of Holy Scripture to receiving the evidence which is
drawn from its records, in support of the doctrine of " the Church."
To such persons it is here suggested, that their difficulty arises from
prejudice in favour of a particular theory. Scripture may be view
ed from other points than that which they have chosen: and the
theory which a different view suggests may perhaps be found to ex
plain more phenomena, and unfold deeper mysteries, than theirs.
The expression, or incident, or argument, which they overlook, and
cast aside, may, to another, serve as a clue to a mysterious volume,
and give " thoughts which do often lie too deep for tears." Only let
not persons be startled and offended at finding truths of Scripture
which they had entirely overlooked, or thought practically unimpor
tant, assuming a prominent place in the system which is recommend
ed to their consideration. This must be the case at first. If the in
terpretation given of a passage of Scripture seems agreeable to the
natural sense ofthe words, to the context, or to other parts of Scrip
ture ; if it seem to give more meaning to passaged or portions than
they had in our eyes before ; let this be enough for us for the pre
sent : let us thankfully admit it, not lightly or hastily starting objections,
or caring for its effect upon our preconceived opinions. " Every
word of God is pure," (Prov. xxx. 6 :) and if we are bidden not to
" add to His words," lest He reprove us, and we be found liars (v. 6 ;)
we are also warned, in the most mysterious, and, to many readers,
apparently unpractical, book of the New Testament, " If any man
shall take away from the words of the prophecy of this book, God
shall take away his part out of the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book." (Rev. xxii. 19.) Surely we may
incur the risk of thus taking away from the words of prophecy, with
out literally mangling its sacred page. We may settle with ourselves,
that it is an external, matter, and not important to our individual in
terests. Rather let us humbly receive the very crumbs which fall
from the Master's table, " laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings,if so be we have tasted
that the Lord is gracious." (I Pet. n. 1. 3.) The scattered limbs
of sacred truth, which are presented to our view, may seem to us at
first sight like the dry bones, which the prophet saw in the valley of
vision ; but the word of prophecy may yet bring them together, may
cover them with sinew, and flesh, and skin, and fill them with a liv
ing spirit ; the breath from the four winds may breathe upon the
slain, and they may " stand up" upon their feet, before our eyes, " an
exceeding great army." " And when this cometh to pass, then shall
they know that there hath been a prophet among them :" " for I
have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord
God." Wherefore, " now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord •.

348
and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech the high priest, and be
strong all ye people of the land, and work, for I am with you, saith
the Lord of Hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with
you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you :
fear ye not." (Haggai ii. 4, 5.) " Go ye therefore, and make disci
ples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world."

No. 50.
(Ad Populum)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. IV.— WEDNESDAY.— (Conimacd.)

Luke xvi. 19. " There was a certain rich man, which was clothed
in purple and fine hnen, and fared sumptuously every day." For a
man, then, to be rich, to be clothed magnificently, and to take no
care of the poor, is sufficient to send him to hell, because he cannot
lead a Christian life. Repentance, mortification, and the cross, are
utterly inconsistent with a soft, sensual, voluptuous life ; the desire
of happiness, with the love of this present life. It is, therefore, a
most miserable state, for a man to have every thing according to
his desire, and quietly to enjoy the pleasures of life. There needs
no more to expose him to eternal misery. " He that loveth his life,
shall lose it ; and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it
unto life eternal." (John xii. 25.) He that loveth life, (that is, is
fond of it,) for the sake of the pleasures, advantages, it affords, will
soon lose the love of heavenly things ; the love of God, of his soul,
and of the duty he owes to them : He hates it, who does not value
it in comparison of eternal life which he hopes for. A Christian
gives proof of this, by mortifying himself; a Pastor, in spending his
life in the works of the ministry, &c. Those whom God loves in
order to an happy eternity. He weans from the pleasures of this'
present life.
Temperance consists in a sober use of all earthly, visible things,
and in confining ourselves within the compass of what is necessary.
With God all things are possible. The Almighty God enable me
to conquer the temptations of riches, and to get above the allure-

349
ments of this present life. There is much more reason for a man
to humble himself, on account of his self-denial, than to boast of it,
since the corruption of his nature is so great, that he cannot follow
even the lawful dictates of nature without hazarding his soul.
Christian self-denial is, to resist and crucify in ourselves the spirit
and inclinations of Adam, — the flesh, its affections and lusts, — to die
to our passions, in order to follow the motions of the Spirit.
Fasting.
Necessary, to bring our hearts to a penitent, holy, and devout
temper. Our Church requires this, and appoints days and times,
&c. ; and it has been the honour of this Church, that she hath kept
up to her rules, where others have shamefully neglected them. Fast
ing necessary, to perform the vows that are upon us all. By fasting,
by alms, and by prayers, we dedicate our bodies, goods, and souls
to God in a particular manner.
Meditations proper for a Clergyman during Lent.
The primitive Bishops had places of retirement near their cities,
that they might separate themselves from the world, lest teaching
others they should forget themselves ; lest they should lose the
spirit of piety themselves, while they were endeavonring to fix it in
others. Prosper, O God, the good thoughts, the good purposes, which
Thou Thyself shalt inspire. I acknowledge Thy goodness, which
has raised me above my brethren, and appointed me a Successor to
Thy Apostles. O may I ever act agreeably to this character. May
I never profane a character so holy and so divine, lest God should
pour down His vengeance upon my ungrateful heart. Pardon me
whereinsoever I have been wanting in the several duties of my
calling ; and give me grace to be more careful for the time to come.
Amen. How am I bound to adore Thy goodness, my great Master I
Thou hast set me in office amongst the chief of Thy servants ; but
I will for Thy sake, make myself the servant of the meanest of Thy,
servants. By me Thou communicatest Thy grace in the Sacra
ment ; by me Thou teachest Thy people the truth ; by my hands
thou adoptest them Thy children in baptism, feedest them with thy
body, comfortest them in affliction, armest them against the fear of
death, and fittest them for a blessed eternity. Grant that I may
truly weigh the sanctity of my calling, and faithfully discharge it ;
and that others may weigh it, and bless Thee for so great a bless
ing. I am appointed to sanctify others. O grant that I may first
sanctify myself; that I may separate myself from this world, its
profits, pleasures, honours* and all its idols. Amen. Let my, zeal,

350
O my Lord and Master, be answerable to that account which I
must one day give. Let me not see Thy laws broken, hear Thy
name blasphemed. Thy word set at naught. Thine ordinances de
spised, with patience. And oh, may I never, by any neglect or
sinful silence of mine, contribute to these crimes ; but employ my
authority to suppress them. Let me remember what was once said
by Christ himself to a Christian bishop : " Because thou art luke
warm, neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
Inspire my heart with such holy resolution and courage, that I may
not fear any man when Thy honour and my duty call me ; that no
worldly considerations may hinder me, when my office obliges me
to stand in the gap. Amen. Give me such holy dispositions of soul,
whenever I approach Thine altar, as may in some measure be pro
portionable to the holiness of the work I am about, of presenting
the prayers of the faithful, of offering a spiritual sacrifice to God, in
order to convey the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the true bread
of life, to all His members. Give me, when I commemorate the
same sacrifice that Jesus Christ once offered, give me the same in
tentions that He had to satisfy the justice of God, to acknowledge
His mercies, and to pay all that debt which a creature owes to his
Creator. None can do this effectually but Jesus ¦ Christ ; Him,
therefore, we present to God, in this Holy Sacrament. O Thou,
who hast made me a servant in Thy house, give me such dispositions
as that I may never dishonour Thy service. Amen.
I am a sinner, and yet I am appointed to offer up prayers for
others. It is to the great God to whom I offer these prayers. To
me the Church, the spouse of Christ, intrusts her desires, her in
terests, her necessities, and her thanks. What a trust is this ! O
may I never betray it I may I never obstruct Thy mercies to Thy
Church by a formal service. Let me ever speak to God, and from
God with attention, with love, with respect, with fear, with purity
of heart, and with unpolluted fips. Amen. The office of a shepherd
of souls is full of difficulty. Consider what toil Jesus Christ un
derwent, what reproaches, what contempt, what despite I — and
from those persons to whom He preached the most concerning
truths ; and, last of all, laying down His life for His sheep. I am
astonished, and greatly ashamed, when I consider how very far I
come short of this pattern, how poor my pains have been, how little
of my time, my care, my thoughts, have been spent in this service.
O Chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls, communicate to me, the
meanest of thy herdsmen, such a degree of concern as may tho
roughly qualify me for this great work ; pardon my past negligence,
and lay not to my charge the evils which may have happened there
by. Amen. Consider the patience of your great Master, with what
compassion He treated sinners ; transcribe His example ; and if any
of your flock are perverse, froward, obstinate, bear with them, con
descend to their weakness, and strive to reduce them even against

351
their wills. But has this been my way ? Very far from it. I have
been impatient when any of my flock have not been bettered by
my care and pains. And this, not from a true zeal for the glory of
God and the good of souls, but too often, alas I from a principle of
self-love ; angry, because I have been so conceited as to think that
my labours should not be in vain. And yet how often has God
spoken to me myself, and I regarded it not ? How long was his
grace ineffectual even with myself. O Jesu, impart to me a portion
of that Spirit of meekness which prevailed with Thee to preach to
a people who regarded Thee not, who despised, who crucified Thee.
Then why should I, who am a sinner, complain of my unsuccessful
labours ? Forgive, gracious God, the faults I have committed in
this great work of the ministry ; and let no unworthiness in me
hinder thy blessings from descending upon the souls committed to
my care. Amen.
Reflect seriously what a dreadful account you have to give, if you
say, " Peace, peace, when there is no peace ;" or if you give the
children's bread to dogs, that is, admit to the Lord's Table those
that are unworthy of such a favour. This would be to lay men
asleep in their sin. Lord, preserve Thy servant from this sin.
Amen. I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have
done. O Lord, that I could say this to the flock over which the
Holy Ghost hath made me Overseer. That I could say. Be ye
devout, as ye see me devout ; do ye forgive one another, as ye see
me ready to forgive ; despise the world, &c., as ye see me do it.
Let me seriously consider, that I am not only answerable for my
own personal offences ; I sin every time I cause others to sin by my
example. What reparation can be made, what answer can be given,
when Christ requires our flock at our hand ? Lord, suffer me
not to follow my own will ; reform me, that I may reform others ;
give me light to discover, and grace to amend, where I have done
amiss. Amen. Let your conversation be such as becomes, not only
the Gospel, but ministers of the Gospel, to whom all that is curious,
useless, light, and vain, is forbidden ; all scurrilous language, idle
stories, &c.
Endeavour to leave some impression of piety upon the minds of
those with whom you converse. Jesus Christ did so always. Make
no distinction betwixt the rich and poor, as to converse with one, and
not with the other. Lord, grant that Thy example may ever be be
fore me ; and my conversation holy, useful, and edifying. Amen.
As to the disposal of the Church's revenues, the suggestions of
avarice, of vanity, of pleasure, and ofthe worid, ought not to govern
me. I am only a steward, not a proprietor, and should be as crimi
nal as those laymen, that invade them, if I convert them to lay and
secular uses ; which side of sacrilege, very probably, took its rise
from others observing the Church's revenues put to secular uses.
Grant, O my Lord, who hast given me much more of this world's

352
goods than Thou tookest Thyself, grant that I may apply the goods
of the Church to Thy glory, and to the support of Thy poor mem
bers ; and pardon all my vain expenses. Amen.
He, and especially that Minister, "that hath not the spirit of
Christ, is none of His." He ought to perform all his duties in
Christ's name, by His authority and power ; and offer all to God
through Him ; adore Jesus Christ as preaching, praying, absolving,
and comforting, by you His Minister. Lord, grant that I may set
Thee ever before me, that I may direct all my labours to Thy glory ;
let me so speak, and so live, that my words and actions may be
worthy of Thee, that Thou mayest call them Thine. Amen.
" The Priest's lips should keep knowledge." Whence this know
ledge, but from the holy Scriptures, which alone make us sound in
doctrine, and able to convince gainsayers ? But even these are not
to be understood without the light of God's Spirit, a diligent read
ing of them, and a knowledge ofthe maladies men are subject to, in
order to apply them wisely and safely. Men read the Gospel rather
as judges than as disciples, which is the rise of all errors both in life
and doctrine. Grant, O Lord, that when I read Thy Word, I may
do it with a spirit crucified to the world, to my curiosity, to my vani
ty, to my interest, and to my prejudices. Cure me, O blessed Phy
sician, first, and then teach me to know and relieve the maladies of
my flock, that I may present them sound and lovely in Thy sight.
Amen. Covetousness is idolatry in every man ; but it is abomina
ble in a minister of Jesus Christ, who ever affected poverty rather
than wealth, who lived upon charity, and forbad his disciples super
fluities, when he sent them to preach the Gospel. He that takes care
of the fowls of the air will never fail to provide for His own minis
ters. It is therefore infidelity to be over careful for this world. God
grant that I may ever depend upon the providence of God !
Purity of soul and body is a most necessary qualification in a Min
ister of Jesus Christ. To offer the prayers of the faithful to God
with polluted lips, to break the bread of life with unclean hands, to
receive that bread into a soul defiled with unchaste thoughts, how
dreadfully provoking must it needs be !
A blindness of spirit, an alienation from divine things, an incapaci
ty to receive them, are the necessary effects of impurity. The na
tural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit. Into a malicious
soul wisdom and piety cannot enter. Matth. v. 8. " Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
A Priest, who, in the exercise of his function, has an eye to the
grandeur, repute, esteem of great men, presumptuous authority over
the consciences of others, worldly advantages, &c. perverts the de
sign ofthe Ministry.
Grant, O Lord, that I may regard nothing but Thy glory, that I
may act and live for Thee alone, that zeal for Thy glory, and
the good of souls, may be the chief motive of all my actions. Amen.

No. 51.
(Ad Populum.)
ON DISSENT WITHOUT REASON IN CONSCIENCE.

" As one mass doth contain the good ore and base alloy ; as one floor
the corn and the chaff; as one field the wheat and the tares; as one net the
choice fish and the refuse ; as one fold the sheep and the goats ; as one
tree the living and dry branches ; so doth the Visible Church enfold the
true universal Church, called the Church mystical and invisible. And for
this reason, and because presumptively every member of the Visible Church
doth pass for a member of the invisible, (the time of distinction and sepa
ration being not yet come,) because this Visible Church, in its profession of
truth, in its sacrifices of devotion, in its practice of service and duty of
God, doth communicate with, the invisible, therefore commonly the titles
and attributes of one are imparted to the other." — Altered from Barrow
on the Unity of the Church, vol. vii. p. 631.

It is often asked, " Why should not a man attend both the Church
and Meeting, if he derives benefit from both ?" And again, " Why
should not a man be a Dissenter, though he have nothing particular
to object against the Church, if he is not violent in his opposition to
the Church ?" The following remarks, in answer to these questions.
were written by a clergyman for the use of his parishioners.
Many of you have made remarks to me on the subject of Dissent,
when I have been visiting you in your cottages ; and the substance
of these remarks has apparently been, that it was of very little im
portance, whether a man belonged to the Church or dissented from
it, because the difference is after all but small between Churchmen
and Dissenters. You have thus spoken (as it would seem) some
times with a view of drawing out my opinions, sometimes as a sort
of defence or apology for your own, sometimes in order to invite an
argument. I have purposely in my answers abstained from enter
ing into the question, and confined myself to saying simply that I did
not think as you did upon the matter. It would by no means have
fallen in with the purpose for which I visited you on first coming to
the parish, to have entered into any lengthened reasonings. My ob
ject in calling was to express my good-wifl towards you, and there
fore to seek our points of agreement, and not our points of differ
ence. 45

354
At the same time you are not to suppose that I at all wish to con
ceal my sentiments, and it is because some of you may perhaps have
an erroneous impression of what my opinion is on this subject, that
I now write this. My observations will be as short as I can well
make them. I shall avoid as much as possible any thing like contro
versy, or any expressions of opinion as to the relative nierits of this
or that form of dissent, or any discussion of the particular Articles of
Faith (so far as there may be said to be such at all) among the se
veral persuasions around us. — Bear in mind, my object is to show
you that Dissent is a sin.
But before I proceed further I must make two observations, which
I wish you to keep in mind, while you read these remarks, because
they will remove some difficulty, which you might otherwise feel in
what follows.
I. I allow there may be conscientious Dissenters, nay, I hope in
charity, there are many ; — but by a conscientious Dissenter, I mean
a man who separates himself from the Church, because he thinks he
finds something in her doctrines or discipline so far contrary to scrip
tural truth, and the precepts of the Gospel, that by adhering to her,
he would be putting an obstacle in the way of his own salvation.
Other persons may think themselves conscientious Dissenters who
do not go nearly so far in their condemnation of the doctrines or
practice of the Church ; nay, so far from it, that they would defend
their Dissent upon the ground that there is no material difference be
tween the system and teaching in the one, and the system and teach
ing in the other. But such men I do not call conscientious Dissen
ters, but careless or weak-minded persons, who cannot have thought
much or seriously upon the subject, and who can hardly have read
with attention what is to be found in the New Testament respecting
the sin of schism, or on the authority of the Church, and the duty of
obedience to it. Indeed, a man ought to consider very seriously
what account he can give of his faith, who is so far both Churchman
and Dissenter, and so far disposed towards both, as to attend indis
criminately one or other place of worship ; who also could give very
little better explanation of the difference between one and the other,
than a statement ofthe difference in the public services of each, and
other particular matters of form, and of external observance. Such
a person cat\ be neither a true Churchman nor a conscientious Dis
senter. He cannot be a true Churchman, for if he was, he would
not attend a Dissenting place of worship. For Dissent from the
Church must imply a condemnation of something or other, be it of
more or less importance, in the doctrines or discipline of the Estab
hshed Church. And whoever attends service in a Meeting-house,
when he has the opportunity of going to the Parish Church, does, by
so doing, give his silent approbation to the principle of Dissent, and
shows that at least he does not disapprove the opinions of the parti
cular body to whose meeting he goes. He cannot be, on the other

355
hand, a conscientious Dissenter, or he would not frequent the Church,
i. e. a place of worship, which is supported by a system, which he
considers one of injustice, and which excludes and condemns* that to
which he himself belongs ; to say nothing about the probability of his
hearing somethirig, which, though not directly levelled against Dis
sent, still is in spirit a reproof and protest against it.
2. When I say that Dissent is a sin, I by no means thereby imply,
that for that reason every Dissenter is at once and necessarily a sin
ner. To say that a particular thing is a sin, is a very different thing
from saying that every one who does it is a sinner. It will be as well
to make this quite clear to you, and therefore I will give you some
cases in which you would, without hesitation, make the same remark
that I have done. To kill a fellow-creature is undoubtedly a crime ;
but you would not say that the person who killed another by acci
dent, or in defence of his country, or of his own life, or by command
of lawful authorities, was a criminal. There are, indeed, few deeds
which are in a general way sins, which may not be committed under
such circumstances as to rescue the person who did them from be
ing on that account a sinner. There was once a nation which did
not think thieving wrong : there is a nation which does not consider
a parent's destroying a child, when too poor to maintain it, as a sin :
and there is a class or sect in another nation who hold the same opi
nion as to the lives of their parents, when too old to be serviceable
to themselves. You see from these illustrations that the degree of
criminality attaching to a person for his actions, depends very much
on the extent of knowledge he has of the nature of the act, his edu
cation, iind various other circumstances. It is very difficult to weio'h
these exactly in estimating how far any particular person himself does
wrong while he is committing a wrong act ; God alone can see the
heart ; and, therefore, it is better to speak without immediate refer
ence to persons, and only as to the character of the opinion or ac
tion under consideration.
With these explanations, first, on the score of conscience causing
it ; next, of circumstances varying the degree of criminality in differ
ent persons, I repeat Dissent is a sin, which I now go on to prove to
you. Persons dissent from the Church on account of some difference or
other, this is plain ; and, from what I have already said, it is also
plain that I do not intend to say any thing in what follows concern
ing" the greater differences which cause Dissent, i. e. differences
which are founded upon a different interpretation of Scripture. For
when a man thinks the Church unscriptural, he has a good reason
for leaving it, and is (what I have called above) a conscientious Dis-

* E. g. by the sentences in the Litany against " false doctrine, heresy, and schism,"
and that God may " bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceiv
ed," and by the prayers for the unity of the Church.

356
senter ; though at the same time I am bound to say, I think his con
science a very erroneous one, which leads him to consider the
Church unscriptural ; and while I allow him to be conscientious in
one sense of the word, yet I also think him heretical, — just as those
men who (as our Lord foretold) thought, when they persecuted the
Apostles, " they did God service," were wrong, not in that they obey
ed their conscience, but because they had not a more enlightened
conscience. " The light that is in" a merely conscientious Dissenter
is (what Christ has called) " darkness." I say this before passing
on to consider (as I mean to do) the other kind of Dissenters, those,
viz. who dissent for some lesser difference, merely lest you should
suppose that I consider a person absolved from all guilt, on the
ground of his being conscientious : for as a good conscience is a
great treasure, so a dark conscience is like the blind leading the blind.
Now then let me address myself to that large number of persons
who have no material objection against the Church as to its doctrines
or discipline, and who do not think that a Dissenter will be saved a
bit more than a Churchman ; who, indeed, are so far from condemn
ing the Church, that they always feel rather disposed, when acknow
ledging their Dissent, to make a sort of apology or explanation for
their leaving the Church, as, e.g. that " it was so far to go to Church,"
or that " their health was weak," or " no good sittings were to be
had," or that " they had an objection to the clergyman of the parish,"
or that " they were more edified by the service at Meeting, as more
spiritual," or such reasons. I shall begin by placing before you some
arguments, which indirectly support my assertion concerning the sin
fulness of Dissent.
(1.) Christians are required to unite in serving God in mutual cha
rity and hearty concord. Hence such directions as these from the
Apostles to different Churches, viz. that they should endeavour to
keep " the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," that they should
be " like-minded, having the same love," being " of one accord, of
one mind, standing fast in one Spirit with one mind," that they should
" walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing," that " with one
mind and one mouth they should glorify God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ," that they should " all speak the same thing," that
there should be " no divisions among them," but that they be " per
fectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."*
As to the construction which some persons put on such passages,
viz. by making them to refer to an unity in the spiritual sense, to a
mystical union of the faithful all over the world, in the invisible
Church of Christ, it is clearly inadmissible. For as a matter of
reason, what can be the use of such strong and repeated exhorta
tions to an union, whose only external sign is a profession of chari-
» Phil. ii. 2; i. 27 ; iii. 16. 1 Pet iii. 8. Eph. iv. 3. Kom. xv. 5. 6; xii. 16. 2
Cor. xiii. 11. 1 Cor. i. 10.

357
table indifference to all diversities of religious opinion, and whose
principal bond of union is a secret internal feefing, as to which no
one can exactly judge his neighbour. And yet in the New Testa
ment, directions are given concerning such divisions, as respectmg a
thing, of which every Christian can judge. And further, as a mat
ter of fact, the Church or body, jn which unity is preserved, is spoken
of as a visible body. Vid. Matth. xvi. 18; xviii. 17; 1 Tim. iii. 15.
1 Cor. xii. Eph. iv. 4 — 12.
(2.) Obedience to superiors is enjoined. This command seems to
me, to give a double sanction to the legitimately appointed authori
ties of the Church. First, An authority indirectly, in as much as
duty to the State requires of us obedience to all those who have the
sanction of its authority for their dignities, provided always, obedi
ence to them does not involve some sacrifice of principle, so as to be
against our consciences.* Hence, since the time that Church and
State have been united, it becomes the duty of a good subject to pay
reverence and obedience to the appointed ministers of religion, upon
civil as well as upon rehgious grounds. Secondly, An authority di
rectly, because obedience to spiritual superiors is separately enjoin
ed. E. g. "Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves to the elder,"
1 Pet. V. 5 : — (you will see from the first and second verses, that the
elders mean spiritual superiors, who are set over you.) And again,
" Submit yourselves unto such, and to every one, that helpeth with
us, and laboureth." 1 Cor. xvi. 16. " Obey them that have the
rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account." (Heb. xiii. 17.) Again, "We
beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and
are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them
very highly in love for their works' sake." (I Thessalonians v. 12,
13.) (3.) It is also a command to Christians, not to give a brother cause
of sorrow and offence. Now any separation must do that. The
question therefore is, whether the grounds for it are such as to com
pel us, from regard to our own souls, and even out of Christian cha
rity to him, to separate from communion with the body to which he
belongs, that we may thereby make him acquainted with the danger
there is to his eternal salvation in remaining in a body, from which
we feel obliged, for conscience' sake, to come out. If we do not think
we endanger our salvation by continuing in the Church, we are not
justified for mere matters of opinion, and things, which we do not
hold to be essentials of religion, to cast a reproach upon the body,
* E. g. If the State rehgion became Roman Catholic, it could not be our duty to
conform to that, because we should thereby compromise some of the fundamental arti.
cles of our faith, and admit others to be fundamental, some of which are not so — and
others, which not only are not so, but are moreover in themselves false. On the other
hand, if the State ordered the observance of Saints' days, or a day of national humiha-
tion, it is the duty of a good subject, to observe them.

358
from which we remove as from a thing unclean,* and to give pain,
doubts, and cause of dissensions, by thus withdrawing.
I proceed next to some direct arguments in support of the asser
tion, that separation, as such, and when not on account of some fun
damental doctrine, is a sin.
1st. Hear what Scripture tells us should be our conduct towards
those who cause divisions, and then consider, whether such persons
are brought before us as exercising a proper liberty of choice.
"We command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
ye withdraw yourselves from every brother, that walketh disorderly
and not after the tradition which ye have received of us." (2 Thess.
iii. 6.)
" If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive
him not into your house, nor bid him God speed." (2 John 10.)
" These are they who separate themselves, sensual,t having not
the Spirit." (Jude 19.)
" I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and
offences,J contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid
them." (Rom. xvi. 17.)
" If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,
even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness ; he is proud, knowing nothing, but
doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railing, evil-surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt
minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from
such withdraw thyself." (1 Tim. vi. 3 — 5.)
2ndly. Consider the manner they are represented in, who cause
disunion in the Church. The terms are, indeed, so harsh to modern
(so called) liberal notions, that one feels sure of incurring the re
proach of being a bigot for venturing thus to apply what we read in
Scripture ; and the general view respecting these passages probably
is, that the time of their application is quite gone by, and that they
have long since become a dead letter. And yet, reflect these terms
are not used of persons, who were infidels, or heathens, or of those

* " Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to express a persuasion, that our own case happi.
ly is such, in the Established Church of England, that we may rightly, and are bound
to, receive the faith of our forefathers, as delivered to us in its authorized form, by the
same measure of acceptance, in hind, as we receive Scripture itself : not hastily taking
part against it (as so many do,) on account of incidental or subordinate objections ; but
accepting it in Christian duty, as it is, and abiding by it, until, after experiment of holy
living, it shall be proved perilous, or at least inadequate, to the soul's welfare, accord
ing to the very terms of Scripture." — Miller's Bamp. Lee. p. 15. note.
t Sensual : — The Greek word, which is so translated, does not at all imply a person
who lives a vicious and voluptuous hfe, given up to the lusts of the flesh, but a person
who rules himself, and walks according to the visible course of things in the world
around him, trusting entirely to human reasonings in religion, and to what is called
" fleshly wisdom," and having no part in that wisdom, which is from above.
I " Which cause oiFences," i, e. causes of perplexity, or pain to others, stumbling-
blocks, obstacles, snares, &c.

359
who corrupted the mam doctrines of Christianity. St. Paul blames
the Corinthians, because they expressed a preference for one teach
er above another, and though they all taught the same thing, still he
says of such a difference, " that there are contentions among you,"
and speaks of it as an evidence of their " carnal mind." I Cor. iii.
3.) 3dly. There are many passages in the Epistles, in which the
ways, dispositions, and practices of false teachers are described,
concerning which the learned differ much, and determine differently
the sort of opinions condemned in them. Allowing, however, what
weight is fair to this circumstance, yet after all look at them atten
tively with a view of finding whether they will give you any light
for the guidance of your conduct in this matter ; apd, while you
consider them, bear the following remarks in mind : —
I. That which is condemned in these persons is either their pro
fessing false doctrine, or their making disorder, disturbance, and dis
union in the Church. If you think any of them apply to the second,
then such passages apply 'to my argument here, because they go
to prove, that making a separation and disputes in the Church is
Wrong. 2. You will learn from some of them that a person may think
himself quite sincere in leaving the Church, and, yet his own heart
may have deceived him, though it cannot deceive God, who will
call him to account hereafter. 2 Tim. iii. 13. 2 Thessalonians
ii. 11.
3. You will see that heresy and schism are placed along with bad
passions, and bad actions, and vicious dispositions, as if in some
way connected with them, and as if we may therefore be called to
give account for these opinions, just as much as for those actions,
and passions, and dispositions of mind. 1 Tim. vi. 3. 20 ; i. 3, 4.
2 Tim. iv. 3; iii. 13. Gal. i. 9. 2 Pet. ii, 18. 10; iii. 16. Tit.
i. 10; iii. 10, 11. 2 Cor. xi. 13. 15. Acts xx. 29. Matt. vii. 15.
2 Thess. iii. 6. II. 2 John 9. Eph. iv. 14. Jude 16. Phil. i.
15, 16.
4thly. Consider the case of Korah in the Old Testament. He
was a priest of the second order, and with other Levites, withdrew
his obedience from the High Priest. There was no matter of doc
trine or worship in dispute between them and Aaron, nor any other
dispute than that of Church government. And yet how terrible
was his punishment. In his case we cannot evade the application
to the Gospel times, because St. Jude makes it for us, speaking of
thofse who "perish in the gainsaying of Core." Jude II.
5thly. When the Jews fell into wickedness and idolatry, priests as
well as people, and God sent prophets to reprove them, yet none
of these holy prophets did separate from communion with the wicked
priests, and set up another priesthood in opposition to them. They
did not think it lawful, how holy soever they were, to intrude them-

360
selves into the priesthood, as they had not been lawfully called and
appointed. These two cases go very strongly to prove that there is a duty to
submit ourselves, for conscience' sake, to the established order and
manner in the Church, so long as the Church enjoins nothing which
plainly contradicts the revealed will of God, and to perform which
would therefore do violence to our sense of right.
6thly. Consider, further, the ground upon which our Saviour or
dered the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees to be respected,
viz. because they sat in Moses' seat, (Matt, xxiii. 2.) i. e. because
they were the lawfully appointed and regularly ordained ministers
of the established religion. Moreover, throughout the Acts of the
Apostles, where we are to look for the use and gradual formation
of a system of Church government, in proportion as the converts
become more numerous, and more widely scattered in different
countries, we may trace a principle of union and of subordination
throughout the various Churches and Assemblies of believers. Care
too was taken for the continuance of this union and this subordina
tion, both in the manner of appointing teachers, then, and in provi
ding for their similar appointment for the time to come : and this
manner of providing a due supply of fit persons for the ministry has
been observed not only during the age of the Apostles, and their
immediate successors, but it may be said through the first fifteen
centuries after the estabhshment of Christianity.
7thly. Turn to the solemn prayers of our Saviour in the 17th
chapter of St. John. "Holy Father, keep through Thine own
name, those whom ThOu hast given to me, that they may be one as
we are ;" * and, again, in the same prayer, " neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also, which shall believe on Me through their
word, that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in
Thee, that they also may be one in Us." .... Would it not
be in direct opposition to the spirit and letter of this prayer to jus
tify every individual Christian in claiming the right of withdrawing
himself from communion with the Church upon every slight differ
ence of opinion ? As if Christianity required of us no surrender
whatever of the private judgment, and as if it were never right for
a Christian silently to acquiesce in existing usages, or new ordinances,
in things indifferent, when commanded by lawful authority, unless
he was convinced of the benefit and propriety of them, which would,
in fact, be to make every individual Christian a law unto himself in
* These words of our Saviour I take as more than an indirect argument. They speak
so clearly of all future believers in the Gospel, for whose unity He prays ; the closeness
of which proper unity, He illustrates by comparing it with the imion between His
Father and Himself, i. e. between the two first Persons of the blessed Trinity in wliich
Three are One. Can there be said to be such an union in the Christian Church if
every one " hath a psahn, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an
interpretation ?"

361
all things ; or, to adapt our language to the day, as if it were never
required to assent in religious matters in the same way as in civil
matters, i. e. without being convinced of the advisableness or benefit
of the thing enjoined, but merely because, on the one hand, lawful
authority orders it, and on the other, we see no danger to our souls
in obeying it.
Sthly. Christ hath given an authority fo the Church, and there
fore there is but one thing which can justify us in going against its
authority, and that is, a firm conviction, that by doing what the
Church orders, we should transgress some still more evident and
higher command of God ; as, e. g. when the Church of Rome
pronounced it lawful to take away the lives of excommunicated
princes. And is not separating from the Church transgressing its
authority ?
If any one ask, where is this authority spoken of in Scripture, let
him consider the following texts.
" He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you,
despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent
me." (Luke x. 16.)
" If he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an
heathen man and a publican." (Matt, xviii. 17.)
" Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ;
and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."
(Matt, xviii. 18.)
" Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and
whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." (John xx. 23.)
" Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
(Matt, xxviii. 20.)
Othly. Christ hath appointed the Church as the only way unto
eternal life. We read at the first, that the Lord added daily to the
Church such as should be saved ; and what was then done daily,
hath been done since continually. Christ never appointed two
ways to heaven ; nor did He build a Church to save some, and make
another institution for other men's salvation. " There is no other
name under heaven given unto men, whereby we must be saved,
but the name of Jesus," and that is no otherwise given under hea
ven, than in the Church.*
Here, then, I finish my series of arguments. Not that there are
not many others, which might be brought forward, to show, that
* How is it we speak of the external unity of the visible Church, when there arc
many different Churches in different nations ? " All the Church of God are united
into one by the unity of discipline and government, by virtue whereof the same
Christ rulcth in them all. For they have all the same pastoral guides, appointed, au
thorized, sanctified, and set apart by the appointment of Goo, by the direction of the
Sfirit, to direct and lead the people of Goo in the same way of eternal salvation : as
therefore there is no Church where there is no order, no ministry ; so, where the same
order and ministry is, there is the same Church." — Pearson.
46

362
Dissent is wrong ; but I prefer confining my remarks to those which
have something in common with one another. The principles
upon which all the reasonings here given are in some sort founded,
are, 1. the Christian duty of obedience; 2. of preserving unity;
3. of avoiding, in all cases where we can with a safe conscience,
giving any occasion of offence, or pain, or perplexity, to our Chris
tian brethren: — in other words, the duty of having an eye always
to Christian charity, i. e. brotherly love, in our way of perform
ing our duties, especially those about the limits of which we are not
quite sure.
The sum of the matter as here set before you is this. If a man's
separatirn from the Church be upon grounds which he really be
lieves to be of vital importance, I have nothing to do with him. He
acts from conscientious motives, and cannot remain in communion
with a Church, which teaches what he holds to be false doctrines.
" To his own master he standeth or falleth ;" and it is not for me
to judge how he has come to this conclusion. I can, however, fully
understand, that so long as he holds such an opinion about our
Church, he cannot have any thing to do with it, but must come out
from it. But if I see a man attending the Church occasionally, as
if he thought there was no positive hai-m in what is taught there,
then I say, that man has not done rightly in becoming a Dissenter,
because I gather from Scripture that it is a duty to submit to estab
lished authorities in religious matters, just as in political and civil
matters, so long as there is no vital and essential difference between
his own articles of faith, and those which the established Church
maintains. H^ ought to submit in all things indifferent for con
science' sake. And his onlj'^ sound and sufficient defence for sepa
rating from the Church, is a belief, that he cannot be saved in it on
account of its holding false doctrine. If he cannot say this, he has
no sufficient reason for thus " rending Christ's body," by removing
himself out of the Church, and for giving an example to others to
set up some new sect for themselves upon any, trifling ground of
difference. . I will add only one more remark in conclusion, which is this.
You read in the New Testament of great and important promises
made to the Church, whatever that Church be : you read also of
many very strong and sharp rebukes given to those, who caused dis
sensions and disputes in the Church, during the time of the Apostles :
you read also of the heavy condemnation, which will come upon
those who have been partakers in these sins ; and also you know
the warnings of our Saviour and of the Apostles, that in the latter
days, the danger and subtilty of these errors and heresies would in
crease, so as to deceive (if it were possible) even the elect ; and,
lastly, you know, that even though persons think they are conscien
tiously obliged to make a schism, still they may be condemned for
this very false conviction of their deceitful hearts. Now, since all

363
this is the case, would it not be prudent for a single man, who thinks
of becoming a Dissenter, to consider seriously where he is most
likely to come within the terms of these promises, and where he is
least likely to be liable to the threats and denunciations above al
luded to ? Would it not be well to reason with himself somewhat
on this wise ; " The Church may not mean the Church, as some
people understand it, who suppose that Dissenters are left out of it;
but still as I never heard any one say, that the Dissenters were the
only true Church, and that the Established Church was shut out of
the promises, because she was no part of the true Church, surely I
am more safe, more likely to come in for a share of these blessings,
if, while in other things I strive to do my duty without troubling my
self to decide things, which in truth are too hard for me, I continue'
a member of the Established Church. By so doing, I follow the
example of my forefathers, of my country, of holy martyrs before
me, and rest my faith on the authority of those who are, by virtue
of their office, successors of the Apostles ; whereas, in the other
case, I must, on my own judgment, set aside all this weight of au
thority, and do that, which is as much as to say, that till within the
last three hundred years the whole world has been in darkness, and
that I can see clearer than all those great, and good, and pious, and
learned persons, who have lived and died before me in the faith."
Surely it is the safer course to jemain steadfastly in the Church,
without halting between two opinions ; there is more chance of
your being right there.

NOTE.
P. S. In order that you may know whom you ought to look upon
as your proper spiritual guides and governors, I lay before you the
description given of them by the famous Dr. Isaac Barrow.
"Those, I say, then, who constantly do profess and teach that
sound and wholesome doctrine, which was delivered by our Lord
and His Apostles in word and writing, was -received by their disci
ples in the primitive Churches, was transmitted and confirmed by
general tradition, was sealed by the blood of the blessed martyrs,
and propagated by the labours of the holy fathers ; the which also
manifestly recommendeth and promoteth true reverence and piety
towards God, justice and charity towards men, order and quiet in
human societies, purity and sobriety in each man's private conver
sation. ^
" Those who celebrate the true worship of God, and administer
the holy mysteries of our religion, in a serious, grave, and decent
manner, purely and without any notorious corruption, either by
hurtful error, or superstitious foppery, or irreverent rudeness, to the

364
advancement of God's honour, and edification of the participants
in virtue and piety.
"Those who derive their authority by a continued succession
from the Apostles, who are called unto and constituted in their
office in a regular and peaceable way, agreeable to the institution
of God, and the constant practice of His Church, according to rules
approved in the best and purest ages ; who are prepared to the
exercise of their functions by the best education, that ordinarily can
be provided under sober discipline, in the schools of the prophets ;
who thence, by competent endowments of mind and useful furni
ture of good learning, acquired by painful study, become qualified
to guide and instruct the people ; who, after previous examination
of their abihties, and probable testimonies concerning their manners,
(with regard to the qualifications of incorruf/t doctrine and sober
conversation, prescribed by the Apostles,) are adjudged fit for the
office ; who, also, in a pious, grave, solemn manner, with invocation
of God's blessing, by laying on of the hands of the presbytery, are
admitted thereunto.
" Those whose practice in guiding and governing the people of
God, is not managed by arbitrary, uncertain, fickle, private fancies
or humours, but regulated by standing laws ; framed (according to
general directions extant in holy Scripture) by pious and wise per
sons, with mature advice, in accommodation to the seasons and cir
cumstances of things, for common edification, order, and peace.
" Those, who, by virtue of their good principles, in their disposi
tions and demeanour appear sober, orderly, peaceable, yielding meek
submission to government, tendering the Church's peace, upholding
the communion of the saints, abstaining from all schismatical, tur
bulent, and factious practices.
" Those, also, who are acknowledged by the laws of our coun
try, an obligation to obey whom is part of that human constitution
unto which we are in all things (not evidently repugnant to God's
law) indispensably bound to submit ; whom our Sovereign, God's
vicegerent, and the nursing father of His Church among us, (unto
whom in all things high respect, in all lawful things entire obedience,
is due) doth command and encourage us to obey.
" Those, I say, to whom this character plainly doth agree, we
may reasonably be assured, that they are our true guides and go
vernors whom we are obliged to follow and obey ; for what better
assurance can we in reason desire ? what more proper marks can
be assigned to discern them by? what methods of constituting such
needful officers can be settled more answerable to their design and
use ? how can it be evil or unsafe to follow guides authorized by
such warrants, conformed to such patterns, endowed with such
dispositions, acting by such principles and rules ? Can we mistake
or miscarry, by complying with the great body of God's Church
through all ages, and particularly with those great lights of the

365

pnmitive Church, who, by the excellency of their knowledge, and
the integrity of their virtue, have so illustrated our holy religion?"
(Barrow, Serm. LVI. p. 284—287. vol. iii.)

No. 32.
(Ad Clerum.)
SERMONS FOR SAINTS' DAYS AND HOLIDAYS.
(No 1.— ST. MATTHIAS.)

" Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain." — St. John xv. 16.

The service of this day invites us to consider the nature and com
mission of that ministry, by which Christians all over the world are
made partakers of heavenly and spiritual blessings.
On this point, as on most others, it is obvious that the New Testa
ment does no where furnish a regular and orderly course of instruc
tion, such as on many great subjects we find in our Creeds, Articles,
and Catechisms. But the mind and will of our Divine Master may
be gathered plainly enough, at least by those who are willing to show
a reasonable respect to the witness of the early Church.
St. Luke, in the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, informs us,
that our Lord was not taken up, until " after that He, through the
Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He
had chosen ; — being seen of them" at various times during as much as
" forty days," and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom
of God." Then, doubtless. He gave them instruction in what meth
od and order to proceed, what kind of ministry to settle in His
Church. Who would not wish to know what was the tenor of those
conversations? But the Holy Ghost, in His unsearchable wisdom,
has not seen fit directly to put them on record : an omission which
appears very significant, when compared with the minute register
which the Gospels supply of many former discourses. So it is, that
on the occasion, which would seem to promise most information con
cerning the nature of Christ's kingdom, instead of finding any re
port of what our blessed Saviour said, we find a report of wto His
Apostles did. Their Acts and Letters take place ofthe desired me
morial of His parting instructions. Is not this a hint to us all, on au-

366
thority which cannot safely be despised, that we must look to the ac
tual conduct and system of the early Church for a true notion ofthe
things pertaining to " the kingdom of God," of which our Lord then
spake to His Apostles. However early, on minute points, partial
errors may have crept in, is it not evident to common sense, that the
system which we trace back in the Church to the very generation
next following the Apostles, must be in all great points the very sys
tem enjoined by our Lord, and partially disclosed in the subsequent
history of His servants ?
It follows, that in order to make out our Saviour's will on any
point relating to the discipline and proceedings of His Church, the first
portion of Scripture to which our attention is directed is the Acts of
the holy Apostles.
Now, the very first Act of the Apostles, after Christ was gone
out of their sight, was that commemorated this day; the ordination
of Matthias in the room of the traitor Judas. That ordination is re
lated very minutely. Every particular of it is full of instruction ; but
at present I wish to draw attention to one circumstance more espe
cially ; namely, the time when it occurred. It was contrived (if one
may say so) exactly to fall within the very short interval which elapsed
between the departure of our Lord and the arrival of the Com
forter in His place : on that "little while," during which the Church
was comparatively left alone in the world. Then it was that St.
Peter rose and declared with authority, that the time was come for
supplying the vacancy which Judas had made. " One," said he,
" must be ordained ;" and without delay they proceeded to the ordi
nation. Of course, St. Peter must have had from our Lord express
authority for this step. Otherwise it would seem most natural to
defer a transaction so important until the unerring Guide, the Holy
Ghost, should have come among them, as they knew He would in a
few days. On the other hand, since the Apostles were eminently
Apostles of our Incarnate Lord, since their very being, as Apostles,
depended entirely on their personal mission from Him (which is the
reason why catalogues are given of them, with such scrupulous care,
in so many of the holy books :) — in that regard one should naturally
have expected that He Himself, before His departure, would have
supplied the vacancy by personal designation. But we see it was
not His pleasure to do so. As the Apostles afterwards brought on
the ordination sooner, so He had deferred it longer than might have
been expected. Both ways it should seem as if there were a pur
pose of bringing the event within those ten days, during which, as I
said, the Church was left to herself; left to exercise her faith and
hope, much as Christians are left now, without any miraculous aid
or extraordinary illumination from above. Then, at that moment of
the New Testament history, in which the circumstances of believers
corresponded most nearly to what they have been since miracles and
inspiration ceased — ^just at that time it pleased our Lord that a fresh

367
Apostle should be consecrated, with authority and commission as
ample as the former enjoyed. In a word, it was His will that the
eleven Disciples alone, not Himself personally, should name the suc
cessor of Judas ; and that they chose the right person. He gave tes
timony very soon after, by sending His Holy Spirit on St. Matthias,
as richly as on St. John, St. James, or St. Peter.
Thus the simple consideration of the time when Matthias was or
dained, confirms two points of no small importance to the well-being
of Christ's kingdom on earth. First, it shows that whoever are re
gularly commissioned by the Apostles, our Lord will consider those
persons as commissioned and ordained by Himself. Secondly, it
proves that such power to ordain is independent of those apostohcal
functions, which may be properly called extraordinary and miracu
lous. It existed before those functions began ; why then may it not
still continue, however entirely they have passed away ?
We^ must not pretend to be wise above what is written ; but there
is, I trust, nothing presumptuous or unscriptural in supposing that
Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, purpose
ly abstained from nominating St. Matthias in His* life-lime, in order
that Christians in all times might understand that the ordained suc
cessors of the Apostles are as truly Bishops under Him, as ever the
Apostles were themselves.
For this is the constant doctrine of the ancient Church, dehvered
in express terms by our Lord in the text, " Ye have not chosen me,
but / have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain."
It may seem strange that our Lord should deem it necessary to
guard His Disciples against such a notion as that they had chosen
Him, rather than He them : called as they had been, when they least
expected it, from their daily employments of fishermen, publicans,
and the like. But " for our sakes, no doubt, this is written ;" to check
au error which Christ foresaw would too generally prevail in His
Church, especially in these latter days, which pride themselves so
much on light and liberty. The error I mean is, that of imagining
that Church communion is a voluntary thing, which people niay
adopt or no, (I will not say at their own pleasure, though too many
go as far as that, but) as they seem to find it for the time most edify
ing. Another kindred notion is, that the Christian ministry is also a
voluntary thing ; that there is no real difference between clergy and
laity, any more than is enacted by the law of the land for mere de
cency and order's sake ; but that otherwise a man who can and will
do good as a clergyman, is to all intents and purposes clergyman
enough. These are not very uncommon notions. But take them at their
best, and are they in effect any better than as if St. Paul and the other
Apostles had considered themselves as choosing Christ, instead of
being chosen by Christ? He who reasons so, is he not chargeable

368
wdth setting up his own calculation against the declared will and sys
tem of our Lord ?
Hear now, on the other hand, the very doctrine of the Church
Apostolical. Jesus Christ, the chief Shepherd and Bishop, com
mits the pastoral office to whom He pleases ; in the first place, to His
Apostles, and after them, to all whom they, by the help of His ordi
nary grace, shall appoint ; which latter proposition you have just
heard clearly made out from the ordination of St. Matthias. There
fore, although there be many Bishops, yet the Episcopal office is but
one. The lines of the true Cathohc Church are drawn out, as the
Psalmist says, to the ends ofthe world, over all lands ; but trace them
back, and they all meet in the same centre, Jesus Christ. There
fore it is all one Church, and not a thousand independent churches,
as they would make it, who boast of choosing Christ, instead of
humbly and thankfully acknowledging the choice which He has
made of them, in that He has cast their lot within reach of His
ministers and sacraments.
This view, so clearly deducible from the promise of our Lord, and
the conduct of His Apostles, is most unanswerably confirmed by the
whole history of the Primitive Church. Every where the Bishops
were the chief pastors, and the government and order of the Church
was vested in them. To separate from them, except they were prov
ed grossly heretical, was accounted schism. Why ? Because it was
universally understood, that the Bishops were the connecting chain
which bound the successive generations of Christians to the first ge
neration, the holy Apostles ; nay, and to our Lord Jesus .Christ
Himself For the believers of those days were too well instructed
not to know that our Saviour's promises were made to the Church
through the Apostles : so that if they broke off their connection with
the Apostles, they broke off their connection with Christ.
Would you hear some of the very words of those holy men of
old ? Take the following, which are part of a letter written by St.
Ignatius, the friend of the chiefest Apostles, when he was on the
verge of martyrdom. They are some of his last words, written to
warn the friends for whom he was most anxious, against the here
sies which were springing up in the Church.
" By submitting yourself tp your Bishop as to Jesus Christ, you
convince me that you guide your lives by no rule of man's invention,
but by the rule of Jesus Christ, who died for us, that ye, believing
in His death, might escape altogether from death. It follows, of
course, that in no part of your conduct ye separate yourselves from
your Bishop : which thing also ye now practice."
No test could be shorter or more simple. " You are in commu
nion with your Bishop, humbly receiving from him, or those by him
deputed, the genuine word and Sacraments of Jesus Christ : there
fore, I make no question but you are also in communion with our

369
Lord Jesus Christ Himself; at least, as far as Church Privileges
go ; as far as I or man can judge."
Surely the holy martyr, St. Ignatius, was as good a judge of what
Christian communion depends on, as any person can be supposed
in our days. And we see that he judges of it, not by those tests
which we now hear most insisted on ; not by convictions, and emo
tions, and highly-wrought feelings ; but by the simple fact of adhe
rence to that system, which our Lord Himself had estabhshed for
our salvation. Now, we know from every page of St. Ignatius,
what his view of that system was. It was the system of Christian
ordinances, administered by Bishops, with Priests and Deacons un
der them. That, in the mind of St. Ignatius, was the sure mark of
the Church of God.
Nor was this a mere private opinion of his : it was rather the
constant tradition of the Church Universal. What is very remark
able, it was the tradition not only of the sound part of the Church,
but of the heretics also. In those early days, even those who cor
rupted the doctrine of the Church seldom or never dared to breathe
any thing against the Apostohcal Succession of her Bishops. To
do so, if they possibly could, would have been greatly to their pur
pose ; because one very plain argument by which their misrepre
sentations of doctrine used to be confuted, was by appealing to the
traditional account of the same doctrines, preserved in many of the
most famous Churches, by means of the regular succession of the
Bishops. Some of the Fathers thus reckon up the Bishops of Rome,
Alexandria, and Antioch, for more than three hundred years, from
the time of the Apostles, and are thereby enabled to trace back as
far the true interpretation of certain hard places of Scripture, re
lating to the great truths of the Gospel. The heretics who disputed
those truths, no doubt, would have been too happy, could they
have proved that the chain of tradition wanted a link ; that the
succession from the Apostles was not clearly made out, or that
being made out, it signified nothing. But the ground they used to
take was quite different. They never dreamed of denying the past
succession : it was too certainly known to be denied ; but they
took very great care to secure a future succession for themselves.
They hardly ever broke off from the Church, until they had got
some Bishop to patronize their heresy : through whom they might
continue the Apostolical commission in a line of pastors of their
own. Thus as well-the enemies of the Church as her friends bore wit
ness in those eariy days to a truth which too many of both seem
now agreed on forgetting : That Episcopal Authority is the very
bond which unites Christians to each other and to Christ: so that
it was apparently a kind of proverb with them. Without the Bishop
do nothing.
What is more, the teaching of the Primitive Church brought this
47

370
matter home to every man's own soul, not only on the general
ground of submission to all our Lord's ordinances, but because the
bread and wine in the Eucharist was not accounted the true Sacra
ment of Christ, without Christ's warrant given to the person ad
ministering : which warrant, the Fathers well knew, could only be
had through His Apostles and their successors.
Hear again the same St. Ignatius. " Let that Lord's Supper be
counted a Lord's Supper indeed, which is ministered by the Bishop,
or by one having his commission." Observe, Ignatius, the friend
of the Apostles, reckons the Sacrament no Sacrament, if the con
secrating minister want the Bishop's commission. Could St. Igna
tius possibly mistake the mind of the Apostles on that point, he who
had conversed familiarly with them at the time when the Church
was used to " continue daily in breaking of bread ?"
And with him agreed the whole Church of God for the first fif
teen hundred years : knowing that when our Lord said, " Do this
in remembrance of Me," His Apostles only were present ; there
fore none but they and their deputies could be said to have His
warrant for blessing that bread and cup. And this is a matter per
taining to each man's salvation. For that bread and cup are the
appointed mean, whereby the faithful are to partake of Christ's
Body and Blood offered for their sins.
Can any devout man, considering this, reckon it a matter of small
moment, whether the minister with whom he communicates be a
minister by apostolical succession or no ? In the judgment of the
Church, it makes no less difference than this : Whether the bread
and cup which he partakes of shall be to him Christ's Body and
Blood or no. I repeat it : in the judgment of the Church, the Eu
charist administered without apostolical commission, may to pious
minds be a very edifying ceremony, but it is not that blessed thing
which our Saviour graciously meant it to be : it is not " verily and
in deed taking and receiving" the Body and Blood of Him, our In
carnate Lord.
Even as St. Paul seems to intimate, when he so pointedly asks
the Corinthians, " The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the
Communion of the Blood of Christ ? The bread which we break,
is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ ?" Why such a
stress on the words, " which we bless" "which we break:" except
because the Corinthians knew (and they could only know by Apos
tolical teaching,) that the agency of the Apostles in blessing and
breaking was needed, to assure us that the holy signs really convey
the thing signified ?
Thus you see every thing concurs ; the ordination of St. Mat
thias, the promise of our Lord, the hints found elsewhere in holy
Scripture, the express laws of the Uniyersal Church, t4ie constant
doctrine of the friends of the Apostles ; — all agree to show that
Communion with God incarnate, such Communion as He offers in

371
His Holy Supper, cannot be depended on without an Apostolical
Ministry. To think otherwise is the error of those who, mixing up human
inventions with the everlasting Gospel, take upon them to " choose
Christ," instead of humbly owning themselves " chosen by Him,"
and labouring to bear fruit accordingly.
But still more fatal will be our error, if, having this high privilege,
we cause it to be reproached by our abuse or negligent using.
We, by God's blessing, are among those who, through an Apostoli
cal Ministry, have constant access to the Body and Blood of our
Redeemer. What if we be found no more exemplary, no humbler,
no more consistent in our piety, than those whose possession of the
me^ns of grace is so much more questionable than ours ? There
is a prophetic warning against such : " You only have I known of
all the families of the earth ; therefore I will punish you for all your
iniquities." There is also a yet 'more awful warning from Him who
will come to be our Judge : " Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted
unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to hell ; for if the mighty
works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it
would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judg
ment, than for thee."

No. 53.
(Ad Populum)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. V.--THURSDAY.

church discipline.

Question from the Office of Consecration. — Will you main
tain and set forward, as much as in you lieth, quietness, love and
peace, among all men ; and such as be unquiet, disobedient, and cri
minous within your diocese, correct and punish, according to such au
thority as you have by God's word, and as to you shall be committed by
the ordinances of this realm ?* — Ans. I will so do, by the help of God.
* This can never be looked upon as any limitation of the power received from Christ,
but only as directing the exercise thereof, as to the manner, form, and ckcumstance.—
Bp. Wilson.

372
O God of peace and love, make me, thy minister, a messenger and
instrument of peace to this people to whom I am sent ; that by thy
gracious assistance I may root out all strife and variance, hatred
and malice, and that this Church and Nation may enjoy a blessed
tranquillity. Bless the discipline of this Church in my hands, and
make it effectual for the conviction of wicked men and gainsayers.
Assist me, by thy good Spirit, that I may apply a proper cure to
every disorder; that I may reprove with mildness, censure with
equity, and punish with compassion.
O merciful God, who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but that
he should be converted and live, bring into the right way all such as
are gone astray from Thy commandments. Vouchsafe unto all pe
nitents (and especially unto all such as are now under the censures
ofthe Church, atrne sense of their crimes, true repentance for them,
and thy gracious pardon, that their souls may be saved in the day of
the Lord Jesus. Amen. Church Discipline.
However the Church be in some respects incorporated with the
commonwealth in a Christian state, yet its fundamental rights remain
distinct from it ; of which this is one of the chief — to receive into,
and to exclude out of the Church, such persons which, according to
the laws of the Christian society, are fit to be taken in, or shut
out. And when temporal laws interpose, it is temporal punishment only,
which they design to inflict or set aside. — Bishop Stillingfleet.
Ezek. ii. 6. " And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither
be afraid of their words ; thou shalt speak my words unto them,
whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear."
2 Cor. xiii. 10. "Lest I should use sharpness, according to the
power," (namely, of binding and loosing) " which God hath given
me to edification, and not to destruction."
I Tim. i. 20. " Whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may
not blaspheme." O admirable use and command of Satan I He is
God's enemy, and yet does Him service ; and an adversary to man,
and yet helps to save him. He is the author of blasphemy, and yet
teacheth not to blaspheme. That is. One that is stronger than he
directs his mahce to ends which he did not intend. Satan is 'set on
work to take him down by terror and despair whom before he had
tempted to sin. But while Satan thinks to drive him to destruction
by despair, God stops his course, when the sinner is sufficiently hum
bled ; and then, as it was with Christ, Satan is dismissed, and An
gels come and minister unto him. — Rouse.
What great man shall we now find, who will not take it ill to be
reproved ? and yet David, a prince and favourite of God, when he
was reproved, even by a subject, did not turn away in a rage, but

373
confessed his fault, and repented truly of his sin. — St. Ambros. ap.
David. The very office of Consecration, so often confirmed by Acts of
Pariiament, does warrant every Bishop, in the clearest and most ex
press terms, to claim authority, by the Word of God, to exercise all
manner of spiritual disciphne within his own diocese. — Codex Jur.
Eccl.Angl. p. 18.
Men should be persuaded not forced, to forsake their sins ; because
God rewards not those who, through necessity, forsake their sins ;
but such as do so voluntarily. — Chrysost.
Be steady and fearless in the discharge of your duty, without fail
ing in that respect which is due to higher powers.
Grant, O God, that I may have an eye to duty only, that I may
fear no temporal evil, and be concerned only lest I should not in all
respects please Thee my God.
Deut. i. 17. " The judgment is God's." As this should oblige all
people to be afraid of a judgment or censure passed by men com
missioned by God, so it should make us very careful that our judg
ment be such as is worthy of God, and agreeable to His will and
Word. 1 Cor. xvi. 22. " If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be Anathema Maranatha." Here is a positive direction to
the Church to excommunicate all such as plainly discover that they
have no love for Jesus Christ, — who are scandalous or profane.
Since we are to give an account of the souls committed to our
charge, we cannot be debarred of making use of all the means en
joined us by the Gospel to reduce sinners.
We ought to be thankful for the favours which we have received
from religious princes ; but if our benefactors require of us what is
inconsistent with our trust, we then know whom we are to obey.
2 John 10, 11. "If there come any unto you and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed,
— for he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds."
Not to show our abhorrence of sin, is to consent to it. Men do not
sufficiently consider the guilt of this, when they converse with noto
rious offenders without scruple. They partake with them in their
sins ; they harden the sinner ; they forget the fidehty they owe to
God and to his laws, and greatly hazard their own salvation.
Excommunication was never pronounced except where the case
was desperate, by the obstinacy ofthe party, in refusing admonition,
and to submit to discipline. — Penit. Disc. p. 41, 42, 75, 120.
Luke XV. 22. " The Scribes and the Pharisees murmured, saying.
This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." On some oc
casions, we ought to avoid sinners, for fear of being corrupted, —
or to put them to shame, in order to their conversion. But to
converse with them, as our Lord did, in order to teach them their
duty, to encourage them in the wav of piety, «&c. this is Godlike.

374
Mark viii. 33. " Get thee behind me, Satan. — Thou savourest not
the things that be of God, but the things that be of man." How dan
gerous is tenderness in matters of salvation I To spare a penitent,
is to ruin him by a fatal kindness.
How perilous is the government of the Church, wherein a man
becomes guilty of those things which he does not hinder ! Rev. ii.
20. " I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferedst that
woman Jezebel to teach and to seduce my servants to commit for
nication," &c. — 2 Cor. X. 4. " For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong
holds." We surely mistake the spirit ofthe Gospel, when we would
establish and defend the Church by human policy, and carnal means,
by friendship of great men, credit, reputation, splendour, riches, &c.
God will have us to use other sort of arms, namely, — patience, hu
mility, meekness, prayers, suffering, and spiritual censures, to which
God will join His own Almighty power.
All mankind are agreed that human legislatures can only dispense
and make laws in cases purely human.

No. 51
(Ad Populum)
SERMONS FOR SAINTS' DAYS AND HOLIDAYS.
(No. 2.— THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.)

" Tlwugh we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be ac
cursed." — Galatians i. 8.

This day, though named from the Blessed Virgin, is one of the
greatest festivals of our Saviour. And, therefore, in former times
the Church of England reckoned it the beginning of her year ; there
by especially giving intimation, that she would have the whole year
dedicated to Jesus Christ. For this day, with which she began it,
marks the time of His gracious incarnation ; upon which all that we
have or hope, both in Heaven and in earth, entirely depends. For,
as St. Paul argues concerning another link in the chain of God's mys
terious mercy, if Christ were not truly made man, then He did not
truly die for our sins : if He did not, then was He not raised again;
and " if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your

375
sins." Such was the adorable will of God Almighty, in His coun
sels for redeeming lost mankind. There was to be no communion
between God and man, except through the everlasting Son, Him
self both God and man. This is the foundation laid from the begin
ning, besides which no man can lay any other. Men may think little
ofit, butthe evil spirits know it well; and accordingly, they have
busied themselves from the beginning in nothing so much as in per
plexing the minds of the unwary with regard to the incarnation of
our Lord and Saviour, and our communion with God through Him,
Church history is little else than a record on the one hand, of their
unceasing endeavours to corrupt the Faith on these two points ; on
the other, of His watchful Providence, meeting and baffling them, in
every age, by ways of His own, prepared also from the beginning,
for their confusion and our trial.
One of the very chiefest of these precautions was His appointing
persons in his Church to watch the treasure of Divine Truth, to try
and assay, by comparison with it, whatever doctrines from time to
time became current, and to give notice, with all authority, where-
ever they found God's mark wanting. To mention no other places;
our Lord Himself, in the text which I considered on St. Matthias'
day, expresses Himself in this manner. " I ordained you, that you
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain."
The Apostles were to take precautions, not only that their ministry
might be fruitful for the time, but also that it might flourish and
abound for ever. Those who work duly under their commission,
may in virtue of this promise expect more abiding results from their
labours, than any, however zealous, who may venture to take this
honour to themselves. Not to forfeit this privilege, the holy Apos
tles instituted a regular custom, according to which, in all future
times, the faithful might be warned against heretical doctrines. When
any new point arose, regarding which the judgment of the Church
was doubtful, reference was made to the chief pastors or Bishops,
solemnly assembled to consider the subject ; and they having
thoroughly examined it, proclaimed an anathema, i. e. a sentence of
excommunication, against the teachers and maintainers of dangerous
error. For example ; the very first controversy which arose in the
Church related to the question whether the whole law of Moses ought
to be observed as a condition of the Christian covenant. It was
settled by the Apostles' meeting at Jerusalem, as you read in the fif
teenth chapter of the Acts. And, being settled, whoever contradict
ed it, whoever added either Moses' law or any thing else to the terms
of salvation by Christ, and thereby began to preach a new Gos
pel, other than that received at first, you hear in the text what St.
Paul says of him. " Though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach
any oth'r Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed :" let him be anathema, cut off from the
communion of Christian people ; not allowed to pray or receive the

376
sacrament, in the assemblies of Christian men. Let him be, to those
who obey Christ, " as a heathen man and a Publican." Thus speaks
the Apostle of those who should be so presumptuous as to teach the
Jewish fable of the necessity of circumcision after the decision of the
Holy Spirit by the Apostolical Church had been published. For
it was published, with the utmost care, by letters and messengers
sent to all the Churches ; and being so, could not be disobeyed with
out wilful arrogancy and irreverence. Thus St. Paul and the rest
of the Apostles made known to the Church in all ages their right, and
the right ofthe Bishops, their successors, to mark out such heretics as
might arise from time to time, and put the faithful on their guard
against them. And thus quite down from the time of our Lord,
the Apostolical succession of pastors has continued, as a divinely-ap
pointed guard, meant to secure the integrity of Apostolical doctrine.
Let us, as on this day we are bound, consider more especially what
we owe to that holy succession, in respect of that on which, as Chris
tians, our all, as we cannot but know, depends : I mean the true doc
trine of the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour. It may be posi
tively said, that under Providence we owe our inheritance of this
saving doctrine to the chain of rightly-ordained Bishops, connecting
our times with the time of its first promulgation. This will be more
clearly seen, if the two following statements are considered ; neither
of which can be reasonably doubted by any one who has looked
much into Church history.
1. In ancient times the system of Apostolical, i. e. of episcopal
anathemas, was the Church's main safeguard against the misinterpre
tations of Scripture, which from time to time threatened to deprive
her children of their faith in God the Son, made man for our salvation.
2. Wheresoever, in modern times, the Apostolical succession has
been given up, there the true doctrine of our Lord's incarnation has
been often corrupted, always in jeopardy.
These propositions are of course too large to be fully made out in
the narrow hmits of a sermon. Buta few instances of each will show
what is meant, and will serve to draw serious minds to reverential
thought on the whole subject.
I. Even during the Apostohc age, there were many, who, under
pretence of purer doctrine, refused to confess " Jesus Christ come
in the flesh." This we know from the later books ofthe New Tes
tament ; especially from the writings of St. John. And by the re
cords of the two next generations, we learn that the corruptions
were of two kinds, apparently opposite. Some, out of pretended
reverence for our Lord's Divine nature, refused to own Him made
very man for us. They would have it, that His blessed body was
no more than a dream or vision, and all that He did here, a scene as
it were enacted by the will of the Almighty to made an impression
on our minds. Others, on the contrary, denied His Divine being :
pretending, no doubt, extraordinary reverence towards God the Fa-

377
ther Almighty, they would not hear the Gospel doctrine that He
who is One with the Father, had vouchsafed to become one of us.
They would have it that the crucified Jesus was either a mere hu
man saint, or at best a sort of good angel. Against both these blas
phemous errors St. John himself had given warning, pronouncing as
it were the Church's anathema beforehand. " There are many de
ceivers entered into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ come
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ. . . . Whoso
ever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring
not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him
God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his
evil deeds." However, in the next generation after St. John, this
evil leaven was still found working in the Church, and the false
teachers of both sorts still had the boldness to plead Scripture, which
somehow they contrived to wrest and pervert in their own way.
How were they to be answered ? How was it to be made manifest
that their interpretation of Scripture was wrong? It was done by
appealing to that interpretation, which had the warrant of the Apos
tles themselves. How was that interpretation known? By its pre
servation in the several Churches which had been founded by the
Apostles, — Rome, Corinth, Jerusalem, and the rest. How had the
right interpretation of Scripture been preserved in each of those
places ? By the succession of Bishops, each in turn handing over to
the Bishop that followed him what he had himself learned of his pre
decessors. The defenders of Evangelical truth reasoned as fol
lows : —
" The tradition of the Apostles, made known in all the world, may
be clearly discerned in every Church, by those who are willing to
behold things as they are ; nay, and we are able to enumerate those
whom the Apostles ordained to be Bishops in the several Churches,
along with their successors, even down to our time, none of whom
ever taught or imagined any such doctrine as the heretics in their
frenzy maintain. If such interpretations had been known to the
Apostles, in the manner of hidden mysteries, reserved to be taught
apart to the most perfect, surely, of all others, they to whom the
Churches themselves were committed would have had these myste
ries committed to them also. For it was the Apostles' wish to have
their successors, and those intrusted to bear sway in their stead,
complete and unblameable in every thing ; whose correct demeanor
was sure to be the Church's blessing ; their fall, her extreme calami
ty. It were too long, however, at present to enumerate the chains
of Bishops in all the Churches. Look at one ofthe greatest and an-
cientest, well known to all, the Church founded and established at
Rome, by two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul. What tra
dition she received from the Apostles, and what faith, to be preached
48

378
to all men, we are able to ascertain ; the same having come down
to us by the unbroken series and succession of her Bishops. And
thus we confound all those who in any way draw wrong conclusions,
through self-complacency, or vain glory, or bhndness of heart and
evil prejudice. For to this Church of Rome, because of the eminent
dignity" (of that city,) " it cannot be but that other Churches resort,
I mean believers, from every quarter : and in the same Church,
among those so resorting, the tradition of the Apostles has been pre
served entire." Thus speaks the holy Bishop and martyr Irenaeus,
who hved within twenty years of St. John himself; and to make
good his words, he proceeds to reckon up the Bishops of Rome, from
the first, appointed by the two great Apostles, to the time of his writ
ing — twelve in number. " By this order and succession," says
Irenaeus, " the tradition inherited by the Church from the Apostles,
and the substance of their preaching, have come down safe to our
times." Thus wrote Irenaeus, living in Gaul. And in like manner, not
long after him, Tertullian, writing against the same heretics in Africa,
and defending that doctrine of our Lord's true Incarnation, which
is the very hfe ofthe world : — "The heretics," says he, "themseves
plead Scripture. How are we to know whether theirs is the true
sense or ours ? The natural way is to look and see whether either
of the two can be traced back to the time of the Apostles. What
Christ revealed to them they preached ; what they preached, must
be known by the testimony of those Churches which they them
selves founded. If there be any heresies claiming Apostolical anti
quity, let them give account of the first beginning of their Churches ;
let them unfold the roll of their Bishops, so continued by succession
from the beginning, as that their first Bishop shall have received or
dination from some Apostle or disciple of the Apostles ; such a dis
ciple, I mean, as went out from them. For thus do the Churches
which are truly Apostolical make out, as it were, their genealogical
tables : the Church of Smyrna vouching as her first Prelate Poly
carp, there established by St. John ; the Church of Rome, Clement,
in like manner ordained by St. Peter ; and the other Churches no
less have each some person to name, fixed by the Apostles, as
Bishops, in each respectively ; through whom each derives the seed
of Apostolical communion." Now, as Tertullian goes on to argue,
" this unbroken connexion with the Apostles was a strong pledge of
their inheriting sound Apostohcal doctrine too, except it could be
proved that their doctrine had varied at any time. For, as the
Apostles must have agreed with each other in their teaching, so
neither could Apostolical men have put forth doctrines contrary to
the Apostles; except they were such as had revolted from the
Apostles, and might be detected by the diversity of their doctrine.'
And this would hold in each following age,' till some actual varia
tion took place. And if it held in respect of any one Church, how

379
much more in respect of the combined evidence of the independent
Churches in all parts of the worid, each producing their several
lines of succession, terminating in several Apostles or Apostolical
men, and each agreeing (for all material points) in the same tradi
tionary doctrine and interpretation of the Scriptures ! For in
stance, when on some occasion, as the same Tertullian relates, the
Churches of Rome and Africa "interchanged the watch-word," or
as we might say, "compared notes;" what an encouragement and
confirmation must it not have proved to both, to fipd themselves
mutually agreed, without previous concert, in their views of Scrip
ture truth, and of the system established by the Apostles I
By such arguments in the first age were the enemies of Christ's
Incarnation put to silence. It is plain, so far, how well the Episco
pal succession answered the purpose assigned to it by our Lord, of
providing that the fruit of Apostolical teaching should remain ;
and how vigorously the Church's anathema, first pronounced by St.
John, was followed up, to the confusion of those who " abode not
in the doctrine of Christ."
Still more remarkable to the same purpose are the examples of
the following age. There, too, we find the Apostolical succession
the main out-work of Apostolical doctrine ; the truth of Christ's
Incarnation defended, not as in the former age, by single writers
appealing to the long lines of Bishops who had taught it, but by the
Bishops of the Church themselves, synodically met to pass sentence
on the questionaye teaching of- some of their colleagues. Being
so met, they represented not simply the judgment of the contempo
rary Churches, but also that of each former generation of Chris
tians, on the great mystery in dispute. Each Bishop takitig part in
a synodical decision on those cardinal points of the faith, was un
derstood as avouching besides his own opinion, the traditionary in
terpretation likewise which his Church had inherited from her first
founder. A very httle thought will show how greatly this adds to
the support furnished by such meetings to orthodox and saving truth.
A convention of learned theologians agreeing, in their views of
Scripture, would, no doubt, carry great authority. A council of
Bishops, in the third century, was such a convention, and a great
deal more : it was a collection of harmonious independent testimo
nies to the way in which the writers of Scripture had originally
intended their writings to be understood.
The advantage of so meeting and comparing their respective tra
ditions, was particularly evident in those cases in which any member
of their own sacred order had countenanced, or seemed to counte
nance, heretical opinions. For instances of the kind occur in the
age now under consideration ; the one displaying in a peculiar way
the scrupulous watchfulness of the early Church : the other her un
compromising firmness ; — both in vindication of the pure Gospel of
God manifest in the flesh.

380
The first is the case of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, one of
the most famous Prelates of his time. The heresy of Sabellius had
sprung up in his province, which, under pretence of magnifying our
blessed Lord, confounded His Person with that of the Almightv
Father, and so in fact denied the whole economy of Salvation:
maintaining that the Father himself was incarnate ; that He ap
peared on earth as the Son, and suffered on the cross for us. Re
futing these, the holy Bishop had argued from those expressions of
Scripture which represent our Lord in his human nature, as the
work or creature of God the Father. " The Incarnate Son," said
he, "is not the same with the Father, as the tree is not the same
with the husbandman, nor the ship with the builder." Expressions
surely justifiable enough, since what they affirm is found almost
word for word in our Lord's own discourses. " I am the true
Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman." However, the expres
sions were misunderstood, although from St. Dionysius' own report
it should seem that he had carefully guarded them by the context ;
it was generally reported that he had used language derogatory to
the Divine honour of our Lord. A synod met at Rome to examine
the matter, on behalf of which the then Bishop of Rome, also
named Dionysius, wrote to the Bishop of Alexandria, requesting an
explanation : which he gave to the full satisfaction of the whole i
Church ; summing up his doctrine in these remarkable words ; " Of
the names used by me to express the Divine Persons, there is none
which can be separated or divided from the other to which it is re
lated. Thus, suppose I speak of the Father ; before I add the
term ' Son,' I have implied His existence, by using the term ' Fa
ther.' I add the term Son ; though I had not mentioned the
Father, assuredly the idea of Him would have been comprised in
that of the Son : I join to these the ' Holy Ghost,' but at the same
time I annex the thought of the fountain /rom whom and the chan
nel by whom He proceeds ;" calling him, as it seems, the Spirit of
the Father and the Son. " Thus, on the one hand, we do as it
were expand the Unity, without division, into a Trinity of Per
sons ; on the other hand, we gather the Trinity, without diminution,
into an Unity of substance." This noble confession of a perfect
faith we owe to the friendly remonstrance of the assembled Bishops ;
and surely the advantage is great, of such a standing guard, in ena
bling the Church not only to recognise and repel her enemies, but
also to know for certain those friends labout whom otherwise she
might stand in doubt. If, when the excellent Bishop Taylor pub
lished his 'Liberty, of Prophesying,' there had been a council of
primitive Bishops at hand, to warn him authoritatively of the evil
consequences which heretics would afterwards draw from some of
his positions, the Church would, in all probability, have been a
gainer in two ways : first, what he had there put incautiously
would have been corrected, and the sting taken out : and next, we

381
might so much the more unreservedly use his authority on othei
points. But to proceed with the third century: — Very soon after this
friendly debate with Dionysius, both he, and the Bishops who had
remonstrated with him, and indeed the great body of the Orthodox
Prelacy, were called on to maintain the truth of our Lord's incar
nation in another case, in which all remonstrance had failed. This
was the case of Paul of Samosata, himself also Bishop and Pastor
of one of the most renowned sees, Antioch ; the only Church which
at that time could compare in dignity with Rome and Alexandria.
To expose the errors of so high a funQtionary, to call him to ac
count, and finally, he'continuing obstinate, to depose him, was the
work of no mean authority ; especially as he had the support of a
strong political party, and used many arts which in all times have
been found popular and effective. It appears by the report of the
synod of Bishops assembled to inquire into his cause, that he de
lighted to resemble men of much secular business ; to have people
pressing on him ; to be reading letters and dictating answers as he
went along the public street. Again, in his preaching, he constantly
aimed at making a show of ingenuity, and producing a splendid
effect for the time. His action was violent and showy, and he en
couraged in the very Church, the rude expressions of applause,
shaking of handkerchiefs, and the like, which were practised in the
theatres. The fathers, and their interpretations of Scripture, he
took all opportunities of disparaging, praising himself at their ex
pense, more like one lecturing, or telling fortunes for hire, than like
a genuine Christian Bishop. It is clear at once, what view such a
person would be likely to take of the high and mysterious doctrines
of our religion. It is no matter of surprise to find him maintaining,
in opposition to our Lord's own words, that Christ was from be
neath, and not from above ; that he was merely a human Prophet,
not the Son of God come down from Heaven ; that the wisdom of
the Almighty dwelt in Him as it had dwelt in former Prophets, only
in more abundant measure. In short, he held the same doctrine as
those who now call themselves Unitarians. And there is good rea
son to think, that he was favoured and protected by the ruling
power in the state. Zenobia, who at that time exercised imperial
sway in Syria with the title of Queen of the East, was strongly
addicted to a kind of deistical Judaism, the same in substance with
his Unitarian opinions. These few particulars may give some idea
of the peril in which the orthodox faith and the true Church lay
then at Antioch. But even under the most untoward circumstances,
the Bishops of the neighbouring sees assembled ; and their interfer
ence, by the blessing of God, was effectual in preserving the charge
from apostacy. It is worth observing how well their proceedings
answer to the line marked out in such cases by our Lord himself,
in His charter of Church censures. First, they send Paul a bro-

382
therly expostulation, telling him his fault between them and him
alone. The first sentence of this letter is much to be noticed, not
only for its calm and gentle tone, but also, for its very distinct re
ference to the succession of doctrine from the Apostles as a test of
truth. "Health in Christ: — We have just now, by discourse with
each other, satisfied ourselves of our mutual faith. Now that every
one's mind may be clearly disclosed, and all disputed questions more
completely set at rest, we have thought good hereby to set forth in
writing the faith which we have received from the beginning, and
hold fast, handed down as it is and safely guarded in the Catholic
and holy Church, preached even to this day, through succession by
the blessed Apostles, those who were even e3«e-witnesses and min
isters of the word ; this faith we have decreed to set forth out of
the Law and the Prophets, and the New Testament." Then having
gone through a large body of Scripture evidence for the most High
Godhead of our Lord and Saviour, they conclude : — " These
things, a few out ,of very many, we have set down, desiring to
know whether you think and teach as we do, and requesting you to
signify to us your approbation or disapprobation of what we have
written." This epistle was followed up by various' conferences:
but Paul yet refusing to be reclaimed, the Bishops of Syria went on
to act upon the remaining part of our Saviour's enactment in such
cases: they assembled, to the number of seventy or eighty, and
called on him to " hear the Church :" which, when he refused, they
formally deposed him, and separated him from the body of Chris
tian people, pronouncing on him the following sentence : — " Him,
thus setting himself against God, and refusing to give way, we have
been compelled to excommunicate, and in his room to set another
as Bishop over this Catholic Church ; by the providence of God, as
we believe." This they made knovim to the Bishops of Rome and
Alexandria, and all the world over, that they, acquiescing in the
sentence pronounced, might lose no time in writing to the new
Bishop of Antioch letters of communion and acknowledgment, as
the manner of the churches then was ; directing their letter, " To
the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria, and all our fellow servants
throughout the world, whether Bishops, Priests, or Deacons, and to
the whole Catholic Church under Heaven." By the co-operation
of those distant Bishops, the sentence was finally and effectually
confirmed ; the Church of Antioch delivered from her unfaithful
shepherd, and the verity of our Lord's Divine Nature passed on, as
a precious deposit, to other councils and other times.
These few brief examples, — not, it will be observed, standing
apart, but taken as what they truly are, specimens of a great and
general system, continually in action throughout the Christian
world ; — these few examples may serve to show how close a con
nexion naturally subsists between sound doctrine and apostolical
succession in the ministry. We have seen that the one, in those

383
primitive ages, was constantly appealed to as no slight guarantee for
the other. It could not well be otherwise, as long as the successors
of the Apostles did their duty, originally in ordaining none but or
thodox men, and afterwards in watching and censuring (if need
were) the most exalted even of their own colleagues, on sufficient
proof of defection on their part.
Two facts are quite indisputable : the flrst, that in those ages the
Bishops and Pastors were considered as the*chosen apostolical guar
dians of the true faith ; tlie other, that they really acted as such.
Does not the conclusion irresistibly follow, that such Providence
intended them to be ? And can any one, knowing these circum
stances, read the peculiarly significant promises at sundry times
addressed by our Lord to His Apostles, and not perceive in the
Episcopal succession the appropriate fulfilment of those promises ?
For instance, " I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should
go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." " I
am with you always, even untis the end ofthe world." "Upon this
Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." j
We have then from Scripture, the consolation of believing, that as
long as we reverence and uphold the Apostohcal ministry, we are
in OUT line and measure "labouring together" with God himself.
We are so far doing our humble part in that system which the all-
wise Redeemer has ordained to be the human, visible, secondary
instrument of guarding and propagating those truths, on which our
communion with Him depends.
This will be seen yet more clearly, on proceeding to examine
the doctrinal results, such as they appear on the whole in those
Churches, which from error or necessity have parted with the
Apostolical succession. This must be attempted on some future
occasion. For the present, reverting to that ineffable mystery, from which
on this day especially all our devout thoughts should begin, and in
which they should end, I would only ask one question. What will
he the feelings of a Christian, particularly of a Christian pastor;
should he find hereafter that in slighting or discouraging Apostoli
cal claims and views, (be the temptation what it niay) he has
really been helping the evil spirit to unsettle men's faith in the In
carnation OF THE Son of God ?

No. 5S.
(Ad Populum)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. v.— THURSDAY.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
(Continued.)

There is a public absolution, which is no more than a relaxation
of a censure. There is no relation betwixt that and the absolution
of sins.
God ratifies in heaven the judgments of His ministers on earth,
when they judge by the rules prescribed bj^ His Word.
Whenever Church discipline meets with discountenance, impieties
of all kinds are sure to get head and abound. And impieties, un
punished, do always draw down judgments.
The same Jesus Christ who appointed baptism, for the receiving
men into His Church and family, has appointed excommunication
to shut such out as are judged unworthy to continue in it.
Matt, xviii. 15, &c. "If thy brother shall trespass against thee,
go tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear
thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee,
then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall
neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church ; but if he neglect to
hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a
publican. Verily I say unto you. Whatsoever ye shall bind on
earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth, shall be loosed in heaven." So that if baptism be a blessing,
excommunication is a real punishment : there being the same au
thority for excommunication as for baptism. And if men ridicule
it, they do it at the peril of their souls. *
In short, this authority is necessary, if it is necessary to preserve
the honour of religion. It is appointed by Jesus Christ. The
ends proposed by it are, to reform wicked men, and to remove scan
dals. If the sentence is duly executed, the offender is really deprived
of the ordinary means of salvation. It is indeed a sentence passed

385
by men, but by men commissioned by God Himself; that is, by the
Holy Ghost.
The authority of Christ is to be respected in the meanest of His
Ministers. Excommunication, the most dreadful punishment which a Chris
tian can suffer, becomes less feared than it ought to be, through the
countenance which excommunicated persons meet with, contrary
to the express command of God, " With such a one, no not to eat."
A true penitent will be willing to bear the shame of his sins (where
he has given offence) before men, that he may escape the confusion
of them hereafter. But then he ought to know, that to submit to
the outward part of penance, is not to submit to God, unless it pro
ceed from the fear and love of God.
A man may see his sin, confess it, abhor it, and yet be a false
penitent. Judas did all this. What he wanted was the grace of
God, to see the mercy of God, as well as His justice.
Those who are first to lead men into sinful courses, seldom trouble
themselves to recover them out of them. The ministers of Christ
must do it, or they must die in their sin.
Mark v. 4. " And they laughed him to scorn." O, my Lord and
Master ! let me not be driven from my duty, by the infidelity and
scoffs of the world.
How desperate soever the condition of a sinner may appear, we
must neither insult over it, nor despair of his conversion.
A person who has offended and scandalized others by his sinS,
ought, before he be admitted to the peace of the Church, and to re
ceive the Sacrament, to give some good ground of assurance, by a
sober life, that he is a true penitent.
Mark vi. 1. " Shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony
against them." Jesus Christ permits not His Apostles to avenge
themselves by tbeir Apostolical power, nor even to desire that He
should do it ; but to leave their cause to God, with full confidence
in Him.
Luke xix. 8. " And if I have taken any thing from any man by
false accusation, I restore him fourfold." The judgment, which, of
his own accord, this penitent passes upon himself, will condemn
those who reject all the remedies offered, and all methods made use
of, for their conversion, and who will not make the least atonement
for their crimes. Men show very plainly that they love sin, when
they will not suffer any one to put a stop to it, to remove the occa
sions thereof ; and to shame, to reprove, and to punish the sinner.
This is a sin which draws after it great judgments.
If a pastor hopes to do his duty without reproving the world,
(without testifying that the works thereof are evil ; John vii. 7.)
or to reprove it without being hated by it, he will deceive himself;
he may carry it fair with men, but will be condemned by Jesss
Christ. 49

386
John viii. 7. " He that is without sin among you, let him cast the
first stone." They whose duty it is to punish offenders, should take
great care not to be influenced by pride, hypocrisy, passion, false
zeal, or malice : but to punish with reluctancy ; with compassion,
as having a sense of their own misery and weakness, which, per
haps, render thera more guilty in the sight of God. Let ecclesias
tical Judges always remember, that the Holy Ghost, to whom it
belongs to bind and loose, never makes Himself the minister of the
passions of men.
John xii. 43. "They loved the praise of men more than the
glory of God." And this is the cause that men count it more
shameful to acknowledge their crimes than it was to be guilty of
them. We must never insult a sinner ; but, without extenuating his sin,
we must comfort him, by showing him the good which God may
bring out of it.
Acts viii. 3. " As for Saul, he made havoc of the Church." The
designs of God toward Saul should teach us not to despair of any
man's conversion, but to pray for it, and to use our best endeavours,
instead of being angry, and using them ill.
Acts ix. 9. " And Saul was three days without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink." Jesus Christ Himself, in this instance, teaches
His ministers not to be too hasty in receiving penitents, but to let
them fast and pray, and bear the sense of their sin, and of their
bad condition, before they be reconciled. It teaches penitents to
fast and pray, and to bear with patience the fruit of their own
doings. Acts xix. 18. "Many that believed came and confessed their
deeds," &c. The Spirit of Grace always inclines men to confess
their evil deeds, and humble themselves for their sins. There could
not be a more shameful one than dealing with the devil, &c. yet this
did not hinder them, — or from sacrificing the most valuable things
that had been instruments in their wickedness. This is a proof of
a true conversion, &c.
The fall of others, is for us a great instruction, and a lesson which
we ought to study, not in order to insult our neighbour, but to fear
for, and amend, ourselves.
Let us not despise any sinner. God has sometimes very great
designs in relation to those who are at present most opposite to
Him. To reprove, when persons are not in a proper disposition for
amendment, would be to give both them and ourselves trouble with
out any prospect of advantage.
To make reproof beneficial, they to whom it is given should see
that it does not proceed from humour, or from a design to vex them,
but from a true zeal and love for their souls.
A true charity will never insult those that are gone astray, but

387
will use the greatest sinners mildly, lest they should be driven to
despair by too great severity.
The Church forgives sins " in the person of Christ." (2 Cor. ii.
10.) She remits the temporal punishment of them also, because
Christ is the Sovereign High Priest, and because it belongs to God
alone to recede from the strictness of His justice, in what manner
He thinks fit. An ecclesiastical governor should endeavour to pre
serve discipline, and the esteem of his people, at the same time, by
acts of tenderness, &c.
2 Cor. X. 8. " For though I should boast of my authority, (which
the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for destruction,) I
should not be ashamed." It is necessary, sometimes, to extol the
dignity of our office. N. B. Pastors are appointed by Christ to
edify the Church ; they must, therefore, be honoured and obeyed.
The disorders which a good pastor observes in his flock, will al
ways be matter of humihation to him, because he will always impute
them to himself. A pastor, a priest, who does not, with tears and
supplications, bewail the sins of his people, cannot call himself their
mediator with God.
It is the greatest comfort of a good pastor, to feel himself obliged
to use nothing but good advice, and the mild part only of his autho
rity ; but when that will not do, he must " use sharpness ;" but still,
with this view, that it be for their edification, not for their destruction.
It seldom happens that great men, whether clergy or laity, reform
their lives, because they seldom meet with persons of courage to
oppose them, or to tell them of their faults. A Bishop who is not
restrained by any earthly engagements, will not spare any man
whose conduct is prejudicial to the faith.
Gal. V. 12. " I would they were even cut off which trouble you."
To wish shame, or some temporal evil, for the salvation of our neigh
bour's soul, is not contrary to charity. It seems, matters werejcome
to a great height of evil, when St. Paul was forced to wish that to
be done, which he did not, in prudence, think fit to do.
Ecclus. viii. 5. " Reproach not a man that turneth from sin, but
remember that we are all worthy of punishment."
2 Thess. iii. 6. " Now we command you," (and the same authority
subsists still in the governors of the Church) " in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother
that walketh disorderly," «fec. Nothing is there which the faithful
ought more carefully to avoid, than disorderly livers, — nothing which
pastors ought more earnestly to warn theiF flocks of.
May I ever observe the rules of an holy and charitable severity.
2 Thess. ui. 14. " And if any man obey not our word, note that
man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed ; yet
count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." Ex
communication is only for the contumacious, — not to insult, but to
cure.

388
1 Tim. V. 19. "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but
before two or three witnesses." A pastor ought not lightly to be
exposed to the revenge of those whom it is probable he has, or shall
have, occasion to reprove.
1 Tim. V. 20. " Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also
may fear." That is, who sin grievously and are convinced before
two or three witnesses — let such be censured before, or by the con
sent of, all the congregation.
2 Tim. u. 25. " In meekness instructing," (reproving) " those that
oppose themselves, — if God peradventure will give them repentance,"
&c. When we consider that repentance is the gift of God, — that
the wiles of the devil are many, and corruption of nature very strong,
we shall compassionate instead of insulting a sinner. We shall adore
the mercy of God towards ourselves, and hope for it for others. We
shall fear for ourselves, and pray for them. They may recover, and
be saved. We may fall, and be lost for ever.
When men will not take care of their own salvation, the Church
owes this care to her children, to hinder them as much as possible
from ruining others.
If excommunication is perpetual, it is caused by the obstinacy of
the offender, not by the laws of Christ, or His Church, which only
deprives wicked men of the benefit of communion for a time, to bring
them to a sense of their duty. Church discipline is for the honour
of God, for the safety of religion, the good of sinners, and for the
public weal-^-that Christians may not run headlong to ruin without
being made sensible of their danger, — that others may see, and fear,
and not go on presumptuously in their evil ways, — that the house of
God may not become a den of thieves, — and that judgments may
not be poured down upon the whole community. Josh. xxii. 20.
Did not Achan commit a trespass, and wrath fell on all the congre
gation ?
The most effectual way of answering these ends is, to exercise
a strict impartial disciphne. First, to withhold from Christians the
benefit of the Holy Sacrament, till they behave themselves so as to
be worthy of so great a blessing. And, secondly, if they continue
obstinate, (all proper methods being used to reclaim them,) to ex
communicate them ; and to oblige all sober Christians not to hold fa
miliar conversation with them. But first of all. Christians should be
made sensible of what blessings they are deprived, when they are
debarred the communion, — even the greatest on earth; without
which they can have no hopes of salvation, but must perish eternally,
John vi. 53.
He that understands and believes this, will submit to any hard
ships, rather than incur, rather than continue under, a sentence so
fuir of terror ; and a sentence passed by one commissioned by God ;
and bound, at the peril of his soul, to pass it, it being the greatest
indignity to Christ and the divine ordinance, to prostitute the body

389
and blood of Christ to notorious evil livers, God has therefore
lodged a power in the pastors of His Church, to repel all such ; and
it is a mercy even to them to be hindered from increasing their guilt
and their damnation.
Nor can any prince, governor, nor human law, hinder a Christian
Bishop from exercising this power, because he is under an obliga
tion to the King of kings and Lord of lords to do his duty in this
respect. Nor must it be pretended, that the punishment which Christian
Magistrates inflict may supersede this discipline. Those punishments
only affect the body, and keep the outward man in order. These
are designed to purify the soul, and to save that from destruction.
Excommunication, as St. Paul tells us, (1 Cor. v. 5.) is " for the de
struction of the flesh, that the soul may be saved ;" that is, to mortify
the corruption of nature, lust, pride, intemperance, &;c. ; this being
the only way to save the soul of the sinner, and to bring him to rea
son, that is, to repentance.
For upon a sinner's repentance, (unless where he has incurred the
sentence more than once,) the Church is ready to receive him into
her bosom, with open arms. But then, by repentance must be un
derstood, not a bare change of mind ; not an acknowledgment ofthe
sin and scandal ; not a serious behaviour for a few days : — all which
may soon wear off; but, a course of public penance, a long trial of
sincerity, such as may satisfy a man's self, and all sober Christians,
that the sinner is a true penitent: that he has forsaken all his evil
ways, evil company, evil habits ; that he is grown habitually serious,
devout, and religious, — and that by fasting and prayer he has, in some
good measure, got the mastery of his corrupt nature, and has begun
a repentance not to be repented of.
For want of this care and method, many Christians are ruined.
eternally. They sin and repent, and sin again, and think all is safe,
because they have repented, as thoy think, and are pardoned.
There are people who are in the same sad case with those that
stand excommunicated, though no sentence has passed upon them,
namely, such as live in a contempt of the public worship of God.
They cannot properiy be turned out of the Church, who never come
into it, but they keep themselves out of the ark, and consequently
must perish.
Excommunication, in the primitive times, was pronounced in the
congregation to which the offender belonged. After which, they gave
notice to all other Churches ; namely, ' let no temple of God be open
to him, let none converse with him,' &c.
2 Sam. xii. 13, 14. "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned
against the Lord. And Nathan said. The Lord also hath put away
thy sin, thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast
given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child
that is born unto thee shall surely die." The divine justice punish-

390
eth every sin, either in this world or in the next. A sinner's willing
ness to undergo any punishment which shall be appointed by the
minister of God, in order to make proof of, and to establish his re
pentance, is a sure sign that God has not withdrawn His grace, not
withstanding his sin. (To be continued.)

No. 56.
(Ad Populum)
HOLY DAYS OBSERVED IN THE ENGLISH CHURCH.

The Holy days observed by the Church of England are of two
kinds : — Festivals, or days of joy : and Fasts, or days of sorrow.
The Festivals are : —
The Nativity op our Lord, commonly called Christmas-day ;
on which we celebrate that great event, the birth, as man, of the
everlasting and Almighty Son of God. (Dec. 25.)
The Circumcision of Christ. On this day we are taught to
remember with joy the transaction which may be called the first
act of our Lord's obedience to the law for our sakes ; the begin
ning' of that unspotted career of purity and duty, which He merci
fully submitted to accomphsh for the redemption of sinful man.
(Jan. I.)
The Epiphany, the manifestation, or making known of the new
born Saviour to the Gentiles. The first individuals, from the nations
who till then had walked in darkness, who bent the knee before
Him, were the Wise Men of the East ; when led by a miraculous
star, they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, as their offerings
to Bethlehem. And this event we, in an island which has since, by
God's mercy, also caught the bright rays of Christian truth, cannot
too joyfully or too thankfully commemorate. (Jan. 6.)
The Presentation of Christ in the temple, commonly called,
the Purification of St. Mary the Virgin. The event commemo
rated on this day is the fulfilment of prophecy (Malachi iii. I.) by
our Lord's appearance in the Temple, whither He was brought
that His mother might comply with the rite of purification, enjoined
by Moses. The examples of the holy Simeon and Anna (Luke ii.)
are on this occasion held up for our imitation. Like them we should
,. devoutly rejoice that our earthly career has been blessed by the
knowledge of Christ's coming in the flesh ; — that we have been

391

enabled to see that light which was destined to lighten the Gentiles,
as well as to be the glory of God's people Israel. (Feb. 2.)
The Annunciation, or announcement of the approaching birth
of the Saviour by the angel Gabriel, to the Virgin Mary, Luke i.
26. (March 25.)
Easter day, and the days following. On this greatest of all
festivals, we celebrate the consummation of our Lord's victory over
the powers of darkness. His glorious and triumphant rising from
the grave ; an event in which His true followers rejoice as being
alike the great confirmation of their Master's truth, and the earnest
and proof of their own blissful resurrection in the fulness of God's
appointed time.
Easter is kept on different days ofthe months of March or April,
in different years, the time of its celebration depending on that of a
full moon, as did the Jewish Passover.
Ascension day, (forty days after Easter,) on which, as the name
ofthe festival implies, we comnriemorate the ascension of our Lord
into heaven, forty days after His resurrection.
Whitsunday, or the Feast of Pentecost, (ten days after Ascen
sion* day.) On this day we celebrate the fulfilment of our Lord's
parting promise in the descent of the Holy Ghost, in fire, upon
His Apostles, to abide with them, and with His Holy Church, even
unto the end of the world.
Trinity Sunday, (the Sunday following Whitsunday.) On this
day, having commemorated severally the different leading events in
our Lord's history, from the annunciation of His birth to the pour
ing forth of His Spirit, we are led by our Church to contemplate
the mystery of our Redemption in one general view ; glorifying
alike God the Father, who sent His dearly-beloved Son to save us ;
God the Son, who graciously undertook our redemption ; and God
the Holy Ghost, who mercifully vouchsafes to sanctify us, and all
the elect people of God.

The Conversion of St. Paul
St. Matthias . . .
St. Mark ....
St. Philip and St. James
St. Barnabas . . .
St. John the Baptist
St. Peter ....
St. James ....
St. Bartholomew
St. Matthew . . .
St. Luke ....
St. Simon and St. Jude
St. Andrew . . .
St. Thomas . . .

Jan. 25.
Feb. 24.
Apr. 25.
May 1.
June 11.
June 24.
June 29.
July 25.
Aug. 24.
Sep. 21.
Oct. 18.
Oct. 28.
Nov, 30.
Dec. 21.

392
St. Stephen  Dec. 26.
St. John  Dec. 27.
On these days we are instructed to seek encouragement in our
Christian warfare, by remembering the triumphant issue of that war
fare in the cases of those eminent followers of their Lord, the
Apostles, the Evangelists, the Baptist, and the first martyr. In the
graces bestowed upon them, we behold the most striking illustra
tions of God's merciful promises of support to His servants ; and
in striving to confirm our own faith by the example of theirs, we are
following the advice of one of themselves — of one " not a whit be
hind the chiefest of them," — St. Paul. See his Epistle to the He
brews, chap. xi.
The Holy Innocents. On this day we commemorate the infants
of Bethlehem, whose blood, shed by Herod, was the first spilt by
the enemies of Christianity in opposition to its progress. Mourn
ing this, and all similar events, the Church yet directs our praises
to Him, who made infants to glorify Him by their deaths ; and who,
while receiving to His mercy these and millions of other infant
souls, has declared for the instruction of those more advanced in
years, that " of such" as little children " is the kingdom of heaven."
(Dec. 28.)
St. Michael and all Angels  Sep. 29.
All Saints  Nov. 1.
We should ever recollect that we, humblest members of Christ's
Church militant* here on earth, form part and portion of a great
society— of what St. Paul calls " the general assembly and Church
of the first-born," Heb. xii. 23. And to this belong alike those glo
rious spirits who have never known either sin or sorrow, and those
glorified saints, who, having come out of the great tribulations of
earth, have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14. These two days are therefore set apart,
that we may comfort ourselves, by thinking on the great privilege
to which we are invited, of an union with that blessed society ; and
that the thought may inspire us with additional ardour to run, while
yet on earth, the race that is set before us.
The Fasts of the Church of England are,: —
In the first place, the vigils, or days before the following festivals.
The Nativity of our Lord St. Peter
The Purification St. James
The Annunciation St. Bartholomew
*That is, " in a state of warfare."

393
Easter day St. Matthew
Ascension day St. Simon and St. Jude
Whitsunday St. Andrew
St. Matthias St. Thomas
St. John Baptist All Saints.
These the Church has prescribed to be observed as seasons of
fasting, that we may bring our minds into a fitter state for celebra
ting the more joyful solemnities which succeed them. Those festi
vals which are not preceded by such fasts either follow immediately
other festivals, or occur, for the most part, in what the Church con
siders seasons of joy ; as for instance, the Circumcision, at Christ
mas time, and St. Mark's day, between Easter and Whitsuntide,
while we are commemorating the glorious events which followed
the resurrection. With regard to the feasts of Saints and Apostles,
the observation of th.ese fasts tends to revive in our minds the recol
lection of the troubles and sufferings which these Christian heroes
underwent on their way to the possession of that happiness and
glory which we are, on their festivals, invited to contemplate. And
upon this principle, probably, it is, that no fast is appointed before
the feast of St. Michael and all Angels. We have no previous
struggles with sin or evil to commemorate in the history of those
exalted beings who have never partaken of mortahty or of its trou
bles ; but have, from the beginning, been happy, pure, and holy, in
Heaven. Lent, — Or the season of forty days, excluding Sundays, which
precedes Easter. The earlier part of this solemn season is intended
to prepare us for the great week of our Lord's passion, with which
it concludes. And the space of forty days seems marked out as a
proper period for fasting and humihation by the instances not only
of Moses and Elias, but of One far greater than they, who prepared
Himself for the commencement of His ministry by a fast of forty
days in the wilderness.
AsH-WBDNEStoAY. — The first day of these forty has ever been ob
served by the Church with peculiar solemnity. On that day,in early
times, her ministers maintained the custom, which the Apostles had
introduced and enjoined, of putting to open penance and shame no
torious offenders against her laws or her authority ; thus, according
to the direction of Scripture, punishing them in this world, that they
might be led to repentance, and that their souls might consequently
be saved in the world which is to come.
But those happier, because purer, days of the Church's history
have past away. God in His own good time will renew them ; and
that He will speedily do so, we are bound to pray. In the mean
while, the Church calls upon us, upon this day, collectively to hum
ble ourselves before Him whom our sins and our abandonment of
this godly discipline have deeply offended ; and to implore His par-
50

394
don for those transgressions, committed among us, without meeting
such rebuke, for which we affirm with our own mouths. His ven
geance and curse to be due. In making this acknowledgment, we
continue, in the Christian Church, a ceremony which God Himself
ordained for the Jews. See Deut. xxvii. 13 — 26.
The different days of Passion week: ofthe week, that is, between
the Sunday before Easter and Easter-day — are considered by the
Church fasts of such importance as to have Epistles and Gospels
appointed to each. The same reasons which should incline us to a
reverential observance of Lent in general, apply, of course, still more
strongly to the week which represents the season of our Saviour's
sufferings ; and, most strongly of all, to that solemn day which com
memorates His death ; and which, in memory of the benefits which
we derive from that mysterious event, we call Good Friday.
That we may, indeed, keep in continual remembrance the exceed
ing love of our Master and only Saviour, thus dying for us, the
Church reckons among her other fasts, —
All Fridays in the year, excepting, of course, Christmas-day,
should that festival fall on *a Friday.

The following days in the year are called Ember-days.
'The first Sunday in Lent.
The Feast of Pentecost.
Sept. 14.
Dec. 13.

The Wednesday, Friday, and
Saturday after

These days are ordained to be kept as fasts, because the four Sun
days which respectively follow them are the appointed seasons for
the ordination by our Bishops of priests and deacons to their sacred
offices. St. Paul clearly declares the duty of all Christians to pray
for those set in ministerial authority over them. And that fasting
was practised by the early Church at the season when such minis
ters were ordained, we learn from Acts xiii. 3.
The above, with the three days immediately before Ascension-
day, — days which, under the name of Rogation days, the Church has
from the very earliest times employed in special supplication and
prayer, — complete the number ofthe fasts of our English Calendar.
A holy season which, though it is observed by some branches of
the Church as a strict fast, is not comprised among the fasts of the
Church of England, is that of Advent ; the season of preparation for
celebrating the festival of the Nativity. It begins on the fourth Sun
day before Christmas, and continues till Christmas Eve.

No. 5r.
(Ad Populum)
SERMONS ON SAINTS' DAYS.
(No. 3.— ST. MARK'S DAY.)

' That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and car
ried about with every wind of doctrine." — Ephes. iv. 14.

The Church, in her Collect for this day, directs us how to pray
for stability in sound doctrine, as a sign, and indispensable requisite,
of something better than mere childhood in religion. She would not
have Christians to content themselves with a consciousness of faith,
however devout, or with a feeling of love, however fervent, but she
wishes every man to prove his faith and love ; i. e., to see to it, that
he believe the genuine Gospel, and love and adore the true and only
Saviour. Daily experience shows that it is very possible for men,
and serious men too, forgetting this caution, to think all is right, if
only certain pious impressions are produced, sufficient, apparently,
to lead the mind upwards, and, at the same time, to enforce the re
lative duties of life. If that be done, say they, all is done. Why go
on to perplex good people with questions of mere doctrinal accura
cy ? This is a very common way of speaking and thinking just at
present : and it finds ready acceptance, especially among the many
who dislike trouble. For in Christian doctrine, as in other things, it
is some trouble to be accurate. Common, however, and acceptable
as the notion is, that the temper of faith in the heart is every thing,
and the substance of faith in the creed comparatively nothing ; it is a
notion at once proved unscriptural and wrong, were it only by this
simple consideration ; that so much care has been taken in Scrip
ture, and by God's Providence guiding His Church in all ages, to
guard the doctrines once for all delivered to the Saints, and keep
men steady and uniform in them. If this were not a principal object
in the eye of Divine Wisdom, is it conceivable that the great Apostle
should have introduced it, as he has done when speaking to the
Ephesians, as one main result of the coming of the Holy Ghost,
the very bond between heaven and earth ? It is one ofthe passages,
in which he writes like one soaring majestically upward, ffight after
flight beyond what he had at first intended : — " Unto every one of us
is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ ;" i. e,.

396
according to that portion of special infused grace which God sees
needful for our several calbngs in His Church. " Wherefore he
saith. When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and
gave gifts to men." What gifts ? Surely, to those who think slightly
of Apostolical order in the Church, the answer must appear very
surprising. "He gave some. Apostles, and some. Prophets, and
some. Evangelists, and some. Pastors and Teachers." I do not of
course press this text as proving, by itself, the Apostolical authority
of our three orders. But thus much, undoubtedly, it proves, that
some kind of order was instituted in the beginning, of so important
and beneficial tendency, as to deserve a very high place in the enu
meration of those royal gifts, which the Holy Comforter dispenses
upon the inauguration of the Son of God. We may, or we may not,
enjoy that order still. We may have irrecoverably lost it by God's
Providence justly visiting human abuse of it : in which case it might
not strike us as a practical topic of inquiry : but to suppose that it
still exists, or may be recovered, and yet to speak of it as an idle
dream, a worn out theory, or (still worse) a profane superstition —
this i," not what one should expect from those who reverence the
Divine Inspirer of this and similar passages in St. Paul. But to pro
ceed: the Apostle goes on to mention unity of doctrine, as one main
final cause of the institution of this Apostolical system. The Apos
tles, Prophets, and the rest, were given to the Church by the Holy
Ghost, "that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
by cunning craftiness, according to the wily system of deceit ; but
speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto Him in all things, which
is the Head, even Christ :" i. e. may daily go on unto perfection in
serving and copying our adorable Saviour, and in nearer and near
er communion with Him.
It is clear that if the Apostolical ministry does guard effectually
the foundations of our faith, it so far gives room and opportunity for
all to go on to perfection. It puts men on a vantage ground, disen
cumbers them of cares and anxieties about that which is behind, and
enables them with undivided energy to press forward to that which
is before. As a mere witness, the Apostolical system, supposing it
really such, must have this effect : and we must not forget, that, on
the same supposition, especial helps from Divine Grace may be look
ed for as likely to be vouchsafed to those who humbly endeavour to
go on by its aid.
Now, that the great Head of the Church has hitherto made use of
the succession of Bishops as a singular mean for guarding the doc
trine of His Incarnation in particular, was shown on a former occa
sion, by reference to the ancient Church : where it was proved, that
both as indisputable witnesses, and as commissioned and responsible
guardians, the Bishops of the three first centuries effectually main
tained the truth for us. The same conclusion is now to be deduced

397
from a more painful set of experiments, in which modern times, un
fortunately, have too much abounded. We are to consider what has
been the doctrinal result in those Churches which havebeen so bold
as to dispense with primitive discipline dnd government. If we find
them marked, in the great majority of cases, by great unsteadiness
and vacillation of doctrinal views, even on those points which contain
the very essence of our faith : will not this be an additional lesson to
us, that by forsaking the Apostolical ministry we are but giving our
selves up to be " tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine ?"
Now, first, although, as I said before, the heretics of the first ages
dared not openly dispense with Apostolical succession, the times, as
they well knew, not enduring it : yet they showed in some remark
able instances, how little they really cared for it. The following is
the complaint of Tertullian in the second century: — "It may be right
here to add some account of the practical system of the heretics, how
futile it is, how altogether earthly and human ; destitute of weight, of
authority, of disciphne : as well agreeing with their system of doc
trine. First, who among them is a Catechumen, who a complete
Christian, is a thing uncertain : they come to church : hear the ser
mon, join in the prayers, indiscriminately: even should heathens
chance to come in, they will throw their holy things to the dogs, and
their pearls (which, indeed, are but counterfeits) before swine. They
hold the overthrow of discipline to be [Christian] simplicity ; and our
reverence for the same, meretricious art. Every where, and with
all kinds of persons, they affect to be on good terms. For it makes
no difference to them how they disagree in their own expositions,
provided they can but unite for the overthrow of one thing, viz.
Truth. All are puffed up : all profess knowledge. Their Cate
chumens become complete Christians before they have quite learned
their lessons. The very women among the heretics, how forward
are they ! daring to teach, to dispute, to exercise, to make show of
gifts of healing : perhaps, even to baptize. Their ordinations are
off-handed, light, variable : sometimes mere novices are raised by
them to Church office, sometimes men engaged in worldly business,
sometimes deserters from our ranks ; whom they hope to make sure
of by the compliment, having no reality" [of spiritual power] " to
offer. In fact, promotion is nowhere so easy as in the camp of re
bels ; since the very act of being there is rewardable service. Ac
cordingly, one man shall be their Bishop to-day, another to-morrow:
to-day a Deacon, to-morrow a reader : to-day a Presbyter, to-mor
row a mere layman. For in laymen also they wUl vest the powers and
functions of the Priesthood."
As an instance of what is thus generally stated by Tertullian, take
the behaviour of Novatian, Presbyter in the Church of Rome, who,
about the year 262, was the founder of a sect which professed es
pecial strictness of moral discipline. The testimony concerning him,

398
of his own Bishop, Cornelius, a prelate of the highest character in
the Church, is as follows : — " Never in so short a time was so great
a change seen, as we witnessed in Novatian. He was continually
pledging himself by certain fearful oaths, that the Bishoprick was no
object to him : and now, on a sudden, as it were by some stage trick,
he comes forward in public a Bishop I Reformer as he is of doctrine,
and champion of pure Church principles, having entered on a scheme
for making himself a Bishop, without Divine sanction, by underhand
means, he selects two, as desperate as himself, and sends them into
certain small and insignificant dioceses of Italy : where, lighting on
three Bishops," (the requisite number for consecration,) " men rustic,
and very simple, he persuades them to come with all speed to Rome,
as though by their mediation some present dispute in that Church
might be composed. Being there come, he surrounds them with
men like himself, provided for the purpose ; and at a late hour, after
a full nieal, when they were off their guard, compels them to make
him Bishop, by I know not what imaginary and vain ordination."
Is it not plain that this person would have rejected the Episcopal .
succession al once, if he could have compassed his ends without it ?
So far, therefore, he is an instance ofthe fact, that disrespect to that
succession is a part of the heretical character. And although it is
not exactly to the present purpose, I cannot refrain from adding also
a circumstance which betrays his mind regarding the sacraments of
Christ. Having set himself up as a schismatical rival to Cornelius,
the true Bishop of Rome, this' was his method of securing to him
self partisans ; in the act of solemnizing the holy Eucharist, " when
he had made the offerings, and was distributing to each communi
cant his portion, and conveying it to him, he compels the unfortu
nate men, instead of giving thanks, to utter the following oath : he
holding uoth their hands, and not letting them go until they repeat
ed the words of asseveration after him ; and these are his very
words : — ' Swear to me by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that thou wilt never forsake me, and return to Cornelius.'
Nor is the poor man allowed to taste, before he shall have thus pro
nounced an imprecation on himself. And when he receives that
bread, instead of saying. Amen, he is made to say, I will never re
turn to Cornelius."
It is frightful, but surely it is very instructive, to see how one kind
of profaneness thus draws on another. Contempt of Apostolical
authority was joined, we see, in this case, with contempt of the Sa
craments of Christ. In the worse case which followed, that of
Arius, the same evil temper led, as every one knows, to a direct
assault on ihe holiest truths of Christianity. The immediate occa
sion of Arius' promulgating his blasphemy, is said to have been his
vexation at failing to succeed to the episcopal throne of Alexandria.
This exasperated him so, that he laid in wait for an opportunity of
disturbing the person preferred to him, Alexander, a man of true

399
primitive energy. And he took occasion from certain expositions
of Scripture, in which, as he, Arius, pretended to think, the Bishop
had too much magnified the Son of God. The first spring, there
fore, of his heresy was a rebellious and envious feeling towards his
Bishop. And although for the same reason, probably, as Novatian,
his followers never renounced the Apostolical succession ; their pro
ceedings were marked all along by a thorough disdain of Apostolical
privileges. Witness their unscrupulous use of the civil power, or
even of the fury of the populace, wherever it suited their purposes
to carry an episcopal election, or control a synod, by such means :
witness again the license they encouraged of profane and libellous
scoffing, both in prose and verse ; by which, added to their impro
per appointments, they gradually depreciated the character of the
most sacred office ; so that it is quite melancholy to read the ac
counts given of what Bishops were at Constantinople in 381, as
compared with what they had been at Nicaea, about sixty years be
fore. All was no more than might be expected from a party, whose
first overt proceedings are thus related by an eye-witness. " They
could not endure any longer to remain in submission to the Church ;
but having builded for themselves dens of thieves, there they hold
their meetings continually, by day and by night exercising them
selves in calumnies against Christ and us  They try
to pervert those Scriptures which affirm our Lord's eternal God
head and unspeakable glory with His Father. Thus encouraging
the impious opinions of Jews and Heathens concerning Christ,
they lay themselves out to the uttermost to be praised by them :
making the most of those points, which the unbelievers are most
apt to ridicule ; and daily exciting tumults and factions against us.
One of their methods is, to get up actions at law against us, on the
complaint of simple women, disorderly persons, whom they have
perverted. Another, to expose the Christian profession to scorn,
by permitting the younger persons among them to run irreverently
about all the streets ;" i. e., as it would seem, from one conventicle
to another  "And while they thus set themselves
against the Divinity of the Son of God, of course they shrink not
from uttering unseemly rudeness against us. Nay, they disdain to
compare themselves even with any of the ancients, or to be put on
a level with those, whom we from children have reverenced as our
guides. As to their fellow-servants of this time, in whatever country
or Church, they do not consider a single one to have attained any
measure of true wisdom : calling themselves the only wise, the only
disdainers of worldly wealth, the only discoverers of doctrinal truth ;
to themselves, they say, alone are revealed things which in their
nature never could have come into the mind of any other under the
sun." Such were the original Arians, the first powerful impugners of
the Divinity of Jesus Christ ; such their conduct towards their

400
Bishops, and their reverence for Apostolical authority. The list of
examples might be greatly enlarged ; but it is time to go on to more
modern times, and see what the result has been, where that was
done, (I do not say from motives like theirs,) which Novatian and
Arius clearly would have done if they had dared.
The largest experiments yet made in the world on the doctrinal
result of dispensing with episcopal succession, are the Lutheran
Churches of North Germany, the Presbyterian or Reformed Church
es of Switzerland, Holland and Scotland, with their offshoots in
France, Germany, England and Ireland, and the Congregational or
Independent Churches, in this island, and ini America. I am not
now going to dispute the necessity of what was done at the Refor
mation, (although it would be wrong to allow such necessity, with
out proof quite' overwhelming,) but simply to state, as matter of
fact, what has ensued in each instance, in regard of the great doc
trine of our Lord's Incarnation.
First, in North Germany, whatever may be supposed the cause, it
is notorious that a lamentable falling off from the simpficity of evan
gelical truth prevailed during a considerable part of the eighteenth
century. Views prevailed, which are commonly called Rationalist :
i. e., which pretend to give an account, on principles of mere human
reason, of Christianity and every thing connected with it. Of course
the union of God and man, in the Person of Jesus Christ, was an
object of scorn to a nation so led away by " philosophy and vain
deceit." But it is a point well worth remarking, that, according to
some who know much of German literature, the mischief was oc
casioned in good measure by the importation of Deistical books and
opinions from England:* books and opinions which England her
self had rejected. Why so great a difference in the reception of the
same error by two kindred races of people, lying very much under
the same temptations ? Is it unreasonable to suppose that the Apos
tolical succession and safeguards arising out of it, which England
enjoys, had something to do with her comparative exemption from
that most alarming error ?
The next which occurs is the case of the Church of Geneva:
and it is, indeed, a most startling case. It appearing at the time
morally impossible to get a sufficient number of episcopally ordained
Pastors, Calvin was induced to neglect the Apostolical Commission
in his plan for the reformation of Geneva ; or rather to search holy
Scripture for a new view of that commission, which might make
him quite independent of Bishops. In so doing, he made out for
himself the platform of Presbyterian Discipline. Having once
established that as of exclusive divine right, he precluded himself
from taking advantage of the avenue for returning to the true suc
cession, which was soon after opened to him by his intercourse with
* Pusey on the Theology of Germany, part I. p. 124.

401
the English reformers. It should seem that he could not help feel
ing how irreconcilable this his new form of Church government
was with the general witness of the Fathers : and hence, among
other reasons, he contracted a kind of dislike of the ancient Church,
and an impatience of being at all controlled by her decisions, which
ultimately has proved of the worst consequence to the Genevan
Church in particular. For example, he feared not, in his prime
work, the Institutes, to speak contemptuously of the Fathers of the
Council of Nicaea, and to designate the capital article of their ma
jestic creed as little better than " an aflected and childish sing-song."
Another time he uttered a wish that the word " Trinity" might be
discontinued in the formularies of the Church. These and other
symptoms of a desire to take Uberties with antiquity, were not un
noticed by a new sect, just then creeping out of the ground in Italy.
Socinus and his partisans, one after another, betook themselves to
Geneva, as the soil most congenial to them : and the later years of
Calvin, and almost all those of his successor, Beza, were disturbed
by that heresy and others akin to it, both at home and among their
spiritual colonies abroad : especially those in Poland and Transyl
vania. It is well known how violently some of these false teachers
were attacked by Calvin, even to the death : and his letters altoge
ther betray a soreness and anxiety on the subject, as if he were
aware that the system of his Church was incomplete, and did not
feel quite sure that it was not his own fault. If such were Calvin's
misgivings, the experience of later times has furnished a sad verifi
cation of them. After a gradual declension of many years, the
Church of Geneva has now, it appears, sunk down to the very low
est standard of doctrine consistent with nominal Christianity. The
Trinity, the Atonement, the Incarnation of the Son of God, are, or
were lately, absolutely proscribed by authority as topics of preach
ing in the congregations there considered orthodox. Could such a
downfall so easily have taken place, had not the authority of the
Primitive Church, as a witness and interpreter of holy writ, been
intentionally disparaged from the beginning, and private, that is to
say, popular and fashionable judgment set up instead, for strictly
Presbyterian purposes ? Episcopal sway, appealing as it must to
antiquity, was surely just the thing needed to watch and check that
evil leaven before it had spread so far.
A like effect, proceeding, as it may be thought, very much from
the same cause, may be seen in Holland, in the rise and growth of
that school of divinity, commonly called Liberal or Latitudinarian :
which began with Episcopius and others in the seventeenth century,
and which has greatly tended to encourage a habit of explaining
away the mysteries of the faith in almost all Protestant countries.
The fact seems to be, that the extremes of the Predestinarian doc
trine, violently pressed as they were at the Synod of Dort, produced
their natural result, a violent reaction : and the minds of men not
51

402
being prepossessed with the salutary antidote of reverence for
primitive tradition, (which antidote had been systematically with-
holden, lest Presbyterianism should lose influence through it,) were
ready to give up any thing else, when they had once given up the
creeds and definitions of their own Churches. When these divines
were pressed with the testimonies of the Fathers, the spirit of their
answers were such as the following: " Never shall any advice drive
me into the fruitless toil of studying the Fathers : which is more
like grinding in a prison-house than any thing else. I envy no man
the credit he may acquire in such a frivolous, insignificant pursuit.
Others, for me, may have all the glory of much reading and great
memory, whoever they are, who can find pleasure in wandering
and rocking about in that vast ocean of Fathers and Councils."
And (let it be well observed) this founder of the liberal school
goes on distinctly to avow, that " he takes no great pains," nor ever
did, " to acquaint himself with the writings of the Fathers ;" whom,
indeed, he grudges to call "the Fathers," accounting it a name of
too much reverence. On this, our learned Bishop Bull remarks,
what is much to our present purpose, as showing how cheap
thoughts of the Primitive Church might naturally lead some steps
towards heresy. " Much, indeed, were it to be wished that Epis
copius had excepted the Fathers and writers of the three first cen
turies, at least. Had he spent more time on them, it would never
have been regretted either by himself or the Church. For it would
have saved him from representing the Arian and Socinian doc
trines, regarding the Person of our Saviour, as having been, in the
judgment of the early Churches, erroneous indeed, but not so bad
as heretical."*
Passing over to our own island, we are met, at once, by a fact,
which appears at first, as far as it goes, to tell against the preceding
conclusions. The Church of Scotland, ever since the Revolution,
has been altogether Presbyterian ; and yet, by God's blessing, her
Ministers never have been accused of such a defection as took place
at Geneva. Allowing the many good parts of her system (which,
be it observed, are all in a primitive spirit,) full credit for this, yet
one may be permitted to observe, that something naturally must be
ascribed to the vicinity of our own Church diffusing a kind of
wholesome contagion, the benefit of which has been acknowledged
by some of the great lights of the Scottish establishment.f And it
may be doubted whether many of the laity of that country, and
especially whether the leading schools of education, have not been
all along gradually verging towards something like Genevan pro
faneness. A little time will probably shaw — certainly there are
symptoms in Scotland at this moment, which would make an ortho-
* Bull, Jud. Eccl. Cath. p. 3. ed. Grab.
t Dr. Chalmers on EstabUshments.

403
dox Englishman more than ever unwilling to part with that outwork
of Apostolic Faith, which England, under circumstances in many
respects peculiariy untoward, has hitherto found in the Apostolical
Commission of her Clergy.
In England itself, it is hardly necessary to do more than notice
the acknowledged state of the Presbyterian Churches. Not being
subjected to the control of so strict a disciphne as those of their
communion in Scotland, and being moreover thrown into more hos
tile contact with the principles of ancient episcopal order, they have
subsided, one after another, into a cold and proud Socinianism.
Three years ago, it was stated on dissenting authority, that the whole
number of Presbyterian chapels in England was 258, out of whom
235 were in reality Unitarian.
Among the Independent or Congregational Churches (in which
denomination, when speaking of Church government, the Baptists
are of course included,) no such avowed defection prevails. But
their systematical disparagement of the holy Sacraments, their hor
ror (for it is more than disregard) of authority and antiquity, and
the tendency of their instriictions and devotions to make Faith a
matter of feeling rather than a strict relative duty towards the per
sons of the Holy Trinity: these and other causes are, I suspect,
not very gradually preparing the way for lamentable results among
them also. And it is most evident that all such causes act more
strongly for the want of that check which a controlhng Episcopacy
supplies ; such an Eyiscopacy, I mean, as may confidently make a
continual appeal to the very Apostolical age.
But we are not left quite to conjecture on the doctrinal tendency
of Congregational views of Church government. The experiment
has been tried on a large scale in America ; and in one part of it
(New England) with something of that advantage which endow
ments may be supposed to yield towards stability of Orthodox doc
trine. The result may be given in the words of a Socinian writer.
"In the United Slates, where there are no obstructions to the pro
gress of knowledge and truth, the spread of Hberal doctrines has
exceeded our most sanguine expectations." An account which is
confirmed by the testimony of all parties. Now, it is allowed, that
in the same United States the Independents and Baptists 'put toge
ther greatly exceed all other denominations of Christians. The
only country, therefore, of Christendom where congregational prin
ciples of government entirely prevail, is likewise the only country
which witnesses the rapid and unmitigated growth of Unitarian
principles of doctrine. In other countries, generally speaking, the
" God-denying apostacy" finds more or less acceptance, in propor
tion as less or more remains of primitive order and respect for the
Apostolical commission.
" But," it will be said, " what then becomes of the opposite case
of the Church of Rome ? She, too, has her grave doctrinal errors.

404
deeply trenching on scriptural truth, awfully dangerous to the souls
of men ; and yet she is generally considered as the great champion
of the Apostolical commission." The answer to this lies in the fact,
well known, however little considered, that in the same degree as
the Romish Church swerved, as a Church, from Christian verity, she
laboured also to induce her subject Bishops to part with their claim
to a succession properly Apostolical. Many and earnest were the
debates on this point, at Trent, in the year 1562 : the Papal Legates
labouring, on the one hand, to enforce a declaration that Episcopal
authority was not of divine right immediately, but mediately through
the See of Rome, the Bishops of Spain more especially insisting on
the contrary tenet. The matter was quieted by a kind of com-
proniise through the intervention of the French Bishops, and is
accordingly left undecided in the decrees of that Council. The de
bates, however, remain on record, a remarkable proof that the spirit
of Popery, as of all Anti-christian corruptions, shrinks back as it
were instinctively, from the presence of Apostolical principles of
order. If any one ask, " Why should all this be so ? What has the Epis
copal succession to do with doctrines, with the doctrine of our Lord's
Incarnation more especially?" — the answer has been partly given in
the course of this brief sketch, especially in what related to Geneva.
But, in general, the following considerations would appear to suffice.
First, As matter of direct argument, when once men have learned
to think slightly of the testimony borne by the ancients to the primi
tive discipline, they will naturally lose some part of their respect for
the testimony borne by the same ancients to the primitive interpre
tation of Scripture. Now the questions between us and Unitarians
are, in a great measure, questions of Scripture interpretation. Is it
not clear, then, in how great additional jeopardy we place the irre
verent and the wavering, when, from whatever cause, we shake their
confidence in the express testimony of the early Fathers ?
Secondly, Looking at the whole subject as matter not of argu
ment, but of feeling and temper; boldness and self-sufficiency in deal
ing with those who came next to the Apostles, will prepare the mind
to lay aside some portion of that deference with which we should
approach the holy Apostles themselves. They and their writings will
be treated more and more with a sort of hasty familiarity : inspiration
will be less and less thought of ; and then, should either heresy be
come fashionable, or the man be naturally restless in discussion, and
tormented with thoughts of his own ingenuity, the result is all but
morally certain.
Thirdly : (the point must not be omitted, however the majority
may agree to scoff at it, and however gravely some may blame it as
uncharitable :) if there be such a thing as a true Apostolical commis
sion, truly connected with the efficacy of Christ's holy Sacraments ;
then we must suppose, that where that commission is wanting, espe-

405
cially if the want be through men's presumption or neglect, then the
gracious assistance of the Holy Ghost cannot be so certainly de
pended on, as for other sanctifying purposes, so for the guiding of the
mind to doctrinal truth. Of course, then, the evil spirit and the tempt
ing sophistry of the world will have the more power over men ;
so that if for no other reason, yet through the want or imperfection
of the ordinary channels of grace, schism might be expected to lead
to false doctrine and heresy.
Can it be necessary to add the obvious remark,thatif the Church
system were needful heretofore, it is but rendered the more evident
ly necessary for every advance in intellectual light and liberty, which
the present age, from day to day, prides itself on making ? Alas ! if
the appetite for knowledge of good and evil be indeed the great snare
of all, then all the supernatural means and aids which our Lord has
provided in His Church, instead of having gone out of date, are
more than ever necessary to us ; and those more heavily than ever
responsible, who scorn any of those aids, or teach and encourage
others to do so.
It is of God's great mercy, that to such a perversion of mind is
generally annexed what makes its own punishment here, and so far
gives it a fairer chance of better and more humble thoughts in time
for hereafter. We are plainly taught by St. Paul, that those who
permit themselves to disparage the heavenly gifts, conveyed to us by
the Spirit of Christ through His Apostlesj may expect to be, if no
worse, yet all their lives " children, tossed to and fro, and carried
away by every wind of doctrine :" or, as he elsewhere expresses it,
" ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge ofthe truth."
Let us remember these things, when we hear, as we too often have
heard, and must more and more expect to hear, of ingenious men
letting go their hold, first, of Christian order, and then of Christian
faith ; and let us fear and pray both for them and for ourselves.

No. 58.
(Ad Populum)
ON THE CHURCH AS VIEWED BY FAITH AND BY THE
WORLD.

by a layman.

Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more ; but ye see Me.
John xiv. 19.
Moses endured his trials, according to St. Paul in the 1 1th chap
ter of Hebrews, "as seeing Him who is invisible." And this blessed
privilege it is, according lo the Apostle's language throughout the
same chapter, which has distinguished the true servants of God, in
every age, from the unbelieving world around them. Even while
pilgrims here on earth, " the pure in heart," in one sense at least,
" see God." They trace, alike in the events which befall themselves.
and in the varying scenes which succeed each other before their eyes
on the great theatre of life, a Presence and an Agency of which man
kind at large know nothing. Things visible and tangible they feel
but to be the screen and vail ofthe things invisible and intangible be
hind them ; or, at most, to be the adjuncts and comparatively unim
portant accompaniments of the great system in which their spirits
really move. They view the things of earth as being, as in truth they
are, necessarily connected with the things of heaven. They habitu
ally look, not only " through nature, up to nature's God," but through
the wide expanse of the social and moral world around them, —
through the habits, opinions, and institutions, of their time and coun
try — through the strife of politics, and the din of the unruly multi
tude, — lo that eternal Being who reigns above them all ; whose will
and whose counsels are in truth interwoven with them all, — and who
works out his own great designs as surely by the operation of these
jarring and unruly elements, as by the more tranquil and steady pro
cesses ofthe world of inanimate nature.
And this view of God in all things — this habitual contemplation of
the Almighty, His word and will, in connection, not only with our
daily actions, but even with the daily scene before us, it is, of course,
the object of the great enemy of the Church to obstruct and to pre-

407
vent. His most ardent wish is, to thicken the screen before us, — to
persuade us to regard the tangible things which surround us as the
exclusive objects of our moral vision, — to induce in us a belief that
the adjuncts to the great scene really open to our ken, are to be iden
tified with that scene itself. And even with regard to things, which
from their nature are the most essentially (so to say) connected with
Heaven, he would have us forget the connection, and imagine that
the things of earth with which, in this world, they are necessarily in
volved, are the heavenly things themselves. He would have the ob
jects of our contemplation, and by consequence our spirits them
selves, ofthe earth, earthy ; he would darken the prospect before us
by excluding, if possible, every gleam of celestial light which might
burst through the vail ; every ray of spiritual brightness which might
impart to us, amid the dimness and the haziness of our nearer pros
pect, a conception ofthe glories of a world unseen.
These great truths, for such they are, may be illustrated by exam
ples varied as is the manner of Satan's warfare with the Church in
each succeeding generation. But the most profitable illustration of
them, as far as this generation is concerned, may be drawn from the
mode in which he is especially labouring to deceive ourselves and
our contemporaries by obscuring, as far as in him lies, from our view,
the real nature of the Holy Church itself, to which we belong. That
Church, we may presume, as contemplated by Christ's followers,
by the light which His Holy Spirit sheds upon their minds, is seen
to be His own Divine Institution ; to be an institution gifted and
blessed by Himself in the first instance, and still presided over by
Ministers deriving their authority from those Apostles on whom He
deigned to breathe, and with whom, in their Apostolic capacity,. He
pledged Himself to be even unto the end of the world. They recog
nise in it a kingdom " not made with hands, not of this world," yet
sent into this world, an illustrious guest, to bring to this world Salva
tion. They behold in it the glorious link which connects together,
through every age and in every clime, the blessed company of all
faithful people, the school in which the multitude whom no man can
number, learn the song which they are hereafter, standing on the
sea of glass, to sing before the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne on high. They reverence in it, — but on these subjects I dare
not further enlarge, — the body of the Redeemer Himself, and His
mystic Bride below.
Such is, we may imagine, some faint outline of the view which
would be taken of the Church by its true and approved members.
With what reverence, then, must that Church, whether considered
collectively, or with reference to any given national branches of it ;
while, at least, such branches continue in their first faith — be by them
regarded I And what a triumph must it be for the dark spirit of evil,
when he succeeds in blotting from the mind of a baptized member
of that Church every vestige of these exalting themes of contempla-

408
tion ; when he induces one entitled to rejoice in the blessed fellow
ship of the sons of God, to turn his eyes from these glories of his in
heritance, and to fix them, exclusively, on the earthly accompani
ments by which the Church, while here militant below, maintains
her connection with the external world.
But, alas I is he not doing this on every side around us ? Is he not
daily tempting ourselves to regard the Church, a true branch ofthe
Church Catholic, established in these our islands, as a mere human
institution ? to consider the revenues with which the piety of holy
men of old endowed its Ministers, as a provision set apart by the
state for the purposes of education, with a view to the temporal ad
vantages of society ? and to imagine that those Ministers themselves
are the servants of the government, appointed by its authority, pri
marily responsible to it for the discharge of their duties, and subject
(like civil or military officers appointed by the executive,) alike with
respect to the extent and to the duration of their powers, to its gene
ral superintendence and control.
Such views are, in these days, notoriously too common ; and a
clearer instance cannot well be imagined of that system of forgetting
things invisible in things visible, which it must be the most strenuous
wish of the Power of evil to maintain.
The Church, in itself, is a divine institution ; and as a visible com
munity and body in the state, it is also, in one sense, a political insti
tution. The worldly speculator — he who limits his views to the tan
gible objects of sense, — will, therefore, regard it as a political insti
tution alone. Its Ministers have spiritual powers, those, for instance,
of administering the Sacraments ; as possessors of property and pri
vileges, they also, in this country, possess temporal powers. The
worldly eye will therefore regard their temporal powers alone. As
Ministers of Christ, they prepare man for a happy immortality in the
next world, and in so doing, incidentally make him a belter member
of society, and improve his condition in this. The latter effect of their
teaching is all which strikes the worldly eye. As dispensers of reli
gious knowledge, they incidentally promote the general education of
mankind ; and this latter comes to be considered by the world as
their principal business. And lastly, while they derive their prima
ry commission from the Redeemer, and their secondary character —
if I may so call it — from the constitution of the country, the eye of
the world can see in them but the servants of the latter ; forgetful
that their true Master, that He to whom alone they are responsible
for the discharge of the most important functions intrusted to them, —
the functions of their ministerial stewardship, — ^is the Almighty Head
ofthe Church who ever watches over it in Heaven.
To entertain views hke these, thus habitually to forget the connec
tion which in truth exists between the Almighty and His own Holy
Institution, is, in the most emphatic sense, to live without Gtod in the
world. And the fine of conduct to which such views, if consistently

409
acted upon, necessarily lead, cannot be contemplated by the serious
mind without feelings of the most awful apprehension. The Re
deemer has told us that He is, in truth, ever about us ; that He, even
while seated in glory, feels, as though He were Himself the object
of them, alike each act of kindness done to, and each injury inflicted
upon, the humblest of His disciples. And if this be so, ifthe inter
ests of individual members of His Church be in His view thus iden
tified with His own, how intimately must He sympathize with the for
tunes of that Church itself, of that Church which He deigned Him
self to found, and especially to commend to our reverential care.
Surely if we, blind to His gracious presence, presume to insult, de
spoil, or irreverently treat as a merely human thing His hallowed in
stitution, we shall one day hear the voice once heard by Saul, " Why
persecutest thou Me ?" God grant that we may, like Saul, hear it
while time yet lies before us ; that we may hear it in the gentle ac
cents of mercy, not in the trumpet-tone of judgment.
Let worldly politicians and legislators, then, do as they fist. Let
them, if they imagine it will further their ambitious views, fearfully
insult the Church established in our Islands. Christ's true servants,
steadfastly refusing any countenance to their irreverent projects,
will protest against them, if in no other way, by the quiet and con
sistent tenor of their lives. They will show the world by their ac
tions that they behold the Redeemer, as He has tauglU them to
behold Him, in His Church. And if that Church, having long been
an honoured guest in our Islands,'4s to be cast down from her high
estate, and, whether in England or in Ireland, to be trampled under
the foot of power, and made to give place to any one of the unau
thorized sects which would usurp her place, they wiU continue to
cling in her adversity to her who had been in her prosperity their
nursing mother and their guide. Beholding her built upon the rock
of apostolical authority, and convinced that she has not forfeited,
by apostatizing from the faith, her original commission, they will
reverence her Ministers as much when become the objects of the
world's contempt, as they had reverenced them when that world
bowed before them with pretended homage.
The rulers of that world may suppose that the Church is in their
hands ; that they may deal with it according to their pleasure ; and
that its very existence is at their disposal. Thus thought the rulers
of a former day, when the Redeemer had given Himself into their
hands, and when their agents exerted a last mahce upon His lifeless
remains. They knew it not, that even then, in that dark hour, a
fimit was set to their presumption : the word of Heaven had passed,
that a bone of Him should not be broken, and the whole power of
Heaven, could it have been necessary, would have interfered to
prevent the violation of the decree. And thus, to our comfort let
us remember, it must be with Christ's body, the Church, even now.
A limit has been set to its enemies, which they cannot pass ; the
52 i

410
utmost extent of their successful malice has been fore-ordained, fore-
registered, in Heaven ; nor can they, even in its weakest hour,
wreak one insult upon its apparently lifeless frame, beyond those of
which God, in His goodness, sees fit to permit the infliction.
The existence of such a limit it is impossible that they should be
lieve, or even understand. Their views of the Church's fortunes
and condition are necessarily as imperfect as their notions of the
Church itself. Seeing nothing but its tangible frame, conscious of
its political existence alone, they naturally deem that the overthrow
of these externals is the essential overthrow of the Church ; which
will, as they suppose, cease tovcxist at all when they shall have de
prived it of all those symptoms of existence, which their faculties
can perceive. They know not — the Church's enemies, till taught
by fatal experience, never did know — that all which the utmost ex
ertion of their violence can effect, will be but to bruise its heel. Its
true, its inherent vitality, as it is beyond their ken, is also beyond
their power ; and in that vitality it may, if God so please, grow and
flourish the most, at the very moment of their fancied triumph in
the supposed annihilation of its powers.
Even to the Church's true members, its real glories here on earth
are for the most part the objects of Faith. " The kingdom of God
cometh not with observation ;" the workings of God's Spirit in the
assembly of His chosen, — His constantly repealed triumphs in the
overthrow of evil, and in the increase of spiritual life among the
faithful, are noiseless and unperceived. Churchmen know not, in
their generation, what is passing around them, or even in themselves.
In silence and in mystery, God is working out, now and continually,
the accomplishment of those prophecies, the realization of those
inspired pictures which describe the earthly glories of the Messiah's
kingdom. But the full comparison of those prophecies with their
fulfilment, of those pictures with the original events from which, by
Divine anticipation, they were drawn, will never perhaps be vouch
safed to mortal eyes. In a future state of being, when the Al
mighty's ways shall be all at length made plain, it may be one of
the happy employments of the Blessed to contemplate the Church
as it was upon earth ; to see how fully all that was predicted of it
by the voice of Inspiration was, throughout the period of its dura
tion on earth, fulfilled, and how amply God redeemed the promises
which he had made to His Holy Institution ; manifesting in it, from
generation to generation. His glory ; — not indeed to sinners in the
flesh, — but to the countless myriads who surround His throne, — to
perfected Saints and unspotted angels, — and, in a word, to all the
sinless and glorified Creation.
In that retrospective view it will undoubtedly be seen, that the
world, in systematically afflicting the Church, is but doing its ap
pointed part. May the part assigned to ourselves be the happier
one of witnesses for God's truth, and defenders of His Holy Insti-

411
tution. May we, seeing God in all things, — habitually contempla
ting the Almighty as now revealed to the eye of faith alike in His
Church and in His worid, — prepare ourselves, through His Grace,
for that fuller and more perfect contemplation of Him, which shall
hereafter be the privilege of the redeemed in Heaven.

No. 59.
(Ad Clerum)
CHURQH AND STATE.

We are very naturally jealous of the attempts that are making
to disunite, as it is called. Church and State ; which in fact means
neither more or less, in the mouths of those who clamour for it,
than a general confiscation of Church property, and a repeal of the
few remaining laws which make the true Church the Church of
England. This is what Dissenters mean by Disuniting Church and State ;
and we are all naturally anxious to avert a step at once so unjust to
wards men and sacrilegious towards God.
Let us not imagine, however, that every one who apparently
joins with us in this anxiety must necessarily have the welfare of
the Church at heart. Many people seem to join us at this crisis,
and protest loudly in favour of the Union of Church and State, who
nevertheless mean by this, something very different from what Dis
senters mean, and from what we mean when we are opposing Dis
senters. The " Union of Church and State," which many persons
so call, and are so anxious to preserve, is in some points, almost as
great an evil, as it is confessedly, in other points, a good : and there
are almost as many persons who support it for its bad points, as
there are who hate it for its good.
Tq make this plain, I shall endeavour to explain what it is that
the Union of Church and State consists in, as now enforced by the
law of the land.
It consists in two things. State Protection and State Inter
ference ; the former of which. Dissenters wish to overthrow ; and
the latter of which, governments, of whatever kind, are very anx
ious to retain ; while Churchmen have hitherto been contented to
accept both conjointly, without perhaps very exactly calculating
how little they gain on the one hand, and how much they sacrifice
on the other. This subject is indeed one which, from the confi-

412
dence hitherto placed by us in the integrity of government, has,
perhaps, been much less investigated than any other of equal im
portance. But recent changes in the constitution have now so en
tirely altered the mutual relations ofthe Church and the Legislature,
that what has in past times been a becoming, though perhaps mis
placed, reliance on authority, would at present be a disgraceful
negligence about our most sacred interests. In the following pages,
then, it will be my object to consider the gains and losses which we
accept jointly, in the Union of Church and State, arranging them
under the above-mentioned heads : State Protection and State
Interference. I. The Protection which the Church receives from the State
consists principally in four things.
1. In securing to us by Law some small portion of those ample
endowments which the piety of our forefathers set apart for the
maintenance of true religion in this country. Of these endow
ments far more than half are at this day in the hands of laymen,
who may be of any religion or none, and do not consider them
selves obliged to spend one farthing of it in the cause of God. But
there is still a certain remnant in the hands of the clergy, who are
thereby enabled to Spread truth over the land, in the poorest and
most remote districts ; and to live in decency themselves, without
being a burden to the poor people for whose good they are labour
ing. This remnant then the State has forborne to confiscate, as it
has confiscated the rest ; and in this consists the first kind of State
Protection. 2. It further consists in enabling us to raise a tax on real property
for the keeping our parish churches in tolerable and decent repair
through the country, — which tax, as estimated by those who put it
at the highest, amounts to about as many thousands a year as the
other taxes amount to hundred thousands. This is the only existing
law by which Englishmen, as such, are called on to assist in the
maintenance of the Church of England.
3i It consists, farther, in allowing Thirty Bishops to sit and vote in
the House of Lords, to which House all Bishops, and many other
Church Dignitaries belonged, as a matter of right, at the signing of
Magna Charta ; and from which they never can be excluded with
out violating the very first article of Magna' Charta, the basis of
English liberty.
4. In the law De excommunicato capiendo^ by which the State
engages, that on receiving due notice of the excommunication of
any given person, he shall be arrested, and put in prison until he is
absolved. Such, are the four principal heads of State Protection: on
reading, them, over, it will occur to every one, that the first is nothing
more> than eommon justice, and no greater favour than every person

413
in the country receives in being protected from thieves ; that, as to
the second, the most that one can infer from it is, that in the eye of
the State the importance of the Church is to the importance of civil
government as a thousand to a' hundred thousand, or as one to a
hundred ; that to counterbalance the third, which admits some
Bishops to the House of Lords, all clergymen whatever are excluded
from the House of Commons ; and that the fourth is a bad useless
law, which cannot be done away with too soon.
II. Such is State Protection : now on the other hand, let us
consider the existing set-off against it, which is demanded of us.
This is State Interference, which encumbers us in ways too nu
merous to be catalogued, but is especially grievous in regard to the
two following particulars : — I. Church Patronage. 2. Church Dis
cipline. I. With regard to the first of these, it is obvious that the efficien
cy of the Church must ever mainly depend on the character of the
Bishops and Clergy ; and that any laws which facilitate the intrusion
of unfit persons into such stations must be in the highest degree
prejudicial. The appointment of our Bishops, and of those who
are to undertake the cure of souls, is a trust on which so much de
pends, that it is difficult to be too cautious as to the hands in which
it is placed, and as to the checks with which its due execution is
guarded. The sole object which should be kept in view is the get
ting these offices well ^lled, and the fewer private interests which
are allowed to interfere in filling them the better. Yet what are the
Laws which are forced on the acceptance of the Church for regu
lating this important matter? What is the care that has been taken
to vest the appointment in proper hands ? with what checks is its due
execution guarded ? what attention has been paid to any one point
except the very last that should have been thought of, the private
interests of patrons ? We shall see.
The appointment of all our Bishops, and, in much the greater
number of instances, of those who are to undertake the cure of
souls, is vested in the hands of individuals irresponsible and un
pledged to any opinions or any conduct ; laymen, good or bad, as
it it may happen, orthodox or heretic, faithful or infidel. The
Bishops, every one of them, are, as a matter of fact, appointed by
the Prime Minister for the time being, who since the repeal of the
Test Act, may be an avowed Socinian, or even Atheist. A very
large proportion of other Church benefices, carrying with them
cure of souls, are hkewise in the hands of the Prime Minister, or
of the Lord Chancellor and other Lay Patrons, who, hke him, may
be of any or no religion. So much for the hands in which these
appointments are vested : the checks by which they are guarded
must be considered separately in case of Bishopricks and of infe
rior benefices.

414
At former periods of our history, even in the most arbitrary and
tyrannical times, various precautions were adopted to prevent the
intrusion of improper persons into Bishopricks. To exclude the
great officers of state from a share in the iiomination was indeed
impossible — perhaps not desirable — but to prevent their usurping
an undue and exclusive influence, their choice was subjected to
the approbation of other bodies of men, with different interests,
and sufficiently independent to make their approbation more than a
form. The Nomination of the King and his Ministers was to be followed
by a real bona fide election on the part of the Collegiate Body at
tached to the V acant See. In the Church of Canterbury this body
consisted of 140 men, with small incomes, and connected, in many
instances, with the peasantry of the country, whose feelings and
opinions they seem to have, in a great measure, represented. The
courage and resolution with which these men frequently resisted
state persecution, will be appreciated on reading Gervase's History
of Canterbury, between the years 1160 and 1200. Indeed, it would
be no difficult matter to make a catalogue of the atrocities perpe
trated at different times on these collegiate bodies by kings and
nobles, in the hope of extorting consent to improper nominations ;
such as would rival Fox's Book of Martyrs in number and cruelty.
Here then was the first check on improper appointments.
Again, after Nomination and Election followed Confirmation, a
process well calculated to ehcit any sinister dealings which might
have influenced the previous steps. On a day appointed by the
Archbishop, all persons whatever that had any objection to urge
against the Election or person elected, were cited to appear in the
cathedral church ofthe vacant Diocese. The Archbishop was him
self to be in attendance as judge, to confirm or annul what had pass
ed, according to the evidence which should come before him. The
publicity of this process, and the circumstance that it was conducted
in a place of all others the most interested in the result, seemed cal
culated to preclude any very flagrant neglect of duty.
But should no obstacle have interfered with the will of the State,
either in Election or Confirmation, it still remained with the Arch
bishop to decide whether he was justified in consecrating : and in
deciding this he was left to the dictates of his own conscience, ex
posed indeed to the vindictive tyranny of power, but uncontrolled by
any law, and responsible to no earthly tribunal.
Thus it appears that in the most arbitrary and tyrannical times
the constitution of England recognised three independent checks to
the King's appointment, allowing a veto to be put upon it either at
Election, Confirmation, or Consecration. These checks were, in
deed, frequently overpowered by the capricious tyranny of the feu
dal system, or the still more capricious interference of the Bishop of
Rome. Perhaps, also, though upon the whole well adapted to the

415
times in which they were devised, they are unsuited to those in which
we live. Yet it is evident, that whatever difference exists between
those times and our own, it is a difference in our favour ; whatever
checks to abuse of power could exist then, might exist and more ef
fectually, now ; nor can any objection we may make against the par
ticular checks adopted under the feudal system, be an argument for
abolishing them without finding a substitute.
The object of these remarks is not to raise impatience and com
plaint, or to suggest changes in present arrangements, which, except
under certain contingencies, it might be wrong to contemplate, but
merely to set before the Church its position. I have shown what it
was in the middle ages, in order to assist our minds in the inquiry ;
let us, with the same object, now advance to the consideration of its
present condition.
It cannot be denied that at present it is treated far more arbitra
rily, and is more completely at the mercy ofthe chance government
of the day, than ever our forefathers were under the worst tyranny.
ofthe worst times. Election, Confirmation, Consecration, instead
of being rendered more efficient checks than formerly, are now so
arranged as to offer the least possible hindrance to the most excep
tionable appointments of a godless ministry. As to Election : the
Dean and Chapter, with whom it still formally rests, have only twelve
days given them to inquire into the character of the person nomina
ted, who may be an entire stranger to every one of them, or known
through report most unfavourably ; if they fail to elect in this time,
election becomes unnecessary, and the Crown presents without it.
And now the Dean and Chapter have eight days given them, and the
Archbishop twenty, for reflection ; if within these periods the former
fails logo through the form of election, and the latter to consecrate,
both parties subject themselves to the pains and penalties of a Prae
munire, i. e. all their goods, ecclesiastical and personal, are liable to
confiscation, and themselves to imprisonment till such time as they
submit. Such is the legal urgency which has been substituted for
the violence of former times : and thus, as the law now exists, we
have actually no check on the appointments of a Socinian, (if it so
happen) or Infidel Minister, guided by the more violent influences of
a legislative body, for which I feel too much respect as a political
power, to express an opinion about certain portions of its members.
Again, with regard to the inferior patronage of the Church : a large
proportion of our benefices are, as has been already noticed, in the
hands of laymen, who may be of any religion under heaven ; and the
laws of England (it must be confessed with sorrow) watch so jealous
ly over the interests of these patrons, and so little over those of the
Church, that they compel the Bishops, except incases so outrageous
that they can hardly ever occur, to accept at once of the person first
presented to them, and to commit the cure of souls to him by the
process of institution. It is worth observing what Judge Blackstone

416
says upon this subject. " Upon the first delay," saj's he, " or refusal
ofthe Bishop to admit the Clerk, the Patron usually brings his writ
of Quare impedit against the Bishop -for the temporal injury done to
his property in disturbing him in his presentation. . . . The writ of
Quare impedit commands the Bishop to permit the plaintiff to pre
sent ; and unless he does so, then that he appear in Court to show
his reason." What sort of reason the Court will be satisfied with,
the Judge informs us in another place. " With regard to faith and
morals," says he, " if the Bishop alleges only in generals that he is
schismaticus inveteratus, or objects a fault that is malum prohibitum
merely, as haunting taverns, playing at unlawful games, or the like,
it is not good cause of refusal." The Judge proceeds, " if the cause
be some particular heresy alleged, the fact, if denied, shall be deter
mined by a jury." The sum of the whole is, then, that unless the
Bishop can prove to the satisfaction of a jury in a Court of Common
Law, that the person presented to him for institution has been guilty
of some particular immoral act above the grade of malum prohibitum,
or has maintained some opinion such as shall come under the strict
definition of heresy, he loses his cause, and then, if he persist in his
refusal, is liable to an action for damages, in which the Judge informs
us " the patron may recover ample satisfaction."
Now, if any one were to search among his own acquaintances for
those whom he considers least fit for clergymen, he would certainly
find that his reason for thinking so was of a kind which he could not
make good before a court of justice. Those who wish to see this
matter in its true light should read over I Tim. iii. to verse 10, and
then reflect whether St. Paul would have been very likely to approve
of the law of England as it now stands.
These are among the effects of State Interference, as it affects
Church Patronage. As to Church Discipline, without entering into
the reasons for restoring it, it may be sufficient to mention one fact,
showing the practical effect of the law to suppress it.
Every Churchwarden in every parish in England is called on once
a year to attend the visitation of his Archdeacon. At this time oaths
are tendered to him respecting his different duties, and among other
things he swears, that he will present to the Archdeacon the names
of all such inhabitants of his parish as are leading notoriously immo
ral fives. This oath is regularly taken once a year by every Church
warden in every parish in England : yet I believe such a thing as
any single presentation for notoriously immoral conduct has scarce
ly been heard offer a century. So that it would certainly seem that,
if within this last century any votor-iously immoraX man hag been re
siding in any parish in England, the Churchwardens of that parish
have been perjured : and this is the effect of certain laws, which we
should call persecuting, did they not exist in our own free country,
which interfere with the due discharge of then: solemn engage
ment.

417
These remariis are offered to my brethren without immediate
practical object. Circumstances, however, may occur any day which
would make them immediately practical ; and it is necessary to be
prepared for these. Firmly as we may be resolved at present, from
the dictates of a sober and contented spirit,^ not to commence
changes ; yet when changes are commenced, and seem likely to ex
tend still more widely, it may obviously be the duty of Churchmen,
in mere self-defence, to expose and protest against their destitute
and oppressed condition.

No. 60.
(Ad Populum.
SERMONS FOR SAINTS' DAYS AND HOLIDAYS.
(No. IV.— ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES.)

" If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema,
Maranatha." — I Cor. xvi. 21.

The services appointed by the Church for this festival of St.
Philip and St. James, turn our attention very particularly to the
subject of personal love and devotion to our Lord. St. James was,
in some sense. His brother. St. Philip seems, by what is related
of him, to have had, in some respects, a more simple and uneduca
ted mind than the other Apostles : and, accordingly, to have sought
our Saviour with a faith not unlike that with which a pious untaught
countryman may be supposed to seek Him now. Thus, when our
Saviour had first called him, and he in his turn would persuade
Nathanael to come to Him, and Nathanael made the objection so ob
vious to a Jew, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip did
not pretend at all to argue the matter with him, but simply said, as
a plain man might, " Come and see."
And again, it was of St. Philip that our Saviour, with a kind of
cheerful condescension, made as if He would ask advice, when He
was about to feed the five thousand with a few loaves and fishes,
and so to prefigure that Divine Feast, which He meant in due time
to ordain for the spiritual food of the whole world. " Whence shall
we buy bread that these may eat ?" The Apostle answered in a
homely, straightforward way, as one having no suspicion that our
53

418
Lord meant more than He said, " Two hundred pennyworth of
bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a
fittle." It would seem quite in unison with this sort of simple-mind
edness, very sincere, but rather unreflecting, that St. Philip should
take that part which the Gospel of the day records of him, in the
farewell conversation between our Lord and His Apostles. When
Christ had said. He was the way, the truth and the life : when He
had assured them, that if they had known Him, they had known the
Father ; when He pointed out to them, as the chief fruit of His
blessed Gospel made known to the world, that from henceforth they
knew the Father, and had seen Him : St. Philip put up a request
which showed how possible it is, even for a thoroughly sincere per
son, to be very imperfect in his notions of Christian Truth : to be
with Christ, and yet not to know Him. He said, " Lord, show us
the Father, and it sufficeth us." Bring us at once to the Beatific
Vision — bring us into clear and evident communion with Him,
whom, as yet, we know only by faith — and that indeed is enough
for us. The answer of our Lord is a calm and grave rebuke, inti
mating, that even at that time, before the Holy Ghost had come,
when the knowledge of the Apostles was necessarily obscure and
imperfect, St. Philip's ignorance was hardly such as might be ex
cused. " Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Phihp ? He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father :
and how sayest thou then. Show us the Father ?" Even before the
Comforter came, the disciples of our Lord were to be blamed for
their thoughtlessness, in not being aware of His divine nature and
condescension, that He was the brightness of the Father's glory,
and the express image of His Person, God of God, made manifest
in the flesh. And if then, much more now: much more utterly
without excuse are those who refuse to know Him as He is, now
that the Comforter has been so long time with the Church : that
Spirit of wisdom, a part of whose especial office was to make
Christians rightly receive the three great Evangelical mysteries : the
Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Communion of Saints : according
to the promise of our Saviour, " At that day ye shall know that I
am in my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you."
I say, the rebuke of our Saviour to St. Philip is a clpar sign, that
when Scripture speaks so highly of personal love and devotion to
our Lord as being " the one thing needful," it means love and devo
tion to Him, not such as we may rashly imagine Him to be without
warrant of His Holy Word, as interpreted by His Church, but such
as He really is. There could be no question about St. Philip's at
tachment to Him, and yet we see he incurred rebuke, simply for
being so imperfect in his notion of his Lord. How would he have
fared if he had been really and positively erroneous ? if, while he
trusted in the Holy Jesus, he had yet closed with rash speculations
concernmg Him : had made up his mind to consider Him as no more

419
than a great Prophet, especially gifted with the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost ? Or again, if he had chosen to regard Him as a
created— though ever so glorious— angel ? Doubtless, in that case,
he would have been charged with something worse than mere
thoughtless simplicity; his fault would then have been nearer to
Pharisaical presumption, intruding men's opinions and fancies into
the place of God's Truth. And yet he might have been really at
tached to our Lord's Person, and might have depended on Him,
and no other, for health and salvation.
Now this point, that Christ is to be loved and served, not such
as men choose to imagine Him, but such as He really and truly is —
this point requires, if I mistake not, to be very seriously recalled to
men's remembrance, at the present moment in the Christian Church.
For the form which human presumption seems now inclined to take
is nearly such as this following : (and, what is very remarkable, it
is found among various classes of religionists, who think themselves,
and are in many respects, diametrically opposed to each other. But
this is, as it were, a point to which, at sundry distances, their errors
appear to converge:) namely. That in the matter of acceptance
with God, sentiment, feeling, assurance, attachment, towards Jesus
Christ, is all in all : that definite notions of His Person, Nature,
and Office, may very well be dispensed with, provided only the
heart feel warm towards Him, and inclined to rely upon Him en
tirely for salvation : that the high mysteries of the orthodox Catho
lic Faith, the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Communion with our
Lord through His Sacraments, are either unnecessary to be dis
tinctly believed, or that such belief will come of itself, if only, the
above-mentioned feeling of dependence on Christ be sincere. Is
not this the real tendency of a great deal that is said, thought, and
written, at the present moment, in what is called " the religious
world ?" Is not such the plain fact, whether for good or for evil ?
A few obvious remarks, then, on the tendency and probable result
of these things, may, by God's blessing, have their use, coming, as
we have seen they do, in strict accord with the Church Services of
the day.
Now, it may be at once allowed, that nothing can be said too
high, nothing higher than Scripture has a thousand times said, con
cerning the saving virtue and acceptableness of true love and faith
in Jesus Christ our Lord ; and that, consequently, those who
dwell on it exclusively, even in the wrong sense just mentioned, will
always, of course, appear to have a great deal of Scripture to plead
for themselves. But yet the same Scripture, with a very little
humble attention, will show where the mistake lies. Take, for ex
ample, such a verse as this, the conclusion of St. Paul's First Epistle
to the Corinthians : "If any" man love not the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be Anathema, Maranatha :" let him be excluded from the
communion of the Faithful, in the most awful form of any, by which

420
the wilful sinner was pronounced accursed, when the Lord comes
to judgment. What more easy than for a Commentator, so inclined,
to fasten on such a verse as this, and assume that one only thing, by
the laws of the Gospel, should exclude a man from Communion,
and expose him to the highest of Church censures, viz. want of sin
cere zeal, want of love to our blessed Saviour ? How plausibly
might it be contended, that where such zeal and love is, we are not
nicely to inquire into a man's creed ; that we may kneel by his side,
and worship with him, though our notions directly contradict his
concerning the nature of the Christ, the Saviour whom we wor
ship, if only both agree to' own Christ as a Saviour. One might
go on for ever applying the text, and others like it, in that way ; but,
as if on purpose to bar for ever all such bold speculations, see how
St. Paul has enabled us to check, as it were, this verse, by compari
son of others, which show in what sense its terms are really to be
understood. First, as to love of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same phrase oc
curs again at the end of another Epistle, in a form of blessing, par
allel, as it were, to the curse we are now considering. " Grace be
with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." What
is the " sincerity," the qualification here introduced ? In order to
serve the purpose of that system which is now becoming so very pre
valent, the word ought to mean, simply, " well-meaning ;" " freedom
from all guile and hypocrisy ;" the same, in short, as " being in ear
nest." But the true import of the word is, in all probability, some
thing very different from this. It occurs but once in the New
Testament, at least at all in a kindred sense : viz. in Titus ii. 7. where
St. Paul exhorts a newly ordained Bishop, first, "to show forth
himself in all things a pattern of good works," and afterwards, " to
show forth in doctrine uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, and sound
speech, that cannot be condemned." The sincerity, therefore, or
soundness, or enduring purity, of which St. Paul is speaking, would
so far appear, in all probability, to be a quality of the doctrine, not
of the behever's mind ; or rather, perhaps, of both together, " Grace
be with all those who love our I.1ORD Jesus Christ in incorrup-
tion ; with that sound enduring love, which, being grounded on the
truth of His Nature, will be able to withstand all things, as uncor-
rupt and glorified bodies will withstand the fires of the last day :
grace be with all those who love Jesus Christ as they will love
Him in Heaven, i. e. as truly God of God, made Man for our sal
vation." Next, observe that this anathema is not the only one pronounced
by St, Paul in the New Testament. There is one passage more, in
which he distinctly threatens the same penalty : and, in all reason, the
two mUst be compared together. Let it be well considered, then, by
such as imagine that sincerity of heart is every thing, and doctrine
nothing, or very fittle, what they can make of the awful anathema

421
at the beginning ofthe Epistle to the Galatians : "Though we, or an
angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
The two verses, compared with each other, lead inevitably to the
following result, startling as it may sound to those imbued with the
notions of the day ; that part of the measure of a Christian teacher's
sincerity in the love of Jesus Christ, is his agreement in the sub
stance of his doctrine with the system first preached by the Apostles.
It is not his amiable meaning towards those around him, no, nor yet
what may seem his devout meaning towards God, which will shel
ter him from the Apostolic censure, if he swerve from the platform
of Apostolical doctrine. And it is clear that the verse speaks of the
whole Creed as a whole, which the Galatians had received of St.
Paul. It does not leave them at liberty to choose out which articles
they would consider as important according to their notion and ex
perience of practical good, edifying effect, arising out of one more
than another. But it supposes them to have received a certain " form
of sound words," which no abstract reasoning or theory of their own ;
nay, more, no miracles or other marks of heavenly authority, would
warrant their adding to, or diminishing.
Further, it is plain from the general tenor of the Epistle, that one
particular by which this anathema was at that time incurred by some,
was affirming the necessity of the Jewish ceremonial law as part of
the conditions of the Christian covenant. Now, surely there is not
a priori any show of abstract impossibility in a person's holding that
error, and yet seeming to himself and others to love our Lord Jesus
Christ. Surely all that in mistaken kindness is now said by way
of extenuating false doctrine with regard to the Person of our Lord
and Saviour, might have been advanced a fortiori, in bar of the ana
thema against the seducers of the Galatians, whose mistake at first
sight only touched His offivce. It might have been said, "What hin
ders, but these or any men may be full of dutiful regard to our bless
ed Lord, although they be not fully aware of the repeal of those
laws of His, which He promulgated from Mount Sinai, to be a ritual
for His chosen people : and although in consequence they are still for
enforcing those laws on Gentile Christians as necessary to salvation ?"
We see at once by St. Paul's peremptory sentence, how fallacious
all such pleading would have been : how impossible to be tolerated
within the true Church, and how dangerous to the souls of those
who persisted in it after such authoritative warning. We see that
the Preachers of Circumcision in those times, although they might
feel, and in many respects act, as if they loved our Lord Jesus
Christ, were not to be accounted as " loving Him in sincerilty" and
uncorruptness. We see that sincerity, enduring purity of doctrine
in certain great points, is a necessary test of that love for Christ
which is required to secure human error from the anathema of the
Church ; a necessary quafification for receiving an Apostohcal blessing.

422
This view receives no slight illustration from certain cases in the
history of heresy ; cases in which the false doctrine has recommend
ed itself in the first instance to unguarded minds by the show of ex
traordinary love and respect for our Divine Master, and has ended
in direct treason and blasphemy against Him. A very remarkable
one occurred in Asia Minor, in the earlier half of the third century.
St. Paul himself had expressly warned the Pastors of that division of
Christendom, that they might expect men to arise of their ownselves,
who should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them.
This had begun to be accomplished in former generations by the
swarming of Gnosticks and Ebionites in those quarters : heresies
which appear at first glance shocking to all lovers of Christ. But
at the time now referred to, a more plausible misinterpretation arose ;
more plausible as a show of reverence to our Saviour's Person : the
author of which was one Noetus, either of Smyrna or of Ephesus.
We are told of him by St. Hippolytus, a writer almost contempora
ry with him, that " he was mightily lifted up by his vanity, and seduc
ed by a fancy prompted by an alien spirit, affirmed that the Christ
Himself, was ' personally' the Father, and that the Father Him
self was born, and suffered, and died. These things came to the
knowledge of the holy Presbyters of that time ; by whom he was
summoned and interrogated before the Church. At first he disavow
ed his holding any such opinions : but afterwards he found some to
lurk amongst, and having provided himself with associates in error,
he tried to make his theory permanent, now reduced into a distinct
form. Upon which the holy Presbyters again summoned and called
him to account. But he withstood them, using these words : ' What
evil then am I doing in that I give glory to Christ ? What harm
have I done ? I glorify one God ; I know one God, and no other
beside Him ; and that He was begotten and born into the world ;
that He suffered and died for us.' " Could any thing be more plau
sible, according to the notion that all is safe if only men are brought
to put their trust in our Saviour's Person alone ? Might it not as
truly then have been urged, as any one now can urge it, that the dis
tinction of Persons in the glorious Godhead is merely a mode of
speech, a scholastic theory, and that all was right if men could agree
to worship our Saviour ? The elders, however, of happy memory,
before whom Noetus was answering, were aware of no such defence.
According to the simplicity of the Gospel which they had learned,
probably with allusion to the very words of their creed, they reply, —
" We also have one only God, whom we know and acknowledge in
truth ; we know Christ ; we know the Son, and acknowledge Him
to have suffered as in truth He did suffer ; to have died as in truth
He did die ; who rose again the third day, and is on the right hand
of the Father, and is coming to judge quick and dead : and we af
firm THOSE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT." " ThcU hav
ing convicted him, they cast him out of the Church.

423
It really should seem as if, by especial Providence, this fragment
of early Church History had been preserved, in order to show Chris
tians how to deal with those heretics, who make their appeal with
perverse ingenuity to the good feelings of believers at the expense of
their orthodox conviction. If there come any man to you talking
affectionately of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, but scornfully of
the need of acknowledging Him as Very God of Very God : if the
words which have been put into our mouths by the Holy Fathers,
Creeds, and Councils, are treated as the mere inventions of Plato-
nists or Schoolmen : we have a clear precedent for the kind of an
swer we should give : we have no need to canvass objections, or to
draw subtle distinctions, we have only to repeat our Creed with
those blessed elders, and say, "The things which we have learned,
those we affirm." If they say, "What harm do we, giving Christ
all the glory ?" we will tell them, " Christ has taught His Church by
His Scriptures in what way He will be glorified ; and it is not for us
to tolerate other ways, however they may challenge our admiration
for their ingenuity, or our kindness by the seeming sincerity of their
inventors." But such a course is too harsh ; too peremptory in its censure of
persons, to whom we dare not deny a certain share of well-meaning.
This is a natural feeling, as it is natural to shrink, in all cases, from
inflicting pain. But if experience show that no apparent piety to
our Saviour will secure persons from the deadliest errors, if they
allow themselves to take Uberties with the old standard ofthe Faith, —
what shall we say ? will it not then appear, that the better we think
of the motives of our erring brethren, the greater their apparent
devoutness and sincerity, the more anxious must we be to speak out,
and pull them back, if possible, as brands out ofthe burning? Now,
then, what says experience ? Take one instance out of a thousand :
one of the most important that could have been mentioned ; an in
stance unquestionably and directly relevant, and probably most fatal
in its effects on the Church.
Of all the heresies of the Lower Empire, there is none which, at
first, appears more venial, more on the side of loyal Christian love,
than that of the Monophysites, at least after they had renounced the
error of their first founder, Eutyches, touching the reality of our
Lord's crucified body. It would seem as if nothing but excessive
reverence towards the glorified Son of Man, would lead men to deny
the continuance of His human Nature : as though of the two, very
God and very Man, the weaker were now, as it were lost and ab
sorbed for ever in the more glorious. In such a sect, therefore, of all
others, one would expect the most entire alienation from those who
deny Christ's Godhead altogether. But what is the fact ? When,
about the year 640, the Saracens first invaded Egypt, this very par
ty, the Monophysites, were the most numerous in that country, their
priesthood being especially strong. Most unfortunately, a violent

424
political as well as religious feud prevailed between them and the
orthodox, or Greek party, commonly called Melchites, or Royalists,
from their loyalty to* the Constantinopolitan emperor, — so that not
even intermarriages were allowed. For various reasons they consi
dered themselves greatly oppressed : but, after all allowance made for
considerations of that kind, it must be owned a lamentable indication
of the tendency of their doctrine, that they actually received the
Mussulmans with open arms. Their Patriarch of Alexandria, a man
whose name long stood very high among them for sanctity, came to
a regular treaty with the Caliph's lieutenant ; in which it appears fo
have been stipulated that he, the Patriarch, should be restored to the
episcopal throne of Alexandria, the whole sect for their part co-ope
rating with the infidel invaders. An account has been preserved of
the interchange of comphments between the Saracen leader and the
Patriarch, on the return of the latter to the city, from which he had
been long exiled. Amrou received him with the remark, that in all
the countries which the Caliph had conquered, he had not met with
any person of presence more august, and more worthy of a man of
God. And he actually entreated, and, as it seems, obtained, his pray
ers for victory and safetyin an expedition which he was just under
taking into West Africa and Pentapolis. The prayers of a Chris
tian Archbishop, presiding over the sect which had separated from
the Church on pretence of extraordinary reverence for Christ's
Person, were asked, and granted, in behalf of the Mahometan Anti
christ, just then on the point of wasting provinces which had been,
from the beginning, the pride and glory of the Christian world.
There is, then, nothing extravagant in the supposition that heresy,
even in its most attractive form of unusual loyalty to Christ, and
jealousy of His honour, may prove but a step towards some God-
denying apostacy. Whether or no any movement of the kind be
at the moment perceptible among us, it surely will be well to bear
such examples in memory. It is well that those who, from amiable
confidence in the right feeling of themselves and others towards
Him who is our common hope, are apt to make light of differences
in doctrine concerning Him : it is well, I say, that they should be
aware to what point, before now, men have been led by such
presumptuous differences. May we not imagine, even at that time,
the scruples of some more considerate Copt overcome by such ar
guments as are now not rarely alleged, when any Churchman is
seen to shrink from symbolizing with the corrupters of the Faith,
and despisers of the Church ? May we not, without any violent
improbability, represent to ourselves the venerable patriarch Beiija-
min reasoning as follows with such an unwilling disciple? "'Why
should you be so very loth to act with these our Arabian brethren.
whom you cannot deny to be our political deliverers ? True, they
deny that our Saviour is the Son of God ; they do not even allovi
Him to be the greatest of Prophets ; but remember what Hol^

425
Scripture says ; ' Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus
Christ :' and surely it is possible for a Mussulman to love Jesus
of Nazareth : nay, he cannot help doing so, if he be at all consist
ent : he must love one whom his own Scriptures acknowledge as
one of the greatest and most beneficent of heavenly messengers.
Be of good cheer then : we and these our new allies are in reality
much more unanimous than we have been used to imagine, in what
we fundamentally believe. In religion, properly so called, we do
not really differ from them. We all acknowledge with one voice
the great facts of the Bible. They add, indeed, those of the Koran :
but that is not of so much consequence, it being still possible for us
all. in one sense or other, to love Jesus Christ. Let us, then, leave
off contending about scholastic subtilties, and let us rather unite all
our energies against the one common enemy, the exclusive system
of the old Church, that Church which so unphilosophically insists
on our adoring the same Lord, confessing the same Faith, and hold
ing by the same Baptism. In this way, we shall be left most sure
to make our own high doctrines concerning our Lord and his sole
iincompounded Nature thoroughly known to our people: and we
shall do incalculably more good than we need fear doing harm by
this our partial and apparent compromise with what may be erro
neous in Mahometanism." If reasoning like this ought to have
availed in reconciling sincere Eutychians to the Mussulman connex
ion, then, and not else, it seems intelligible how those who profess
to advocate a peculiarly pure and spiritual view of Christianity,
should readily unite with the deniers of the Lord that bought them ;
and, in other respects, more or less directly compromise the system
of orthodox belief, where they think there is, humanly speaking, a
fair chance of doing more good in the end.
On the whole, there is evidently no security, no rest for the sole
of one's foot, except in the form of sound words ; the one definite
system of doctrine, sanctioned by the one Apostolical and primitive
Church. People say, it is hard to bring men to agreement in this ;
but so is perfection hard in every part of duty. And besides, let
the question be asked in all seriousness, is it not much harder to as
certain their agreement in right feehng towards our Saviour ? If
the illustration were not too familiar, one might say, it is like trying
the temperature of a room ; one man feels hot, and another cold ;
but those who would be precise and accurate rather settle the point
by a thermometer. In truth, it should seem perfectly impossible to
know whether two men exactly concur in feehng : the most that can
be positively known is, that they agree in the same form of words to
express their feeling. And why, then, should it be counted wrong
or absurd for them to accept at the hands of God's Church the same
form of words wherein to own her system of doctrine, which is one
and the same definite thing, and quite independent, surely, of the
individual receiving it ? 54

426
Again : it may be said thkt so strict a demand of orthodoxy is
scarcely consistent with the encouragement given in Scripture to
the more implicit faith of persons probably quite ignorant of doc
trinal statements : such, for example, as the woman with an issue
of blood, who, when she touched the hem of our Lord's garment,
was so far ignorant of His true Omniscient Nature, that she thought
of being healed without His knowing any thing of it. May it not,
however, be reasonably said, that her pious and affectionate faith
was, in fact, the very type of that which saves men in the devout
use of the means of grace which Christ bestows on us ? Accord
ing to her knowledge, so she received Him : and must we not re
ceive Him in like manner according to our knowledge, as God
manifest in the flesh ? She came near and touched the hem of His
garment, although she could not have explained how the touch
should do her any good : and must we not in hke manner approach
Him in the devout use of His Sacraments, however impossible it
must always be for us to understand how they should be means of
grace ? She indeed was ignorant of some things : but involuntary
ignorance is one thing, profane contradiction, or conceited skepti
cism, another. She had, perhaps, what some might account low
superstitious notions of the way to profit by our Saviour ; and on
the other hand, if they who so judge had stood by and seen St.
Peter, when, in anger at the very thought of the crucifixion, he took
our Lord and began to rebuke Him, and said, This shall not be unto
thee ; and we may suppose they would have Said, He may be mis
taken, but any how his fault is on the right side : he cannot endure
any low notion of his Saviour ; depend upon it, he is the last to
deny him. We know how that proved on experiment ; and perhaps,
comparing the two together, we shall not be wrong if we conclude
that the only safe way is to take God's will exactly as we find it de
clared in His word, as interpreted by His Church, and not to per
plex ourselves with fancies, philosophical or other. So may we
hope by God's grace to obtain larger and completer views of our
whole condition and duty, and build higher and higher as feehng
that our foundation is sure. So may we hope to escape that curse,
the terrible accompaniment generally of the Church's anathema, of
continuing for ever wavering and unsteady in all the great rules and
principles : " ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge
of t'ne truth."

No. 61.
(Ad Clerum)
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH A WITNESS AGAINST
ILLIBERALITY.

Illiberality of mind in religious matters, bigotry, intolerance,
and the like, is the disposition to make unimportant points impor
tant, to make them terms of communion, watchwords of parties,
and so on.
Now the Church Catholic acts on the principle of insisting on no
points but such as are of importance, of judging of opinions various
ly according to their respective importance, of acknowledging no
parties, and of protesting and witnessing against all party spirit and
party dogmas.
One remarkable instance of this is to be found in the circumstance,
true as a general rule, and capable of explanation in its apparent
exceptions, that it knows no master but Christ, as He enjoined. It
struck the attention of Christians as early as the age of Athanasius,
what is witnessed at this day, that heresies bear the name of indi
vidual teachers, whereas the Catholic Faith has no especial human
interpreter, but is transmitted on from Christ through His Apos
tles, in every place. Considering how the names of the champions
of all opinions are circulated to and fro by all parties, it is a very
surprising fact, that those only remain at this day inseparably con
nected with the respective doctrines of those who bore them, which
belonged to heretics : e. g. in spite of all the efforts that have been
•made, to call the orthodox faith Athanasian, that word occurs, for
the most part, only in a transitory page of history, being exchanged
for Catholic by the upholders of the faith, Trinitarian even by its
enemies, who, meanwhile, cannot help connecting themselves as
Arians, Sabellians, Nestorians, &c. with human masters. In like
manner, modern history opens upon us Lutherans, Calvinists,
Brownists, Wesleyans, &c., but would be perplexed what title to
give to the English Church less respectful than Episcopalian. We
have plainly no human master, such as Melancthon, Bucer, or Cran
mer, whatever influence these celebrated individuals might have in
their day. We are a branch of the Church Catholic, Not that
the absence of such human title is a criterion of Gospel truth ; for
there were Gnostics of old, and Independents and Quakers now ;

428
but that the Catholic doctrine is ever free from this badge of intol
erable bondage.
This is shown in the case of the parties within the Church, as
well as of the heresies and sects external to it ; e. g. the Augustin-
ians, the Jansenists, or the Arminians among ourselves ; or in the
various monastic orders, as Benedictine, Dominican, and the like. I
mean, the tolerance and comprehensiveness of the Church is shown
from the fact, that she can afford to receive within her pale varie
ties of opinion, imposing on its members, not agreement in minor
matters, but a charitable forbearance and mutual sympathy. Hence
she has been accustomed to distinguish between Cathohc Verities
and Theological Opinions, the essentials and non-essentials of Chris
tian Faith;
In doing this, she has been guided by the text, spoken against the
Pharisees, '-Judge not, that ye be not judged ;" and while enforcing
this command, she both exemplifies obedience to it in her own case,
and also becomes herself a test, applied to the hearts of men, to
ascertain whether they are bigoted and narrow-minded or not. Con
trast the text just quoted, with 2 John 10, 11, "If any man come
unto you, and bring not this doctrine," «&c. and you see at once her
gentleness and her severity.
Herein lies one eminent argument in favour of the divine origin
of the Church, that, by the course it has actually taken, it gives us
a clue to reconcile " not judging," with " not bidding God-speed."
Again, the claim of authority with which it silences quarrels, af
fords, I say, a test, such as we antecedently might expect would be
given us, for ascertaining that latent Pharisaical temper of party
which our Lord rebukes.
Submission ta Church authority is the test whether or not we
prefer unity, and the edification of Christ's body, to private fancies.
Thus, e. g. when the man of strong feelings, in old time, merely
founded a college or monastery for devotion and study, he satisfied
the test. When, in modern times, he opens a conventicle, and forms
a sect, he is condemned by it, as Pharisaical.
When the Baptists go so far as to separate, because they think
children ought not to be baptized, they fail under the application
of it, since the Church, though earnestly enjoining infant baptism,
does not exclude from communion those who scruple at it ; there
fore the Baptists are self-banished. When the Non-conformists
separated on account ofthe surplice, the cross in baptism, &c. they
too were detected and convicted of a rebellious spirit, by the same
test. The spirit of Schism, in addition to its other inherent characters
of sin, implies the desire of establishing minor points as Catholic or
essential points, or the spirit of exclusiveness.
The desire of novelty is restlessness; the maintenance of our own
novelty is selfishness.

429
Zecd is the effort to maintain all the Truth ; party spirit is a per
verse maintenance of this or that tenet, even though true, yet to
the suppression and exclusion of every thing else. " Forte hinc
appellata Cathofica," says Augustine, " quod totum veraciter teneat,
cujus veritatis nonnullae particulae etiam in diversis inveniuntur hae-
resibus." While Dissenters are exclusive on the one hand. Papists are so
on the other. The Council of Trent converted certain theological
opinions into (what they maintained to be) Catholic Verities. This
was wrong, whoever did it ; but it is some comfort to find, that the
body that thus became uncatholic, was not the Church Catholic it
self. It had been wretched, indeed, had the Church, in its (Ecu
menic or Universal capacity, surrendered its own essential character,
and added to the Catholic faith private judgments. But the Triden
tine Council was a meeting of but a part of Christendom, Though
the Latin communion is given at 80,000,000 souls, yet the Greek
Churches are said to comprehend as many as 50,000,000, and these
were not there represented. Where, too, were the Bishops of the
Reformed Churches? Catholic doctrines are those to which the
whole Catholic Church bears witness ; the Council of Trent was
collected only from parts of the Church, such parts as differed from
the views ultimately adopted there being excluded ; and, therefore,
representing but a part, not the whole of the Universal Church, it
assumed a privilege not belonging to it, for none but the Cathohc
Church can attest Catholic Truths. As to our Thirty-nine Articles,
they were never imposed as essential, only as a basis of union in a
particular Church,
It may be added, that, while the'Catholic Church is a stay to the
inquiring Christian, she is a check upon the forward. She recom
mends much to us, which she does not impose, like a true loving
mother, " giving her judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of
the Lord to be faithful," All that is necessary for enjoying the
privileges committed to her, is behef in the Apostles' Creed, and
that teachable spirit that does not introduce novelties upon it ; but
in her Articles and Liturgy she aims at directing into the truth, in
all its parts, such as wish " to follow on to know the Lord,"

No. 02.
(Ad Populum)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. v.— THURSDAY.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
(Continued.)
Heb. xui. 4. " Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."
You dare not say that this is not true. What can you say to your
own mind to make it easy ? Nothing but this can make you easy : —
to take shame to yourself, to confess yoiir sins, to fast, and to pray
earnestly to God for pardon, «fec. and to let others know " what an
evil thing and bitter it is to forsake the Lord."
This visitation will either do you much good or much hurt ; you
will from this time grow much better or much worse. Since you did
not blush f o sin, do not blush to own your faults. Let it be matter
of joy and thankfulness to you, that we are concerned for you so
much. Grace indeed we cannot give ; — that is the gift of God ; —
we can only pray for you, and do our duty in admonishing you,
&c. — If you submit for fear only, and not for conscience' sake, you
will suffer both here and hereafter.
When men, and especially men in any authority, are not content
to neglect their own salvation, but are industrious to ruin others,
they may depend upon it, they are very near filHng up the measure
of their iniquities, and consequently their destruction is not- far off.
Our charity to offenders ought to be like that of God, not in flat
tering them by a cruel indulgence, but in putting them, by a merci
ful severity, in the way of obtaining pardon.
In the primitive Church, no great offenders were restored to com
munion till they had, by their behaviour, given all possible demon
strations of the sincerity of their " repentance, not to be repented of;"
and this, by a long trial of mortification, &c. ; for a short repentance
too seldom ends in amendment of life ; and he who fancies that his
mind may effectually be changed in a short time, will deceive him
self and the Church, unless he shows this change by fasting, alms-
deeds, retirement, dec, and that for a considerable time.
Will any man say that he loves Christ and his Church, when he

4a i
opposes the authority of her pastors ; when he opposes her disci
pline ; or when he weakens her unity ?
When we consider, that God is absolute master of men's hearts,
we should not think any man incapable of salvation.
My God I let me always fear for myself, when I am labouring to
promote the salvation of others.
Remissness in Church disciphne is owing, sometimes to indulgence
and an easy temper, not caring to trouble others, or to be troubled ;
sometimes by being satisfied to go on in the track trodden by their
predecessors, not considering what duty obliges them to, but what
was done before. Others, out of downright neglect, not caring how
things go, give opportunity to the enemy to sow tares while they are
thus asleep. Thus corruption gets head, and is like to do so, until
God awakens the Governors, both in Church and State, and makes
them see, that they are answerable for all the sins occasioned by
their negligence: ; and that they have more souls besides their own,
to account for ; which is one day. to fall heavy upon them. Lord,
awaken all that are in power, and me, thy unworthy servant, that we
may all discharge our duty more faithfully.
There may be people bold enough to make a mock of sin, to sub
mit to public penance with contempt of the authority that enjoins it,
and not to be bettered by such Christian methods for the restoring
sinners to the peace of God ; but it is to be hoped all are not so hard
ened, and that Christian disciphne is, notwithstanding, a mighty
check upon sin, and keeps many under a fear of committing such
crimes as must oblige them to take shame to themselves before the
face of men.
Convocation, 1536. — "That perfect penance which Christ re-
quireth consists of contrition, confession, and amendment of former
life, and an obedient reconciliation to the laws and will of God." —
See also the Homilies. Absolution.
Our Church ascribeth not the power of remission of sins to any
but to God only. She holds that faith and repentance are the ne
cessary conditions of receiving this blessing. And she asserts what
is most true, that Christ's ministers have a special commission,
which other believers have not, authoritatively to declare this abso
lution for the comfort of true penitents ; and which absolution, if
duly dispensed, will have a real effect from the promise of Christ.
(John XX. 23.) — Pull. Moderat.
Authority of the Church is only spiritual and ministerial, (the Head
and authority being in heaven.) She does not, therefore, call her
orders Laws, but Rules, Canons; and her inflictions, not punish
ments, but censures. She acknowledges that whatever power she
has besides spiritual, is either from the favour or injunction of princes.

432
But (Article 37,) we give not our princes (and they have always
disclaimed it) the power of administering God's Word, or the Sa
craments. And although our spiritual power be from God, yet is
this power subject to be inhibited, limited, regulated, in the outward
exercises, by the laws and customs of the land. By this moderation
both powers are preserved entire and distinct. We neither claim
a power of jurisdiction over the prince, nor pretend to be exempt
from his. Antenuptial Fornication.
Those who enter into marriage only to conceal their shame, ought
to give public satisfaction, as well as expiate their sin, by open pe
nance. The greatest care ought to be taken concerning the sincerity of
penitents ; till that be done, penance will only be a form, without a
power or any real benefit.
In the primitive Church, every thing was done with advice, be
cause their great aim was to have reason and the will of God pre
vail. A despotic power was forbid by Christ himself: "It shall
not be so among you." He that is humble and charitable will take
the mildest and surest way, and will not be troubled, provided the
end be obtained. Penance.
Sin is the disease of the soul. Diseases are not to be cured in a
moment : it will take time to root out their causes, and to prevent
their effects ; so will it require time to prove the sincerity of our re
solutions. We solemnly profess that we repent, and we are not sure
but that we lie to God. Discipline.
As discipline slackened, men's manners grew more and more cor
rupt, even in the primitive times. There were never more infidels
converted (saith Fleury) than when catechumens were most strictly
examined, and baptized Christians put to open penance for their sins.
They that are for making still more concessions to human frailty,
will at last set aside the Christian religion, which is established upon
maxims of eternal truth, and not on human policy ; and instead of
gaining or securing the bad, they will lose the better sort. A flatter
ing physician is for giving palliating medicines,'to ease the pain, with
out taking away the cause, which will occasion relapses, until at last
they destroy the patient. But a good man will prescribe what he
believes necessary to remove the cause, though uneasy to his patient,
and will have nothing to do with such as will not submit to the ne
cessary methods of cure.

433
Penances, in the primitive Church, were never granted but unto
such as desired them, and such as desired to be converted. None
were forced, but such as would not submit were excommunicated.
Discipline Impracticable.
This cannot be, when it was practised for so many years in the
primitive Church. And what if it be one of those things which
Christ has commanded His followers to observe so strictly. Matt.
xxviii. 19, 20 ; and which He had learned ofthe Father, John xv.
15, and xvi. 13. The commands of Christ cannot be impracticable.
That would be to tax Him with ignorance or weakness. When He
promised to be with His Church to the end of the world. He engag
ed to give such graces as were necessary to raise us above our natu
ral weaknesses. Penances forced are seldom lasting.
The Priest, under the Law, could not accept the offering of a
leper, nor allow him to partake of the sacrifice, till he had received
convincing tokens of his cleanness ; no more ought the Christian
Priest to treat sinners as cured, till he sees the proof. Quesn.
Matt. xvi. 19. " Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven."
Those ministers that know not what it is to bind and loose sin
ners, reject one half of their commission.
Excommunication is the last remedy reserved for the incorrigible
in the case of enormous sins. They who despise it, know not what
it is to be an heathen in God's sight, — to be without God for a Fa
ther, Christ for a Saviour, the Church for a Mother, and Chris
tians for brethren.
A true penitent is always willing to bear the shame and confu
sion of his sin and folly before men, that he may escape the anger
of God.
Heb. xii. 15. " Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace
of God ; lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and
thereby many be defiled. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane
person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright ;"
that is, such as for a short pleasure forfeit their eternal inheritance.
Happy that sinner, whom God does not abandon to the hardness
of his heart, but awakens him by his judgments, or the visitations
of his grace.
Luke viu. 28. " I beseech thee torment me not." These were
the words of the Devil to our Lord, and these are the suggestions
in the hearts of all sinners, wherever he has got possession. When
a minister of Chrjist, by his sermons, rebukes, &;c, or the Church,
55

434
by her discipline, attempts to disturb the sinner, they are looked
upon as his mortal enemy ; and they treat both the Church and her
Ministers worse than this legion did Jesus Christ, They despise
their power, set at nought their persons, and threaten and persecute
them for their good will. Vide Quesn.
There is not any greater or more dreadful sign of the wrath of
God, than when he abandons a sinner to his lusts, and permits him
to find means of satisfying them.
The public good is the sole end of Church discipline. The in
terest of the governors of the Church is no way concerned in it ;
but only the advantage of their flock, that sinners may be converted ;
that contagion may be hindered from spreading; that every one
may be kept to his duty, and in obedience to the laws of God ; that
judgments may be averted from the public, and that God in all
things may be glorified ; that differences among neighbours may be
made up, and charity improved, &c,
Disciphne (saith our Homily of the right use of the Church, Part
II.) in the primitive Church was practised, not only upon mean per
sons, but upon the rich, the noble, and the mighty ; and such as St.
Paul saith, were even given to Satan for a time.
Those that make a mock, a sport, or a jest of sin, too plainly be
tray a love of wickedness in themselves.
Exemption.
A legal exemption cannot free a man from guilt, beyond the ex
tent of that power which grants the exemption. If it be a human
power, it can extend no farther than to exempt a man from human
penalties, not from those that are purely spiritual,
Eccles, viu. 5. " Reproach not a man that turneth from sin."
They whom fear renders cowardly in the exercise of their min
istry, forget that they act in the name and place of Christ, and
are to account to him for the mischief the Church receives thereby,
Deut. i. 17. "Ye shall not be afraid of the face of men, for the
judgment is God's."
O righteous Judge of the world, give me and my substitutes grace,
patiently to hear, and impartially to weigh, every cause that shall
come before us in judgment.
Give us a spirit to discern, and courage to execute, true judgment,
that all our sentences may be approved by thee, our Lord and
Judge. Amen. ,
Deut. xxiv. 17. "Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the
stranger, nor of the fatherless,"
Isaiah i. 23. " Every one loveth gifts ; they judge not the father
less ;" that is, they are poor, and cannot bribe them.
Exod. xxiii. 2, 3. " Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil ;
neither shalt thou speak in a cause, to decfine after many, to wrest

435
judgment : neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his
cause." Deut. xix, 15, "Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor,
nor honour the person of the mighty ; but in righteousness shalt
thou judge thy neighbour,"
The judgment ofthe multitude is no rule of justice, " Then cried
they all, Not this man, but Barabbas,"
John xix, 12, " If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's
friend ; — when Pilate heard that saying," then he resolved to sacri
fice his conscience, rather than lose his prince's favour.
2 Chron, xix. 6. " And he said to the judges. Take heed what ye
do : for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in
the judgment."
Prov, xvii. 13. " He that justifieth the wicked, and he that con-
demneth the just, even they both are an abomination unto the
Lord."
John xix. II. " Except it were given thee from above." Although
the magistrate's authority is from God, yet he is answerable to God
for the due execution of it.
Prov. xxi. 3. " To do justice and judgment is more acceptable
unto the Lord than sacrifice."
Isaiah i. 11. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices
unto me ? saith the Lord ; I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams,
and the fat of fed beasts ; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks,
or of lambs, or of he-goats."
Hosea vi. 6. " For I desired mercy and not sacrifice ; and the
knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings."
Micah vi. 7, 8, " Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of
rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my first
born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul ? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good ; and what doth
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and
to walk humbly with thy God."
The Jews had a rule, that if a rich man and a poor man had a
controversy, they must both of them stand or sit, to avoid par
tiality. Virtue would hardly be distinguished from a kind of sensuality,
if there were no labour — no opposition — no difficulty in doing our
duty. Dulce est periculum sequi Deum.
The duty of a judge may oblige him to punish according to the
law ; but it is the part of a Christian injured to forgive according
to the charity of the Gospel.
A judge is not the master but the minister of the law — for the
public good, not for his own interest, passion, or will,
A good judge will never desire to make himself feared by his
power ; but will rather be afraid of abusing it.
The civil magistrate is fiable to be excluded from Church commu-

436
nion for such reasons as the spiritual governors shall judge necessa
ry ; they are to determine for him, and not he for them,^in matters
merely spiritual.
Give me, O Lord, the spirit of judgment, (Isaiah xxviii. 6.) that
I may govern this Church with wisdom.
Eccles. iv. 9, "Be not faint-hearted when thou sittest in judg
ment." A lover of the law will always have an eye to the intent of the
law. Matt. xii. 3.

No. 63.
(Ad Clerum)
THE ANTIQUITY OF THE EXISTING LITURGIES.

All Liturgies now existing, except those in use in Protestant
countries, profess to be derived from very remote antiquity. So
likely is it, however, that in the lapse of ages, considering the ex
treme ignorance in which many parts of Christendom have been
immersed, interpolations almost to any extent should have crept in
to the formulae of the different Churches, that little weight seems
at first sight due to them as traditionary depositories of ancient doc
trine. Judging from the opinions and character of those to whose
custody they have been committed, one would be disposed to treat
them rather as accumulations of every kind of superstition, than
relics of ancient evangelical simplicity, to examine them rather as
exhibitions of the gradual decay of Christianity, than as monuments
of what it was.
Unlikely, however, as it might appear beforehand, learned men
who have undertaken the laborious task of examining them, have
been led to form a different estimate of their value. Certain, indeed,
it is that they have been much interpolated, and in parts, corrupted ;
but it seems to be admitted at last, after long and patient research,
that much likewise has been handed down from the first uninterpo-
lated, and that means exist for ascertaining what parts are interpo
lated, and what pure and genuine.
Among many remarkabhj facts which have been brought to light
respecting the antiquity of existing Liturgies, the following is among
the most striking : —
There exists at the present day, scattered through Judaea, Meso
potamia, Syria, and the southern part of Asia Minor, which formerly

437
made up the Patriarchate of Antioch, a set off heretical Christians,
called Jacobites or Monophysites, who were anathematized 1388
years since, at the council of Chalcedon, a. d. 451. This ancient
sect has from that time to this persisted in its separation from the
orthodox Church, and no communion has subsisted between the two :
each regarding the other as heretical. For a long time each pre
served their separate establishments in the different Churches and
dioceses, and each their own patriarch in the metropolitan city. By
degrees, however, the Orthodox became the inferior party, and, on
the Mahometan invasion, finding themselves no longer able to main
tain an independent existence, fell back on the support of the patri
arch of Constantinople, whose dependents they acknowledge them
selves at the present day. The Monophysites, on the contrary, were
patronised by the invaders, and having been thus enabled to support
their ancient establishment, remain in undisturbed possession of their
sees, and represent the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch. Now these
Monophysites use at this day a Liturgy in the Syriac language,
which they ascribe to the Apostle St. James ; and the remarkable
fact about this Liturgy is, that a great part of it coincides with a
Greek Liturgy used once a year by the orthodox Church at Jerusa
lem, expression for expression. So that one must evidently be a
translation of the other.
A coincidence of this kind between the most solemn religious
rites of two Churches, which have for 1383 years avoided all com
munion with each other, of course proves the parts which coincide
to be more than 1383 years old.
Another remarkable fact, not indeed so striking as this, but per
haps as essentially valuable, is exhibited to us in the Patriarchate
of Alexandria. The history of the Monophysites and Orthodox in
that country, is much the same as in the Patriarchate of Antioch ;
except, indeed, that the depression of the Orthodox has been still
more complete. In this Patriarchate the Monophysites still profess
to use the ancient Liturgy of the country, which they ascribe to St.
Cyril, one of the early patriarchs. It is in the Coptic language,
but appears to be a translation from Greek, and is sometimes spoken
of as "the Liturgy of St. Mark which Cyril perfected." Now it
cannot, indeed, be said in this instance, that any thing resembling
this Liturgy is still in use among the Orthodox in Egypt ; however,
we know, that as late as the twelfth century a Liturgy was in use
among them which bore the title of St. Mark's : and very curious
it is, that in a remote convent of Calabria, inhabited by oriental
monks of the order of St. Basil, a Greek manuscript has been found
of the tenth or eleventh century, entitled the Liturgy of St. Mark,
evidently intended for the use of Alexandria. It contains a prayer
for the raising the waters ofthe Nile to their just level, and another
for " the holy and blessed Pope," the ancient style of the Alexan
drian patriarchs : and, on comparing it with the Coptic Liturgy of

438
the Monophysites, it is at once recognised as the same rite, except,
indeed, that in a few points it approximates to the Liturgy of Con
stantinople. ¦
If then it should be thought that St. Mark's Liturgy, as given in
this manuscript, is the same St. Mark's Liturgy which was once in
use among the Orthodox of Alexandria, we can hardly doubt that,
so far as it coincides with that now in use among the Monophysites,
both are anterior to the separation of the parties, i. e. more than
1383 years old.
Other Liturgies there likewise are, besides those of Antioch and
Alexandria, to which we may safely assign very great antiquity.
One of these, which bears the name of St, Basil's, and is now uni
versally adopted by the Greek Church, " from the northern shore
of Russia to the extremities of Abyssinia, and from the Adriatic and
Baltic Seas to the farthest coast of Asia," is believed to have under
gone very little alteration, from times still more remote than even
the era of the Monophysite schism, A MS. of this Liturgy was
found by Montfaucon in the Barbarini Library at Rome, which that
profound antiquary pronounced-to be above 1000 years old at the
time he wrote, i. e. 124 years since, and which, consequently, was
written about the time of the Council of Trullo, a. d. 691, Now,
at the time of this council, we know that not so much as a doubt
existed of the genuineness of the text, as it was cited by 227 East
ern Bishops, as an undoubted record of St, Basil's opinions. Their
decree opens thus :  Ka? y&p BafftXuos h t^s Katcapsttav iKKXrjtrtas 'Ap^'fi^ffl-Koiroff, o5 ri
KAios Kara iracav rfjv oiKovjxhtjv SUSpajJiev yeypd^tas rfiv ftvarLK^v fjiuv Upovpyiav rapaSiSaiKEV,
K.T.x. . . . If then we possess the text of St. Basil's Liturgy,
such as it was when appealed to on a controverted question only
310 years after it was written, and that too by an assembly so like
ly to" be well-informed respecting its value, we may perhaps admit
its genuineness without much hesitation.
Another Liturgy, which can be traced back with tolerable cer
tainty to very remote times, is the Roman Missal, Mr, Palmer has
shown that we have abundance of materials for ascertaining the
text of this Liturgy, as it stood in the time of Gregory the Great,
patriarch of Rome, a. d. 590, by whom it was revised and in some
parts enlarged. There also seems to be good reason for believing
that one of the MSS. which has been preserved, exhibits it to us in
a still earlier stage, such as it was left by Pope Gelasius, its former
reviser, about 100 years before the time of Gregory, This ancient
MS. was found by Thomasius in the Queen of Sweden's library.
It is divided into several books, as the Gelasian Sacramentary ap
pears to have been, and in other respects differs from that of Greg
ory just where history informs us the Gelasian did. It appears to
have been written during, or not long after, the time of Gregory
the Great, but in some remote province to which the additions and
alterations introduced by that prelate had not yet penetrated. Nay,

439
farther, learned men appear to agree that there exists a MS. still
more ancient than this, from which the canon of the mass may be
ascertained, as it stood before the revisal of Gelasius, even so long
back as the time of Leo the Great, i. e. as early as the Monophysite
schism. This MS, was found in the library of the Chapter of
Verona, and its merits have been very minutely canvassed by the
most learned antiquaries. It also deserves to be noticed, that at
the time when the Roman Liturgy was undergoing these successive
revisals, a tradition all along prevailed, attributing to one part of it
an apostolic origin ; and that this part does not appear to have un
dergone any change whatever. Vigihus, who was Pope between
the times of Gelasius and Gregory, tells us that the "canonical
prayers," or what are now called the " Canon of the Mass," had
been " handed down as an apostohcal tradition." And much earlier
we hear the same from Pope Innocent, who adds that the Apostle
from whom they derived it was St. Peter.
On the whole, then, it appears that of the existing Liturgies, one,
viz. that of St. Basil, can be traced with tolerable certainty to the
fourth century, and three others to the middle of the fifth ; and that
respecting these three a tradition prevailed, ascribing one of them to
the Apostle St, James, another to St, Mark, and the third to St,
Peter. But curious as these results are, those which follow from compar
ing the above Liturgies with others now existing, and with one ano
ther, are still more curious. The Liturgies of Rome, Alexandria, and
Antioch, differ so materially as compositions, that neither can with
any reason be supposed to have been taken from the other ; it is
however true, with a singular exception, to be presently noticed, that
no other Liturgy either exists now or ever appears to have existed,
which is not a copy from one or other of them. The Liturgy of St.
Basil, striking as are some of the features in which it differs from that
of Antioch, is, nevertheless, evidently a superstructure raised on that
basis : the composition of both is the same, i. e. the parts which they
have in common follow in the same order. The same may be said
ofthe Constantinopolitan Liturgy, commonly attributed to St. Chry
sostom, of that of the Armenian Church, and ofthe florid and verbose
compositions in use among the Nestorians of Mesopotamia. So that
the Liturgy of Antioch, commonly attributed to St. James, appears
to be the basis of all the oriental Liturgies. In the same manner a
remarkable correspondence subsists between the Liturgy of Ethio
pia and the Alexandrian Liturgy attributed to St. Mark, And so
likewise the ancient Liturgies of Milan, and of Roman Africa, which
last indeed has not been preserved, and can only be collected from
the writings ofthe Fathers, are characterized by the marked pecuha-
rities of the Roman Missal of St. Peter. The exception which I
above noticed, is the ancient Gothic Liturgy of Gaul and Spain,
which from the fragments that have been preserved of it, appears to

440
have agreed in composition vvith neither of the three ; but to have
been an independent rite ; and this Liturgy, Mr. Palmer, by a very
curious argument, traces to the Apostle St. John. Here, then, we
arrive at one remarkable result : it appears, from all we can learn,
that throughout the whole world, there neither exists now, nor ever
have existed, more than four independent forms of Liturgy ; a cir
cumstance which, of itself, gives some credibility to the supposition
otherwise suggested, that these four were of Apostolic origin.
The confirmation of this supposition, which results from compar
ing the four independent rites, is, if possible, still more remarkable.
For while, on the one hand, the diversity ofthe compositions proves
that their authors, whoever they were, did not feel bound to copy,
either from the other, or from any common original ; so the identity
of the matter proves that they were exactly agreed in sentiment,
and intimately conversant with each other's habits of thought. Had
these Liturgies resembled one another less, we might have attribut
ed them to sources wholly independent, lo the influence of any four
great minds, which may have arisen at different times, and acquired
ascendancy in their own regions of Christendom. Had they differ
ed less, it might have been supposable that some single Saint, though
not an Apostle, some Ambrose, or Athanasius, or Cyprian, might
gradually have extended his religious influence still more universally.
Though, ev .n so, great difficulties would haye attended either suppo
sition. As it is, however, we have to look for four persons, each with
predominating influence in distinct and distant portions ofthe world ;
yet, all so united in thought as to make it certain they had been edu
cated in the same school. Nothing less than this will account at once
for the resemblances and differences of the four ancient Liturgies ;
and this it would be vain to look for after the Apostolic age.
Such is the general character of the argument resulting from a
comparison of these curious documents, each of which can indepen
dently be traced back to the middle of the fifth century, and which
appear, at that time, to have commanded the same exclusive respect
as at present.
To institute the comparison here in such a manner as to enable
the reader to judge for himself, is, of course, out of the question, in
volving as it does very minute and extensive researches. The fol
lowing particulars, however, may perhaps be not altogether uninter
esting, however incomplete.
I. It appears from Mr. Palmer's valuable work, that all the an
cient Liturgies now existing, or which can be proved ever to have
existed, resemble one another in the following points : —
(1.) All of them direct, that previous to communion, those who
intend to communicate shall exchange "the kiss of peace."
(2.) In all of them, the more particularly solemn part ofthe ser
vice commences with words exactly answering to the Enghsh, " Lift

441
up your hearts," &c. as far as " Holy Father, almighty everlasting
God."
(3.) All contain the Hymn, " Therefore with Angels and Archan
gels," &c. with very trifling varieties of expression.
(4.) Also, they all contain a Prayer, answering in substance to ours
" for the whole sta,te of Christ's Church militant :"
(5.) And likewise another Prayer (which has been excluded from
the English Ritual) "for the rest and peace of all those who have
departed this life in God's faith and fear;" concluding with a Prayer
for communion with them.
(6.) Also a commemoration of our Lord's words and actions in
the institution of the Eucharist, Which is the same, almost word for
word, in every Liturgy, but is not taken from any of the four Scrip
ture accounts.
(7.) A sacrificial oblation of the Eucharistic bread and wine.
(8.) A prayer of consecration, that God will " make the bread
and wine the Body and Blood of Christ."
(9.) Directions to the Priest for breaking the consecrated bread.
(10.) The Lord's Prayer.
(II.) Communion.
II. These parts are always arranged in one of the four following
orders.*

St. Peter's Liturgy.
Roman, Milanese African.
1. Lift up your hearts, &c.
2. Therefore with Angels, &c.
3. Prayers for the Church on
earth.
4. Consecration Prayer.
5. Commemoration of our
Lord's words.
6. The Oblation.
7. Prayers for the dead.
8. Breaking of bread.
9. The Lord's Prayer.
10. The kiss of peace.
II. Communion.

St. Jctmes's Liturgy.
Oriental.
10. The kiss of peace.
1. Lift up your hearts, &c.
2. Therefore with Angels.
5. Commemoration of our
Lord's words.
6. The Oblation,
4, Consecration Prayer,
3. Prayers for the Church on
earth,
7. Prayers for the dead.
9. The Lord's Prayer.
8. Breaking of bread.
II. Communion.

* The Enghsh Reformers prefer an order different from any of these.
English Ordes.

3. Prayers for the Church on earth.
1. Lift up your hearts, &c.
2. Therefore with Angels, &c.
4. Consecration.

5. Commemoration of our I/ORb's words.
11. Communion.
9. The Lord's Prayer.
6. Oblation.

56

442

St. Mark's Liturgy.
Egyptian and Ethiopian.
10. The kiss of peace.
I. Lift up your hearts, &c.
3. Prayers for the Church on
earth.
7. Prayers for the dead.
2. Therefore with Angels, ifcc.
5. Commemoration of our
Lord's words.
6. The Oblation.
4. Consecration Prayer.
8. Breaking of bread.
9. The Lord's Prayer.
11. Communion.

St. John's Liturgy.
Gallican, Ephesian, and Mozaraltc.
3. Prayers for the Church on
earth.
7. Prayers for the dead.
10. The kiss of peace.
1, Lift up your hearts, &c.
2. Therefore with Angels, &c,
5, Commemoration of our
Lord's words,
6, The Oblation,
4, Consecration Prayer.
8. Breaking of Bread.
9. The Lord's prayer.
11. Communion.

Thus it appears that the four original forms from which all the
Liturgies in the world have been taken, resemble one another too
much to have grown up independently, and too little to have been
copied from one another.
III. On a comparison of the different forms of Oblation and
Consecration, it will be seen, that in each of the four original Litur
gies the Eucharist is regarded as a mystery and as a sacrifice.
The Roman Form.
This is translated from the Missal now in use in the Church of Rome.
Therefore, O Lord, we beseech Thee graciously to accept this
oblation of our bounden service, from us and from thy whole family.
Dispose our days in thy peace, and command us to be delivered
from eternal damnation, and to be numbered in the congregation of
thine elect, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Which oblation do thou, O God, we beseech Thee, vouchsafe to
render, in all respects, blessed, approved, effectual, reasonable, and
acceptable ; that it may be made unto us the Body and Blood of
thy most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who, the day before He suffered, took bread into His Holy and
venerable hands, and lifting up His eyes to Heaven, to Thee, His
God and Father Almighty ; giving thanks to Thee ; He blessed
it, brake it, and gave it to His disciples, saying. Take and eat ye all
of this : for this is my body. In like manner, after He had supped ;
taking also this glorious cup into His holy and venerable hands,
giving thanks likewise unto Thee, He blessed it, and gave it to His
disciples, saying. Take and drink ye all of it : for this is the cup of
my blood, ofthe New and eternal Testament, the Mystery of Faith ;

443
which shall be shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.
As often as ye shall do these things, ye shall do them in remem
brance of me.
Wherefore, O Lord, we thy servants, and also thy holy people,
having in remembrance both the blessed passion of the same thy
Son Christ our Lord, and also His resurrection from the dead, and
likewise His triumphant ascension into the heavens, offer unto thy
glorious Majesty, of thine own gifts and presents, a pure Host, a
holy Host, an immaculate Host, the holy bread of eternal life, aiitl
the cup of everlasting salvation.
Upon which vouchsafe to look with a propitious and serene coun
tenance, ahd accept them as thou wert pleased graciously to accept
the gifts of thy righteous 'servant Abel, the sacrifice of our patriarch
Abraham, and the holy sacrifice, the immaculate Host, which thy
high-priest Melchizedek offered to Thee.
We humbly beseech Thee, O Almighty God, command these
things to be carried by the hands of thy holy Angels unto thy High
Altar, in the presence of thy divine Majesty, that as many of us as
by the participation of this Altar shall receive the most sacred body
and blood of thy Son, may be replenished with all heavenly bene
diction and grace, through the same Christ our Lord.
The Oriental Form.
This is taken from Dr. Brett's translation of the Liturgy of St. James, used at the
present day by the Monophysites throughout the Patriarchate of Antioch ; and by
the Orthodox at Jerusalem, on St. James's day.
In the same night that He was offered, or rather offered up Him
self for the life and salvation of the world, taking bread into His
holy, immaculate, pure, and immortal hands, looking up to Heaven,
and presenting it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks,
sanctified, and brake it, and gave it to His Disciples and Apostles,
saying —
Deacon. — For the remission of sins and for everlasting life.
Priest continues. — Take, eat : this is my body which is broken
and given for you for the remission of sins. R. Amen.
Likewise, after supper He took the cup and mixed it with wine
and water, and looking up to Heaven, presenting it to Thee, His
God and Father, He gave thanks, sanctified and blessed it, and
filled it with the Holy Ghost, and gave it to His Disciples, saying.
Drink ye all of this ; this is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed and given for you and for many, for the remission
of sins. R. Amen. Do this in remembrance of Me. For as oft
as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show forth the death
of the Son of Man, and confess His resurrection, until His comir"-
again.

444
People. — O Lord, we show forth thy death, and confess thy re
surrection. Priest continues. — Wherefore, having in remembrance His life-
giving passion, salutary cross, death, burial, and resurrection on the
third day from the dead ; His ascension into heaven, and sitting at
the right hand of Thee, His God and Father ; and His second
bright and terrible appearance, when he shall come with glory to
judge the quick and dead, and shall render to every man according
to his works : We sinners offer unto Thee, O Lord, this tremen
dous and unbloody sacrifice, beseeching Thee not to deal with us
after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities : but ac
cording to thy clemency and ineffable love to mankind, overlook
and blot out the hand-writing that is againsf thy servants, and grant
us thine heavenly and eternal rewards, such as eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to con
ceive ; even such as Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee.
And reject not this people for me and my sins, O Lord.
Then is repeated thrice.
Priest. — For this people and thy Church make their supplication
before Thee.
People.— ^^ave mercy upon us, O Lord God, Almighty Fa
ther. Priest continues. — Have mercy upon us, O God the Almighty,
have mercy upon us, O God our Saviour. Have mercy upon us,
O God, according to thy great mercy ; and send down upon these
gifts which are here set before Thee, thy most Holy Spirit, even
the Lord and Giver of life, who with Thee, O God the Father,
and with thine only-begotten Son, liveth and reigneth a consubstan-
tial and co-eternal Person : who spake by the Law, by the Prophets,
and by the New Testament : descended in the form of a dove
upon our Lord Jesus Christ in the river Jordan, and rested upon
Him, and came down in the shape of fiery tongues upon thy Apos
tles, when they were assembled on the day of Pentecost, in an
upper room of holy and glorious Sion. Send down, O Lord,
this thy most Holy Stirit upon us, and upon these holy gifts, here
set before Thee. That by His holy, good and glorious presence.
He may sanctify and make this bread the body of thy Christ. R.
Amen. And this cup the precious blood of thy Christ. R. Amen.
That all who are partakers thereof may obtain remission of their
sins and eternal life.

445

The Egyptian Form.
This is taken from Dr. Brett's translation of the Liturgy of St. Mark, used by the Mo
nophysites at this day throughout the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and by the Ortho
dox so late as the eleventh century.
In the same night wherein He delivered himself for our sins, and
was about to suffer death for mankind, sitting down to supper with
His Disciples ; He took bread in His holy, spotless, and undefiled
hands, and looking up to Thee, His Father, but our God and the
God of all. He gave thanks. He blessed. He sanctified, and brake it,
and gave it to them, saying, Take, eat.
Dedcon. — Attend.
Priest continues. — For this is my body which is broken and given
for the remission of sins.
People. — Amen.
Priest continues. — In like manner He took the cup after supper,
and mixing it with wine and water, and looking up to Heaven, to
Thee, His Father, but our God and the God of all. He gave thanks.
He blessed. He filled it with the Holy Ghost, and gave it to His
holy and blessed Disciples, saying. Drink ye all of this.
Deacon. — Attend again.
Priest continues. — For this is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed and given for you and for many, for the remission of
sins. People. — Amen.
Priest continues. — Do this in remembrance of Me. For as often
as ye shall cat this bread and drink this cup, ye show forth my death,
and confess my resurrection and ascension till my coming again.
Showing forth, therefore, O Lord Almighty, heavenly King, the
death of thine only-begotten Son, our Lord, our God, and Saviour,
Jesus Christ, and confessing His blessed resurrection from the dead
on the third day, and His sitting at the right hand of Thee, His God
and Father; and also looking for His second terrible appearance,
when he shall come in righteousness to judge both the quick and
dead, and to render to every man according to his works. We, O
Lord, have set before Thee thine own, out of thine own gifts ; and
we pray and beseech thee, O thou lover of mankind, to send down
from thy holy heaven, the habitation of thy dwelling, from thine in
finite bosom, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy One, the
I.1ORD, the Giver of life, who spake in the Law, in the Prophets, and
in the Apostles ; who is every where, and fills all things ; sanctifying
whom He pleases, not ministerially, but according to His own will :
simple in nature, but various in operation. The fountain of all divine
graces, consubstantial with Thee, proceeding from Thee, and sitting
with Thee in the throne of thy kingdom, together with thy Son our
Lord, our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ.

446
Send down thine Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these loaves and
these cups, that the Almighty God may sanctify and thoroughly
consecrate them : making the bread the body.
People. — ^Amen.
And the cup, the blood of the New Testament of our Lord him
self, our God and Saviour, and supreme King Jesus Christ.
Deacon. — Descend ye Deacons.
Priest. — That they may be to us who partake of them, the means
of faith, sobriety, health, temperance, sanctification, the renewing of
our soul, our body, and spirit ; the communion of the blessedness of
eternal life and immortality ; the glorifying of thy holy name ; and
the remission of sins.
The Egyptian rite contains elsewhere the following words, resem
bling a part of the Roman oblation, which would otherwise seem to
stand by itself
" Receive, O Lord, unto thy holy Heaven, and intellectual Altar
in the Heaven of Heavens, by the ministry of Archangels, the Eu
charistical praises of those that offer sacrifices and oblations to
Thee. . . . Receive them as Thou didst the gifts of thy righteous
Abel, the sacrifice of our Father Abraham, the incense of Zacharias,
the alms of Cornelius, and the widow's mite."
The Gallican Form.
The following fragment was translated by Dr. Brett, from Mabillon's edition of au
ancient MS. in the Queen of Sweden's Library.
O Jesus, the good High Priest, come and be in the midst of us, as
Thou wast in the midst of thy disciples ; sanctify this oblation, that
being sanctified, we may receive it by the hand of thy holy Angel,
O Holy Lord and eternal Redeemer.
Our Lord Jesus Christ in that night in which He was betrayed,
took bread, and giving thanks. He blessed and brake it, and gave it
to His Disciples, saying. Take and eat : this is my Body which shall,
be delivered for you. Do this as oft as ye eat it, in remembrance of
Me. Likewise also the cup, after He had supped, saying. This is
the cup of the New Testament, in my blood, which shall be shed for
you and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this as oft as ye
drink it, in remembrance of Me.
As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall show
the Lord's death till He shall .come in brightness from the Heavens.
R. Amen.
We, O Lord, observing these thy gifts and precepts, lay upon
thine Altar the sacrifices of bread and wine, beseeching the deep
goodness of thy mercy, that the holy and undivided Trinity may
sanctify these Hosts, by the same Spirit through which uncorrupt

447
virginity conceived Thee in the flesh : that when it has been receiv
ed by us with fear and veneration, whatever dwells in us contrary to
the good of the soul may die ; and whatever dies, may never rise
again !
"We therefore observing these His commandments, offer unto
Thee the holy gift of our salvation, beseeching Thee that Thou
wouldest vouchsafe to send f by Holy Spirit upon these solemn mys
teries, that they may become to us a true Eucharist, in the name of
Thee and thy Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that they may confer
eternal life and an everlasting kingdom on us who are going to eat
and drink of them in the transformation ofthe bodyand blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ, Thine only-begotten Son."
Such is the view taken of the consecration and oblation of the Eu
charist in the four independent Christian Liturgies. It is well worth
the consideration of such Protestant bodies as have rejected the an
cient forms.
Further information may be found respecting these remarkable
documents, in the valuable works, already quoted, of Dr. Brett and
Mr. Palmer. It is, however, much to be wished, that correct edi
tions ofthe original documents were in the hands of every one. It
may perhaps be said, without exaggeration, that next to the Holy
Scriptures, they possess the greatest claims on our veneration and
study. «

No. 64.
(Ad Populum)
BISHOP BULL ON THE ANCIENT LITURGIES.
(From his Xlllth Sermon.)

[To Timothy,] to this public person, to this great bishop of the
Church, is this charge given by St. Paul in my text : " I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men," &;c. He was to take care
that such prayers should be made in all churches and congregations
under his inspection and jurisdiction.
And how could he do this, but by providing by his authority that
there should be set forms of prayer, framed according to this rule,
given him by the Apostle, to be used in those churches ? Sure I
am, the primitive Catholic Church understood this to be the mean
ing of the Apostle. Hence, in all the churches of Christ over

448
the world, however distant from each other, we find set forms of
public prayers, suited and conforming to this direction of the
Apostle. And, indeed, if we consult all the-ancient Liturgies extant at this
day, we shall find this observation to be most true ; they are all
framed and composed according to this rule of the Apostle.
And it is observable, that however those ancient liturgies had
been altered and corrupted in after times by many additions and
interpolations, yet there are in all of them still remaining many ex
cellent and divine forms of prayer and thanksgiving, wherein they
do all perfectly agree, and which, therefore, cannot reasonably be
thought to' have any other original than apostolical order and ap
pointment, delivered to the several nations and people together with
the first preaching and planting of Christianity among them.
Such, for example, is the Sursum corda in the Office of the
Communion, the Priest saying, " Lift up your hearts ;" and the
people answering, " We lift them up unto the Lord." There is no
Liturgy in any church of Christ to this day but hath this form.
Such is the excellent form of Thanksgiving, in the same Office
of the Communion, to be performed by the Priest and people ; the
Priest saying, "Let us give thanks unto our Lord God;" and the
people answering, " it is meet and right so to do." This form also
is to be found in all the most ancient Litargies.
Such also is the Doxology, or glorification of the ever-blessed
Trinity : " Glory be to the Father," &c.
I add to what hath been already observed, the consent of all
the, Christian churches in the world, however distant from each
other, in the prayer of Oblation of the Christian Sacrifice in the
Holy Eucharist, or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ; which con
sent is indeed wonderful. All the ancient liturgies agree in this
Form of Prayer, almost in the same words, but fully and exactly in
the same sense, order, and method ; which whosoever attentively
considers, must be convinced that this order of prayer was deliver
ed to the several churches in the very first plantation and settle
ment of them. Nay, it is observable, that this Form of Prayer is
still retained in the very Canon of the Mass, at this day used in the
Church of Rome, though the Form doth manifestly contradict and
overthrow some of the principal articles of their new faith. For
from this very form of prayer, still extant in their Canon, a man
may effectually refute those two main doctrines of their Church,
the doctrine of Purgatory, and that of Transubstantiation. . . .
Thus, by a singular providence of God, that ancient, primitive, and
apostolic Form of Prayer still remains in the Liturgy of that
Church, as a convincing testimony against her latter innovations
and corruptions of the Christian doctrine. But this by the way.
The same harmony and consent of the ancient liturgies (i. e. ser
vices) is to be found in the office of Baptism, where the person to

449
be baptized is obliged first to " renounce the Devil and all his works,
the pomp and vanity of the world," &c., and then to profess his
faith in the Holy Trinity, " God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
This Form is to be found in the liturgies of all the churches of
Christ throughout the world, almost in the very same words, and
is therefore doubtless of primitive and apostolical origin. . . .
Other instances of the Hke nature I could give you, if the time
would permit. But these I think are sufficient to show that there
were set, prescribed Offices and Forms of Prayer and praise, and
professions of faith, delivered to all the Churches of Christ by the
Apostles or their immediate successors; many of those Forms (not
withstanding the manifold corruptions and depravations of the primi
tive Liturgies in after times) being still retained, and unanimously
used in all the Churches of Christ to this day.

The following account of the Thanksgiving in the Holy Eucha
rist, mentioned by Bishop Bull in the above extract, is from Bing
ham, Antiq. xv. 3.
" As soon as the Common Prayers were ended, and they had
saluted one another with a kiss, bread, and wine and water were
brought to the President ; who receiving them, gave praise and glory
to the Father of all things by the Son and Holy Spirit, and
made a long thanksgiving for the blessings which he vouchsafed to
bestow upon them. And when he had ended the prayers and
thanksgiving, all the people that were present, answered with accla
mation. Amen.
After the same manner Irenaeus, " We offer unto Him His own
gifts, thereby declaring the communication and truth both of flesh
and spirit. For as the bread, which is of the earth, after the invo
cation of God upon it, is no longer common bread, but the Eucha
rist, consisting of two parts, the one earthly, the other heavenly : so
all our bodies, receiving the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible,
whilst they live in hopes of a resurrection. But we offer these
things to Him, not as if He stood in need of them, but as giving
Him thanks for His gifts, and sanctifying the creature."
So Origen says, " They eat the bread that was offered to the
Creator, with prayer and thanksgiving for the gifts that he had be
stowed on them. . . ."
Cyril of Jerusalem more particularly specifies the substance of
this thanksgiving in his Mystical Catechism, saying, " After this we
make mention of the heaven, and earth, and sea, &c  "
This is much the same with the thanksgiving in St. James's Liturgy,
which was used in the Church of Jerusalem, in this form : " It is
very meet and right, becoming us and our duty, that we should
praise Thee, and celebrate Thee with hymns, and give thanks unto
57

450
Thee, the Maker of all creatures, visible and invisible, the Treasure
of all good, the Fountain of life and immortality, the God and Lord
of all things, whom the Heavens, and the Heaven of Heavens
praise, and all the host of them ; the sun and moon and the whole
company of stars ; the earth, the sea, and all that are in them ; the
celestial congregation of Jerusalem ; the Church of the first born,
who are written in heaven ; the spirits of just men and prophets,
the souls of martyrs and apostles ; angels and archangels, thrones
and dominions, principalities and powers, the tremendous hosts,
and cherubims with many eyes, and seraphims with six wings, with
two whereof they cover their faces, and with two their feet, and
with two they fly, crying out incessantly one to another, and sing
ing with loud voices the triumphal song of the magnificence of
Thy Glory, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth
are full of Thy Glory, Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed be He
that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.

No. 65.
(Ad Populum.)
BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED
OFFICE.
No. VI.— FRIDAY.

ORDINATION.

Question from the Office of Ordination. — Will you be faith
ful in ordaining, sending, or laying hands upon others ? Ans. 1
will so be, by the help of God.
Almighty God, who knowest the hearts of men, govern my mind,
that I may faithfully discharge this great trust, that neither through
fear, favour, interest, or negligence, I may ever promote any person
to the sacred charge of Christ's flock.
Bless all those who have already given themselves to Thy imme
diate service, and labour with me in this ministration ; be with us,
and guide us, and help us, for Thy promise' sake, for Thine honour's
sake, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, that we may teach well, and
that we may be examples of all the graces and virtues which we re
commend to others. .
Direct all such as are designed to serve at Thine altar ; sanctify
their persons, their studies, their intentions, and affections.

451
And grant that no unworthiness in me may ever hinder Thy gifts
artd graces from descending upon those whom I shall ordain to thy
service, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
Jer. iii, 15. "O Lord, give us pastors according to Thine own
heart, which shall feed us with knowledge and understanding." Min
isters being the officers of God's household, we must depend upon
Him in the choice of them, and not upon human motives.
Acts xiii. 3. " And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid
their hands on them, they sent them away." All Christians being
concerned in this affair, all ought to fast and pray, in order to have
faithful pastors. Quesn.
Apostolical usages ought to be kept up to, as proceeding from Je
sus Christ Himself.
Matt. ix. 38. " Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He will send
forth labourers into His harvest." O gracious Lord, look down in
mercy upon this church, at this time. Provide it with faithful la
bourers, such as shall have a true compassion for the souls commit
ted to their care, and a knowledge and zeal answerable to the ac
count they are to give. Grant that we may all preach the truth as
it is in Jesus. Give a blessing to our labours, that we may see the
fruits of them, in the repentance and conversion of ourselves, and of
all sinners. Make us truly sensible, that when we labour for our
flock, we labour for ourselves and for Thy glory. And pardon us,
gracious God, whereinsoever we have been wanting in any part of
our duty. Awaken, and touch all our hearts most powerfully from
above, that we may not forget our ordination vows. And for Jesus
Christ's sake, grant that I may not be answerable for the sins, and
the dreadful mischiefs that may follow, if not hindered by Thy grace.
Amen. The conversion of souls is Thine, O Lord, and not ours ;
prosper Thou Thine own work. It is not in us to save souls. Let
us not sacrifice to our own net, but use the means, and ascribe all the
glory to God ; we of ourselves have nothing whereof to glory.
Luke vi. 12, 13. "And it came to pass in those days, that He went
out into a mountain to pi'ay, and continued all night in prayer to
God. And when it was day. He called unto Him His disciples : and
of them he chose twelve, whom He also named apostles ;" viz. that
their very title might put them in mind of their mission. O blessed
Lord and Master, let Thy tender regard for Thy church make me
ever solicitous at the throne of grace, in behalf of those I send into
Thy vineyard ; and grant that no unworthiness in me may hinder
Thy gifts and graces from descending upon those whom I shall ordain
to Thy service. For the sake of this Church, which thou hast pur
chased with Thy most precious blood, enable them for the work unto
which they are called, that they may teach well, and that they may
live well, and be examples of all the holy graces and virtues which
they shall recommend to others. Sanctify their persons and their la
bours, that they may be respected by their people ; and, for Thy au-

452
thority in them, be heard and obeyed, that they maybe able to give a
comfortable account at the great day. Amen.
John xxi. 15. "Jesus said unto Peter, Lovest thou me? Yea,
Lord : Thou knowest that I love Thee. He said unto Him, Feed
my sheep." 0 Sovereign Pastor, who lovedst and gavest Thy hfe
for us, make our love for Thee, and our care of Thy sheep, so great
and sincere, that we may feed them constantly, and diligently watch
over them, that not one of them may be lost through my neglect, or
the fault of those whom I send into Thy service. Make us every day
mindful of our charge ; and every day more able to perform it, re
membering the account we must give. Grant this for the glory of
Thy grace, and the good of Thy Church, which Thou hast purchased
with Thy most precious blood.
John xxi. 7. " Jesus said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ?"
Though Jesus Christ knew Peter's heart, yet He asked him three
times whether he loved Him ? To teach those to whom the power
of ordaining belongs, to be very solicitous and careful, and not con
tent themselves with a shght inquiry into the dispositions and quali
fications of those who are to have the care of souls committed to
them. It being entirely at the bishop's discretion whether he will
admit any one to the order of priest or deacon, and being not oblig
ed to give any reason for his refusal ;* he will be more accountable
to God, both for ordaining unfit persons, and for any prejudice against
such as are worthy. As we consult God, as Jesus Christ Himself
did, when we ordain men to His service, so should we consult Jesus
Christ, when we assign them a place in His family. Would Jesus
Christ have given this man the charge of the souls of this parish?
That we may have the comfort of knowing that we enter into the
ministry by a choice which proceeded from God, we must have some
assurance from our own hearts, that the glory of God, the good of
souls, was in our intention, and that we were called regularly, and
according to the intention of the Church.
Ember Week.
All persons being concerned in the choice of pastors, every body
ought to pray for good pastors.
1 Cor. i. I. "Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ,
through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother." Not through
his own will — not through motives of worldly lucre, &c.
Deacons.
1 Tim. iii. 10. " Let these first bq proved ; then let them use the
office of a Deacon, being found blameless." It is not sufficient to
* Vide Clerg. Vade-Mecum, p. i. p. 49.

45.3
secure tne dignity of the ministry even in its lower ministries, that
men have taken up virtuous resolutions, unless they be also proved,
to see whether those resolutions will continue, &c.
N. B. To give every person I ordain some short hints in writing,
of the nature, dignity, several branches, hazard of not discharging
them faithfully, «&;c. ofthe ministry.
Matth. xxviii. 20. "Lol I am with you." The chief care of a
minister of Christ should be, not to render himself unworthy to have
Christ present with him in the exercise of his ministry.
John xvii. 16. " They are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world." The repetition of this truth ought to make us sensible
how different our life ought to be from that of worldly people.
Tlie True Pastor.
I Pet, V. 1,2, 3, 4. " The elders I exhort : Feed the flock of God,
which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly ; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as
being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown
of glory that fadeth not away,"
N. B. We must feed the flock, not live in idleness ; — not with
imperiousness as over subjects, but with love as over brethren ;
not with an eye to self-interest, but with regard to an heavenly re
ward. Apostles (Envoys)
So Jesus Christ called the twelve ; that the world might know
from whom they had their mission, and that such as are not sent by
Him, and by those that have their powers from Him, are not His
apostles, Luke vi. 16. "And Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."
A man my have a lawful call to the priesthood, to dignities and
benefices ; and yet, for want of answering the ends of his calling,
may be a traitor to the Church, to Christ, and to his own soul.
"The good Lord grant that I may often think of this with great se
riousness. liuke vi. 39. " Can the blind lead the blind ?" It belongs to Thee,
O Holy Spirit of grace, to send such guides into Thy Church as
may lead Thy people in the right way, and to be the guide of those
guides, O do so, for Thy mercies' sake, to this Church and People,
Ignorance in pastors, forasmuch as it is likely to destroy the foun
dation, is sometimes worse than vice itself, being the occasion of
superstition, disorders, and infinite evil consequences, taking error
for truth and truth for error.
N. B, Remembering, that a minister of Christ can save himself

454
but only by labouring to save others. The business of the ministry
is, to preach, to make men love, and to confirm them in, the truths
of the Gospel. Happy that pastor, whose life and zeal, and labours,
do all testify, that he loves his flock, and that he loves them for
Christ's sake. Nothing can supply the want of such a pastor's
presence. They whom God, by a terrible judgment, leaves to enter
into the ministry solely of themselves, are generally puffed up with
a carnal notion of its dignity; while they that through His mercy
are called to it, at the same time that they know its dignity, are
humbled under a sense of its weight, and the account they must
one day give. Such as the heart of the pastor is, such is his beha
viour. He who suffers the priesthood to become vile in bis own
person, does not remember, that he is an ambassador of Christ.
The dignity is great, and so ought the sanctity to be, of one who is
in Christ's stead.*
2 Cor. vi. 3. " Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry
be not blamed." A pastor's life must not contradict his doctrine.
He must preach by his actions.
2 Cor. vi. 4, 5, &:c. " In all things approving ourselves as the min
isters of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in dis
tresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watch-
ings, in fastings ; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by
kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of
truth, [preaching it sincerely,] by the power of God, [depending
entirely upon His assistance,] by the armour of righteousness, on
the right hand and on the left, [defending us both in prosperity and
adversity,] by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good re
port ; as deceivers, and yet true ; as unknown, but yet well known ;
as dying, and behold we Hve ; as chastened, and not killed, [believ
ing that God chastens his servants not to destroy them ;] as sorrow
ful, yet always rejoicing, [rejoicing in afflictions ;] as poor, yet
making many rich, [with true, not perishing riches ;] as having no
thing, and yet possessing all things, [possessing all things in depend
ing upon God."]
I Tim. V. 22. " Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be par
takers of other men's sins : keep thyself pure." A bishop engages
to answer before God for such persons as he by advice, ordination,
&c, causes to enter into a state of life so very hazardous, and which
requires so great a stock of virtues. It is happy for a minister of
God, that the life he is to lead, and the very outward acts he has
vowed to perform, will help to change his heart, and create in him
those dispositions which will make him like his Great Master. For
instance ; he has solemnly promised to read the Holy Scriptures
daily; he will therefore have daily before his eyes the precepts, the
instructions, the example of Christ ; the rewards and punishments
* 2 Cor. V. 20.

455
ofthe life to come. ,He is obliged to catechize ; and the more care
ful he is to instruct others, the more effectually he will learn him
self how far we are fallen from God, and what pains we must take
to be restored to the image and favour of God. He has promised
to lead an holy and exemplary life. If he does not do this sincerely,
he will be the scorn of men now, and of devils hereafter. It will
be impossible to converse with poor and needy people, and to seek
out for help for them, without partaking of the spirit and compas
sion of the blessed Jesus, who laid down His life for them. If he
is careful to read divine service distinctly, with deliberation and
gravity, it will beget devotion in himself, as well as in those that hear
him. If his sermons be plain and practical, they will affect his own
heart, as well as the hearts of those he preaches to. Every child
he baptizes puts him in mind of the' vows that are upon himself.
And he cannot administer the other sacrament as he ought to do,
but it must needs fill his soul with a thousand holy ideas and devout
thoughts; with an holy fear, lest he should Offer the prayers of the
faithful with polluted lips, or distribute the bread of life with unclean
hands : — with an ardent love for Jesus Christ, whose love and
death he commemorates : — with a perfect charity for all the world
for whom he died. And the oftener he administers this sacrament,
the more he will find his graces increased. In visiting sick and
dying persons, he will be put in mind of his own mortality ; and in
fitting them as he ought to do for the account they are going to give,
he will be put in mind of the much greater he is himself to give.
When he exhorts, reproves, admonishes others, it will bring to his
mind the words of the apostle, Tlwu that teachest another, teachest
thou not thyself! When he calls to mind, that he- has promised all
faithful diligence, &c. he will give himself wholly to these things,:
and will be ashamed to be found wholly taken up with business
which no way relates to the salvation of souls. If he is diligent in
prayer, which he promised to be, God will certainly enlighten his
mind with saving truth and grace. In short ; if he has an ardent
desire to save souls, and really strives to do it as effectually as he
can, he will be beloved of God, assisted by His Spirit ; he will
see the fruit of his labours ; he will secure his own peace and
hope, and will give an account with joy when his Lord calls for
him. One of the most certain marks of a divine call is, when it' is
the full purpose of a man's heart, to hve for Jesus Christ and His
Church. John xvii, 16. " They are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world." O Lord, make us truly sensible how very different
our lives ought to be from the lives of worldly people,, that we may
avoid their maxims, all that is curious, useless, light, and vain, and
live up to our character. Mercy and tenderness for sinners, and ^
faithfulness to the justice of God, are characters inseparable in a
true pastor

456
John X, 1 1, " The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep,"
He gives his life, by giving his labour, in taking all occasions of in
structing them ; in employing his thoughts for their good ; in praying
for them coritinually, and rendering God propitious to them ; in
sacrificing his ease and peace for them, by delivering truths which
the world will not receive without unkind returns ; he gives up the
dearest friendships, when they stand in competition with truth and
righteousness ; he gives up all worldly satisfactions, when he does
not look upon what is lawfid, but what is expedient ; he sacrifices
his inchnations, though never so innocent, rather than offend any ; he
submits to the humility and poverty ofthe Gospel, that he may give
no example of pride and luxury to his flock ; he dares not be even
a witness of disorders, lest he should encourage them by his pre
sence. It is thus he must be the light of the world, and without
this he cannot satisfy the duties of his charge ; and it is thus he is to
give his life for his sheep.
Mark vi. 8, " Take nothing for their journey save a staff only ;
no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse," The ecclesiastical
ministry requires a great disengagement from the world, to take
away all suspicion, that the clergy act only out of self-interest.
Whoever is not ready to part with all, rather than be wanting to his
duty, is not worthy to be a successor to the Apostles, We shall
never be able to establish the kingdom of God in the hearts of men,
so long as we do not appear fully persuaded of those truths which
we preach. Fees.
Can. 135, No fee or money shall be received, either by the arch
bishop or any bishop, either directly or indirectly, for admitting of
any into sacred orders, nor any to his servants or officers, above ten
shillings for parchment, wax, &c. For Letters Testimonial of ordi
nation are no part of the ordination, but only taken afterwards for
the security of the person ordained, which if he neglect to take, it is
at his own peril,* Ordination.
The example of Jesus Christ, before He ordained the Apostles,
shows us, that in this choice we ought to depend upon God, and
pray for His direction and blessing,
' Catechizing.
Can. 59. Ministers shall, every Sunday evening and holyday, for
half an hour at least, examine and instruct in the Church Catechism ;
* Codex Can. Eccl. Ang. p. 177.

467
and he that neglects to do so, after reproof, to be first suspended, af
terwards excommunicated. The neglect of this duty makes the dis
courses ofthe pulpit of very little use. People do not understand the
very words made use of in the Gospel.
Institution.
Persons to be instituted shall exhibit orders and testimonials, and
be examined.* Reasons for refusing Institutions.
Lack of Learning ; of which the bishop is the sole judge, and not
accountable to any temporal court, but only to a superior spiritual
Judge. And a person's being ordained, licensed, and approved by
another bishop, does not take away the right which every bishop has
to examine and judge. f
Lack of Language ; which renders a person incapable of the
cure. Nor does it avail, that the language may be learnt, or that the
duty might be discharged by a curate. And the Canon Law requires
that where there is a mixture of languages, the priest shall under
stand both. J Other Causes.
Whatever is sufficient to deprive, is sufficient cause to refuse insti
tution. Mala in se : — Incontinence, drunkenness, murder, manslaughter,
heresy, schism, simony, perjury. The bishop must signify the cause
of his refusal specially, that the proper court, if application be made
elsewhere, may be able to judge whether the refusal be just, except
in the case of insufficiency ; for it has been judged in parliament,
that it is sufficient to set forth — " Quod persona in literatura minus
sufficiens sen capax ad habendam dictam ecclesiam." The bishop,
having the care of all the souls in his diocese, is bound in conscience
to see them well taken care of, by committing them to fit persons.
Acts i, 24. " And they prayed and said. Thou Lord, who know
est the hearts of all men, show whether of these two Thou hast
chosen." Should not this make patrons and bishops to tremble, to
see with what caution, devotion, &c. even the Apostles themselves
proceeded in the choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry
of the Church? « Can. 39. t Codex, p. 850. t Ihid. p. 851.
58

458

A Christian Priest.

Let him remember, that he himself is a man and a sinner ; that he
is ordained for men only in things pertaining to God ; that he is not
to five an idle life, but to offer, &c. ; that is, to perform the duties of
his calling ; to appease the justice of God, by offering the prayers,
the oblations, &;c. of the people ; to have bowels of compassion to
wards sinners ; to instruct the ignorant and them that are out of the
way ; never to forget his own infirmities, that he may treat sinners
with compassion ; to pray much for himself and for his people ; to
stay till he is called into the ministry : it is an honour, and to be con
ferred as it was on Aaron ; to keep his flock, by his vigilance, from
falling into ignorance in relation to the truths of Christianity ; to suit
his instructions to the capacities of his hearers, and to their peculiar
wants ; and not to fill their heads with vain amusements, which sig
nify little to their salvation.* O Lord, abandon not Thy flock to
wolves, but send them pastors after Thine own heart.
Num. xviii. I. "The Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons
shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary ;" that is, they shall carry
them away by the sacrifices which they shall offer for them, espe
cially on the day of expiation.
Ecclus. vii. 29. " Fear the Lord with all thy soul, and reverence
His priests. Love Him that made thee with all thy strength, and
forsake not His ministers ; but give the priest his portion as it is com
manded." A lawful call affords us a good ground to hope for all
necessary assistance, and grace to do our duty, and for mercy for all
our involuntary defects.

CLERGY.,
I beseech Thee, O God, for them, and for myself; that, in the ex
ercise of our ministry, we may depend much upon Thee ; that we
may learn from Thee what we ought to speak concerning Thee ;
that we may constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and pa
tiently suffer for righteousness' sake ; that we may live and act as in
the place of Christ, doing nothing unbecoming that character ; and
that we may preserve an apostohcal firmness of mind under the
vexations and persecutions of this world. Amen.
Faults of the Clergy.
Let it be considered, what is the great design of the generality of
the Clergy of these days : — To appear learned rather than pious ; to
* Heb. V.

459
get preferment, riches, and to live at ease. This makes them satis
fied with a mere speculative knowledge in divinity.
Luke V. 5. " We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing."
And it is much to be feared, that the little good we see done by our
sermons is owing to the neglect of praying for God's blessing upon
our labours. Sermons should be plain, practical, and tending to the
salvation of those that hear them. Remember, that all useful truths
must come from the Spirit of truth, and therefore are to be prayed
for. Do holy things after an holy manner. He that reads the ser
vice negligently, betrays a great want of piety in himself, and begets
contempt and indevotion in others.
Lord's Supper.
Christians are too often admitted without knowing the meaning of
this holy institution. The consequence is, they fancy they are good
Christians, and are in danger of perishing without knowing it.
Lives of the Clergy.
They should consider, that they are taken from amongst men, to
minister in things pertaining to God, and therefore are not to live like
those from whom they are taken. They are restrained from many-
things which others practise without reproach or scruple. The
maxims of the world are not to be our rule. To desire to be es
teemed ; to get as much of this world as we well can ; to stick at
nothing to gain an end ; to despise those below us ; to live without
taking the cross, without self-denial, &o. ; to admire what the world
admires. By these things, the ministry is blamed and brought into
contempt. Look at home ! a sad reproach where occasion is given,
Remember, that a contempt of the Clergy will be attended wi^h a
contempt of the Gospel, and of God Himself at last. More sinners
have been converted by holy than b}^ learned men. It is the great
est presumption to pretend to heal others of a distemper I labour un
der myself.
John viii. 46. " Which of you convinceth me of sin ?" Here is
a pattern of a pastor. He who would edify by his sermons, must
be that same virtuous, sober, serious, pious man in his life and con
versation ; he will then be heard with respect and reverence. If a
Clergyman is eager after pleasures, the world and its idols, trifling
and vain in life, all he says from the pulpit will signify nothing. He
that religiously practises himself what he teaches others, preaches
effectually. No man can teach well, who does not live well. It is
true, the faith is not built upon the lives of those that preach it, but
ii,oon the Word of God. A bad fife exposes Christians to great
temptations, «&c.

460
John xxi. 16. " Simon, lovest thou me ?" &c. This should teach
us, that nothing but a sincere love for Gob, and for the souls of
men, which He loved so well as to redeem them by His own Son,
can carry us through the work of the ministry. How shall we at
tain to such a love ? By prayer ; by reading the Scriptures ; by
instructing the poor, the young, after such a manner as to affect our
own hearts ; by visiting, relieving, comforting, sick and needy people,
&c. These will pray for you, and God will hear their prayers, and
increase His love, &c. Difficulties.
If the motives which determined you to take holy orders were
the glory of God, and the good of souls. He will enable you to bear
and get the better of all difficulties.
Preacher. Sermons.
The design of religion being to lead men to the knowledge of
God, how He is to be worshipped, appeased, honoured ; and to make
men holy, that they may be happy when they die ; the great busi
ness of a preacher should be, to show how the Christian religion,
and all its parts contribute to this end. They that recommend eter
nal possession to others, ought to show by their lives, that they are
themselves verily persuaded of the vanity of all earthly pleasures,
avoiding superfluities, &c. Jesus Christ preached up the contempt
ofthe world, by contemning it himself. A pastor's knowledge need
not extend so far as is imagined. If he knows the Scriptures, and
what concerns the kingdom of God, and the way of leading souls
thither, he knows sufficient. We must speak to the heart as well
as to the understanding. While we attack men's reason only, they
will hear with patience ; but when we attack the heart and its cor
ruption, then they are uneasy. I would rather send away an hearer
smiting his breast, than please the most learned audience with a
fine sermon against any vice. Let people feel that you are in
earnest, that you believe and are deeply affected with the great
truths you would recommend. Avoid such discourses and subjects
as would divert the mind without instructing it. Never consult
your own fancy in the choice of subjects, but the necessities of your
flock. Necessary Subjects.
A concern for what may come hereafter ; a firm hope of immor
tality ; a fear of a judgment to come, and of hell torments. Re
member, that your own salvation depends very much upon the
salvation of your flock. A man may flatter himself with keeping

461
fair with the world, by not telling them the danger they are in.
This was not the way of Jesus Christ.* A preacher ought to
advance nothing but what he has received from Jesus Christ. My
doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me.-\ With what truth can
it be said, that your sheep hear your voice, when you speak of mat
ters above their capacity, or in a language or terms which they do
not understand ? Can any man imitate a greater master of elo
quence than Jesus Christ was, whose great excellence appears in
making great truths understood by the meanest capacity? The
great end of our ministry, and our great delight, should be to de
stroy the kingdom of Satan. To have an eye to the learned part
of our audience, who will not very likely profit by you, rather than
to the poor in spirit, whom God designs to save, is very wrong. He
that considers that he is God's ambassador to his people ; that he
speaks from God to them ; that Jesus Christ speaks by him ; will
labour with sincerity and devotion for the salvation of souls.J God
would have all men see, that the success of the Gospel depends
upon His grace, and therefore preachers should be humble, meek,
charitable, &c. It is too often that preachers perplex those whom
they should instruct, either by proving things which want no proof,
— the being of a God, &c., or by proposing useless questions and
doubts ; or speaking of things above the capacities of the common
people. There is a great deal of difference betwixt people admir
ing a preacher, and being edified by his sermons.
Test of a good Preacher.
We count him a good physician whose patients we see cured.
If the people are cured of their intemperance, lying, &c. his works
will speak for him.
1 Cor. iii. 7. "Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he
that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." We must depend
on God for success, not take that to ourselves which belongs to God
alone. It is God who gives His ministers, such as are humble, power
over the hearts and souls of men ; when, distrusting themselves, they
ascribe all the glory to God. We take the work out of the hands
of God, when we are pleased with what we have done, and rob
Him of the honour due to Him alone. There have been many who,
without any great learning or eloquence, yet by their communication
in an humble and low way, have instructed and converted more than
famous preachers ; for they preached not themselves, but Christ
Jesus, placing all their confidence in God.
The Blessing of Levi.
Deut. xxxiii. II. "Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the
* John vii. 7. t John vii. 16. 1 2 Cor. ii. 17.

462
work of his hands. Smite Jhrough the loins of them that rise up
against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again."
This is a prophetical declaration of the dreadful punishment of such
as shall oppose the priesthood.

No. VII.— SATURDAY.

ALMS.
Question from the Office of Ordination. — Will you show
yourself gentle, and be merciful for Christ's sake to poor and needy
people, and to all strangers destitute of help ? — Ans. I will so show
myself, by God's help.
Upon one of the days of the week (kutA ,xiav sappdrm) let every
one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him.*
Gen. xxviii. 20. " Jacob vowed a vow, saying. If God will be
with me, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me
bread to eat, and raiment to put on, then shall the Lord be my
God ; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth
unto thee."
Ijuke xi. 41. "But rather give alms of such things as you have
(gr as you are able) and all things are clean unto you." That is,
proportion your alms to your estate, lest God proportion your estate
to your'alms.t
Luke xii. 33. " Sell that ye have, and give alms : provide your
selves bags which wax not old ; a treasure in the heavens that fail-
eth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." This is still
a necessary Christian duty, whatever men think of it : to part with
our worldly enjoyments for the sake of Christ. To sell all ; that
is, to renounce all the pleasures, and pomp, and enjoyment, which
wealth affords, as if we had actually parted with it ; to take to a
man's self no more of his estate than necessity requires ; and to
make the remainder the support of the poor and distressed : — It
being utterly impossible to take delight in the enjoyments of riches,
and to love God with all the soul. If God is our only happiness,
we shall of course be dead, crucified, to the world. Give to the poor,
said our Lord to the rich young man whom He loved. Had there
been a better way of disposing of his estate. He would certainly
have told him. * 1 Cor. xvi. 2. t Bishop Beveridge.

463
Matth. vi. 1, 2. "Take heed that ye do not your alms before
men, to be seen of them. Let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doeth. Thy Father, which seeth in secret. Himself shall
reward thee openly." By vanity we lose' both our riches and our
reward. It is vanity to boast of our alms, and it is vanity lo take
pleasure in reflecting upon them. It is sufficient that God will re
member them.
Tobit xii. 8. " It is better to give alms than to lay up gold."
Deut. XV. 7. " If there shall be a poor man within any of thy
gates, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thine hand from thy
poor brother ; but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and
shalt freely lend him sufficient for his need. Thine heart shall not
be grieved when thou givest unto him, because that for this thing
the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works."
Psalm xii. 1. "Blessed be the man that provideth for the sick and
needy : the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble."
Matth. V. 7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy." Ecclus. iv. 8. " Bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a
friendly answer with meekness ; be as a father unto the fatherless,
and as an husband unto the widow ; so shalt thou be as the Son
of the Most High, and He shall love thee more than thy mother
doth." Ecclus. xxix. 11. "Lay up thy treasure according to the com
mandment. It shall bring thee more profit than gold, it shall deliver
thee from all afflictions, it shall fight for thee against thine enemies,"
&c.
Is. Iviii. 10, 11. "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and
satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and
thy darkness be as the noon-day. And the Lord shall guide thee
continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones ;
and thou shalt be hke a watered garden, and like a spring of water,
whose waters fail not." Do not imagine that all that belongs to
your Church belongs to you. You have indeed a right to live by
the altar, but not in luxury.* The Church has not had worse ene
mies, than such as have been raised to estates out of her patrimony.
This should open the eyes of those who make no other use of Church
livings than to provide portions, raise estates and families, enrich re
lations, &c., from which practices the good Lord keep me. The
goods of this world, much more the goods of the Church, are mere
depositums, put into the hands of men for the common good — of
the Church and of mankind.f
Col. iii. 2. " Set your affections on things above." It is more to
our advantage to have the prayers of a poor, good man, than the
smiles of the greatest man on earth.
* St. Bern. Ep. 2. t Dr. Moore's Div. Dial.

464
Deut. X. 18, 19. "The Lord loveth the stranger; love ye there
fore the stranger ; give him food and raiment," &c.
Mark x. 21. " Sell what thou hast, and give to the poor ; and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, take up the cross, and
follow me." My God ! we think we love Thee above all things,
when, without being sensible of it, we love a thousand things bet
ter ; but as we hope for heaven, we must sacrifice even what we
love most. This is a necessary duty now ; and though it be a very,
very difficult one, yet to Thee all things are possible. To sell is only
an expression for a disregard for riches ; such as are, being dead to
the world, crucified, born again, overcome the world ; all which de
note tliat temper which Christianity requires.
Matth. xxv. 40. " In as much (for as often) as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me." As often I — ^Who then would miss any occasion? The
least: — Who then would despise any object? Tome: — So that in
serving the poor, we serve Jesus Christ. O comfortable declara
tion I It is not out of cruelty or indigence, that Christ suffers any
of His members to want or be in misery, but to give others an op
portunity of exercising their faith and their love, and of making
some amends for their mis-expenses by their alms.
Mark ix. 41. " Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink
in my name, because ye belong to Christ ; verily, (with an oath
He assures us) he shall not lose his reward." This should always,
if possible, be our intention : — This poor, oppressed, this miserable
man, belongs to Christ. This would wonderfully enhance the
value of our good deeds before God. Mercy is a natural debt, not
left to our discretion. He that stands in need of our help, is to have
it. Inclination, friendship, vain generosity, are selfish motives. The
last refuge of a sinner is alms ; it is an art of turning our master's
goods innocently to our own advantage, and making to ourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; heaven being the pat
rimony and inheritance of the poor, by our alms we engage them
to solicit the mercy of God for us. This is the only way to sanctify
riches, which are almost always either the fruit, or the seed, of un
righteousness and injustice. And indeed we are more obhged to
the poor than they to us. Earthly riches are almost always abused
without an extraordinary grace.
Luke xviii. 12. " I fast twice in the week ; I give tithes of all that
I possess." Be very careful not to be puffed up with the thoughts
of your alms. I give tithes of all that I possess, was the effect of a
pride more prejudicial than the sins of a pubHcan. It is a strata
gem of the devil to set before us a sight of our own good works,
and to deprive us of that humility which alone can render us ac
ceptable to God.
Luke xxi. 3. " And Jesus said. Of a truth I say unto you, that
this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all "these of

465
their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God, but she of her
penury hath cast in all the living that she had." God judges not by
the greatness of the gift, but by the heart that offers it. The ap
plause which the great gifts of the rich receive, the complacency
they take in them, and the little religion wherewith they are too
often companied, lessen them in the sight of God. The rich indeed
may give much, and reserve much for themselves. The poor, who
gives all, reserves nothing to himself, but faith in God's providence.
God magnifies the power of His grace, in disengaging a soul from
the love of riches : 0 my God I manifest this power upon me : Raise
my soul above the fears of poverty, and let me have the greatest
part of my treasure in heaven. Shut my heart, O Jesus, against
the love of worldly riches.
Rom. XV. 25. " But now I go to Jerusalem, to minister (that is,
to carry alms) unto the saints." So great an Apostle is not at all
afraid that he should debase his character in carrying of alms. A
Christian, who considers all other Christians as one body in Jesus
Christ, will cheerfully contribute even to the necessities of the
greatest, remotest strangers. God often spares the rich for the sake
of the poor. To the poor, therefore, the rich stand indebted. A
rich man, if a good man, is more afraid of not finding fit persons to
receive his alms, than a poor man is of not finding persons to bestow
alms upon him. We honour Jesus Christ in His poor, when we
treat them kindly and help them. The very best of men are only
instruments in God's hands, to receive and to give what God be
stows upon them. And this they should do without any desire of
glory, or self-interest. Let us make light of money and riches, and
send before us into the heavenly treasures, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt ; where neither tyrants nor thieves can
take it from us ; but where it will be kept to our eternal advan
tage, under the custody of God Himself.* Thou, O Lord, hast
been all mercy lo me ; grant that I may be all mercy to others for
Thy sake. Upon giving of Alms.
Not unto me, but unto Thee, O God, be the thanks, and praise,
and glory. TITHES.
1 Cor. ix. 14. " So hath the Lord, (viz. Jesus Christ!) ordained,
that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." That
is, out ofthe labours and revenues of those to whom they preach the
Gospel. And this (upon principles of justice, as well as of religion :
* Lactantius. t Matt. x. 10.
59

466
if thou hast much, give plenteously) as God has prospered you ; that
is, proportionably to your incomes. This no human law can set
aside. There is a great deal of difference betwixt being exempt by
law, and exempt in conscience. O Lord, who hast graciously al
lowed us a recompense for our labours, make me a faithful steward
of that part of Thy revenues committed to my charge, that I may
give Thy servants their portion of meat in due season ; and that I
may not feed myself or family with that which belongs to Thy poor.
But, above all, I pray God give me grace to preach the Gospel as
well as live of it ; and that when my Lord cometh. He may find me
so doing. — Amen. By what right can those, who do nothing at all,
claim a share of those tithes which are by Jesus Christ appointed
for the propagation of the Gospel ? — To satisfy avarice, ambition,
luxury, or pleasures, with these, is no better than sacrilege.*
Numb, xviii. 26. " When ye take ofthe children of Israel the tithes,
which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye
shall offer up an heave-offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part
of the tithe."
Deut. xviii. 2. "The Lord (that is, that which God hath reserv
ed unto Himself) is their inheritance." This is said to show, that the
priests had as good a right to the tithes and offerings as any of the
other tribes had to their land, they being both the gift of God.
Deut. xxvi. 12. "When thou hast made an end of tithing all the
tithes of thine increase, the third year, which is the year of tithing,
and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the
widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled ;
13. " Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought
away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given
them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to
the widow, according to all Thy commandments."
15. "Look down from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and
bless Thy people Israel." What care is here taken, that men shall
not confound the things that belong to God with those that they may
lawfully convert to their own use ; and indeed a great deal more de
pends on this, than men are aware of, or are willing to believe.
Matt. X. 10. "The workman is worthy of his meat." This is a
matter of justice as well as of divine right; but then observe, it is
only he that labours, not he that is idle, who has a right to the re
venues of the Church. Men that are liberal, even to profuseness, to
the ministers of their pleasures, that think nothing too much which is
laid out upon the body, upon trifles and vanity, will yet grudge him
that has the care of their souls, and who stands accountable for them,
a very small part of their incomes. After all, it is God who main
tains his own ministers, and not the people ; He who gives all hav-
* Can. Apost. Omnium negotiorum ecclesiasticormn episcopus habeat, et ea, velut
Deo contemplante, dispenset.

467
ing reserved to His own disposal a part of every man's estate, la
bour, &c.
Prov. iii. 9, 10. "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with
the first-fruits (the best) of all thine increase, so shall thy barns be
filled with plenty."
Ezek. xliv. 30. "And the first of the first-fruits of all things, &c.
ye shall give unto the priest, that he may cause the blessing to rest
in thine house."
Mal. iii. 10. " Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there
may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the
Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to re
ceive it."
Gal. vi. 6. " Let him (that is, he is bound by his Christianity) that
is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good
things." May my gracious God, who has blessed me with wealth,
may He bless me with humility and gratitude, and with a persever
ance in the most lovely grace of charity. When God left out the
tribe of Levi in the division of the land. He did it for his advantage :
for He gave him a tenth instead of a twelfth part ; and even this un
der such conditions as freed him from bodily labour. Every one is
bound to help the poor, not just as he is assessed by human laws,
but according to his ability, as God has prospered him ; and if he
will do no more than he can be compelled by law, he will have but
a bad account to make. Prescriptions are therefore unlawful.
ALMS.
Ecclus. vii. 9. " Say not, God will look upon the multitude of my
oblations, (that is, if we wilfully break His laws,) and when I offer
to the Most High God, He will accept it." God has no need of our
help to relieve the poor. He commands us for our own profit to
help one another ; that we help the poor with our riches, they us with
their prayers. We give nothing to the poor but what we have re
ceived from God. How well is a man paid for his alms, when they
obtain for him the grace of God, not to mention a reward in tempo
ral blessings ! The administering of charity not only supplieth the
wants ofthe poor, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto
God, and by their prayers for you.*
I Tim. V. 8. " But if any provide not for his own, and especially
for those of his own house, (kindred,) he hath denied the faith, and is
worse than an infidel." A very terrible sentence! And will not
this awaken pastors, masters, parents, now fast asleep in a deplora
ble neglect of tho.se who stand related to them, both as to temporals
and spirituals ? We rob the poor, when we leave to others the care
* 2 Cor. ix. 12.

468
of maintaining our poor re.ations, when we ourselves are able to do
it ; and thereby deprive those charitable persons of the means of
supporting other poor persons. Remember to give to those that are
ashamed to ask ; and do not forget your poor relations, lest you be
worse than an infidel.
John xii. 6. " This Judas said, not that he cared for the poor, but
because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare (the money) which
was put therein." Our Lord trusts a thief with the little money that
He had for His own, or his disciples' necessities, and for the poor,
because He values it not much. My Saviour, Thou who hast in
trusted me with the revenues of Thy poor, make me a faithful stew
ard ; let me not be proud ofthe trust, since Judas himself had once
the same office ; but let me dread being unfaithful, lest I draw upon
me his cursed fate and end I They who are united in an expectation
of an eternal reward, ought to have very little regard to those exter
nal advantages which distinguish men. We ought to look upon it as
a certain truth, that it is God who sends to us His friends in the per
sons of the poor and strangers.
Ecclus. XXXV, 9. " In all thy gifts show a cheerful countenance,
and dedicate thy tithes with gladness," Give unto the Most High
according as He hath enriched thee. For the Lord thy God recom-
penseth, and will give thee seven times as much. But do not think
to corrupt, (viz. God) with gifts, nor trust to unrighteous sacrifices,
for the Lord is Judge,
Rom. xh. 18. "He that showeth mercy, let him do it with cheer
fulness." The good Lord preserve me from vanity, and from seek
ing applause for my charity.
N. B. To lend is sometimes better than to give, because it flatters
not our vanity ; it puts not the roceiver to the blush, and gives not
encouragement to idleness and sloth. Jesus Christ has left the poor
in His place, and has in them continual wants and necessities to be
supplied. There is danger in letting our thoughts run too much up
on the good we do, lest we should at last come to fancy that God is
in our debt ; and that He should reward us in this life. The merits
ofthe poor is not to be the rule of our charity. " If thine enemy hun
ger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink. I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in." God Himself maketh his sun to shine upon the evil
and upon the good. We should always have enough for the poor,
if we would but moderate our vanity, and live according to the spirit
ofthe Gospel. It will- one day be found true, that the measure of
the riches which any man possesseth, should have been the measure
of his charity.
Ecclus. xl, 24. " Brethren and help are against the time of trou
ble ; but alms delivereth more than them both."
Tobit xiv, 10. "Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of
death which they had set for him." He who gives to receive
glory of men, is as great, but worse beggar than any he gives to.

469
Send Thy blessing upon my labours and my substance, and continue
to me a willing mind to help such as have need according to my
ability. Ecclus. xviii. 15, 16, 17. "My son, blemish not thy good deeds,
neither use uncomfortable words when thou givest any thing. Shall
not the dew assuage the heat ? so is a word better than a gift. A
word is better than a gift ; but both are with a gracious man."
Prov. xi. 24. " There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth : and
there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to pover
ty." Whenever we relieve the wants of the body, we ought not to
forget the necessities of the soul. Good advice, and devout peti
tions, for their eternal welfare, will then be most proper and accept
able to God. 0 God, who knowest the necessities of all Thy
creatures, give thy poor the spiritual graces they stand in need of.
Lord Jesus, conduct this poor blind person in the way of light and
peace everlasting. Support Thy poor members, O Jesu, under all
their difficulties, and sanctify their bodily wants to the salvation of
their souls. May Thy poor, O Lord, engage Thee, by a hfe of
resignation and piety, to make them amends in the next worid for
what they want in this. Let Thy poor have a particular share of
Thy grace and mercy, that they may appear for me at the day of
judgment. Let these poor people have Thy grace, whatever else
Thou deniest them. May the wants of Thy poor here, help to in
crease their happiness hereafter. Lord, grant, that these may bear
their poor estate with patience and resignation, and that we may
one day meet in the paradise of God.
Matt. X. 8. " Freely ye have received, freely give." Give me, O
my Lord and Benefactor, an abhorrence of making a trade of Thy
gifts, of which I am only a dispenser.
Prov, xiv. 31. xvii. 5. "He that mocketh, and he that oppresseth,
the poor, reproacheth his Maker." As if he did not order what is
best for all His creatures. May this Thy poor member, O Lord,
make a Christian use of this condition in which Thy providence
hath placed him. Jesus Christ is continually humbled in His
members ; some are poor, in prison, sick, naked, hungry, &c. Let
me, O Lord, see and help Thee in all these objects. A man that
has faith will be glad to discharge himself of the burthen (some
part at least) of temporal goods, in order to secure those that are
eternal ; and to be in some sense the preserver of his brethren.
Charity treats the most unknown and remote like brethren, as being
children of the same Heavenly Father, and members of the same
body. Conversation.
Col, iv, 6. " Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with
salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." One

470
mild, prudent, and edifying conversation, has often gained more souls
than many sermons.
I Thess. V. 11. "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and
edify one another." These are two express duties of Christian
conversation. May that good Spirit, which appeared in the like
ness of tongues of fire, warm my heart, direct my thoughts, and
guide my tongue, and give a power to persuade ; that by my con
versation and example, as well as by my sermons and writings, I
may promote the kingdom and interests of my great Master. —
Amen.
Psalm cxixi " I will speak of Thy testimonies even before kings,
and will not be ashamed." We, of all men, should desire to talk,
and to be talked to, in our own way, and of things relating to our
own profession ; and so we should if our profession were most at
our heart.
Matth. X. 16. "Behold I send you forth as sheep among wolves."
My Saviour, give me grace to oppose nothing to the violence of
men, but the meekness and simplicity of that creature.
Matth. X. 20. " It is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit speak
eth in you." O Holy Spirit, speak in me on all occasions, that I
may always speak as a Christian.
Matth. X. 19. "It shall be given you in that same hour what ye
shall speak." Let no incredulity, O Jesus, hinder the effects of so
positive a promise, that neither want of talents, nor any other de
fect or surprise, may hurt Thy cause.
John XV. 20. " Remember the word that I said unto you. The
servant is not greater than the Lord. If they have persecuted me,
they will also persecute you : if they have kept my saying, they
will keep yours also." O Thou great Master of humihty and of
suffering, how unwilling are we to follow this maxim, and imitate
Thy conduct ! O let me learn from Thee never to murmur, never
to complain. I can never suffer any thing but what Thou hast
suffered. Mark iv. 38. " Carest Thou not that we perish ?" Lord, give
me always a great concern for the Church, a true compassion for
its evils, and a sure confidence in Thee. O Lord Jesus, Thou seest
our afflictions, our troubles, and our wants. Haste Thee to help
us, O Lord God of our salvation.
Prayer before Study.
O God, the fountain of all wisdom, in a deep sense of my own
ignorance, and of that great charge which lies upon me, I am con
strained to come often before Thee, from whom I have learned
whatever I know, to ask that help without which I shall disquiet
myself in vain. Most humbly beseeching Thee to guide me with
Thine eye ; to enlighten my mind, that I may see myself, and teach

471
others tne wonders of Thy law ; that I may learn from Thee what
I ought to think and speak concerning Thee. Direct and bless all
the labours of my mind ; give me a discerning spirit, a sound judg
ment, and an honest and rehgious heart. And grant that, in all
my studies, my first aim may be to set forth Thy glory, and so set
forward the salvation of mankind ; that I may give a comfortable
account of my time at the great day, when all our labours shall be
tried. And, if Thou art pleased that by my ministry sinners shall be
converted, and Thy kingdom enlarged, give me the grace of humili
ty, that I may never ascribe the success to myself, but to Thy Holy
Spirit, which enables me to will and to do according to Thy good
pleasure. Grant this, O Father of all light and truth, for the sake
of Jesus Christ. Amen. Sufferings.
Luke ii. 35, " Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul
also." Thus God treated Mary, and thus He treats those whom He
loves ; He mingles bitters with their sweets. He who is called to
the ministry of the word, is called to suffer the contradiction of the
world, and, if occasion be, to seal the truth with his blood. This
should always be our support and comfort, that the tongues, the ill-
will, the evil designs of men, are always subject to the power of
God ; let us therefore be intent upon our duty, and leave the rest to
God, who continually watches over His faithful servants. Even the
hairs of your head are all numbered. My God ! settle in my heart
a firm belief in Thy providence, and dependence upon Thy will and
designs, that I may consider nothing but my duty, and fear no evil ;
but only lest I should not faithfully discharge my duty in all re
spects. Acts ix. 29. " He preached boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus :
but they went about to kill him." When a man is treated as Jesus
Christ was for preaching, it is a good sign that he preaches by his
Spirit, and that this is the beginning of his reward : and indeed op-
-position, and evil treatment, are less to be feared by a minister of
Christ, than applause and commendation. Wo unto you when all
men shall speak ivell of you I
2 Cor, iv. 8,9. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed ;
we are perplexed, but not in despair ; persecuted, but not forsaken ;
cast down, but not destroyed." Observe here an apostolical dispo
sition in the midst of persecution : — Liberty of spirit and joy of heart ;
an invincible courage ; a lively belief ofthe care 6f God ; a full trust
in his assistance in the lowest abyss of trouble ; casting the eyes of
faith upon the sufferings of the Lord Jesus ; counting himself happy
in fulfilfingthem in his mystical body,
Phil. '.. 12. " The things which happened unto me, have fallen out

472
rather unto the furtherance ofthe Gospel." He who loses courage
under oppositions, is even yet a stranger to the ways of the Gospel.
God can and does make his greatest enemies contribute to his work
and glory. Let us leave God to act, and follow his guidance.
( 2 Tim.iv. 17. "Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and
strengthened me." The more a minister of Christ is forsaken by
men, the more conformable he is to Christ, and the greater conso
lation he may expect from God.
Heb. xii. 3. "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sin
ners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." If
the world, which rose up against Christ, suffer us to be quiet, we
should have reason to fear that we do not follow his steps, and that
the world is pleased with us.
Heb. xii. 6. " Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." If nature were innocent,
a Father so just and so good would not impose a condition so hard
upon his children, were it not necessary to our salvation. We are
treated as bastards, if we are not chastened, but left to our own li
bertinism ; too sure a sign of reprobation. Grant, O Lord, that I
may submit to, and even be pleased with, those temporal evils which
lead to eternal happiness.
1 Pet. ii, 29. " This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience to
wards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully." He who can be con
tent to have God for a witness of his patience and sufferings, has
found the secret to make God his friend. We complain of unjust
sufferings, and they are the things which we ought most to value.
A Christian, whose whole care is to avoid sufferings, has forgot his
pattern ; and that we are Christians in order to be crucified with
Christ. We see in Jesus Christ innocence and holiness itself suf
fering ; and yet we complain of hardships. The meekness of Christ,
when in the hands of his enemies, and when he had power to have
delivered himself, is what we are always to remember.
1 Pet. ui. 14. "If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye ;
and be not afraid of their terror." It is plain we do not know the
happiness of suffering, when we speak ofit with abhorrence, and shun
it with all our might. Nothing but thy love, O Lord, can suppress
in our hearts the fear of men,
1 Pet. iv. 14. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, hap
py are ye : for the spirit of glory and of Gonresteth upon you," No
worldly glory equals this ; nothing causes his Spirit to rest upon us
more perse veringly ; God will not account of sufferings brought upon
a man's self bj' his own fault; ahd yet Christian grace can sanctify
even such crimes, when a criminal suffers in the spirit of repentance,
and submission to the will of God. To be purified by afflictions is a
great mercy ;to be abandoned to prosperity till death, is an instance
of God's anger,
1 Pet, iv. 19, "Wherefore let them that suffer according to t*^**

473
will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing,
as unto a faithful Creator,"
I John iii, 13, " Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."
Let us rather fear that we do not belong to God, if the world spare
us. 2 Cor. i. 7. " As ye are partakers of the sufferings ; so shall ye be
also of the consolations." O Lord, remove from me all inward dis
quiet, and grant that, with an entire submission to Thy will, I may
ever preserve a peace of mind, and leave my deliverance to Thy
choice. The more the world deprives us of its protection for our ad
herence to God, the moreHeespousethour interest, and declares on
our side. It is the part ofthe minister of Christ to labour without
ceasing, — to suffer without resentment, — and to leave his cause in the
hands of God, vvith full trust in Him.

A Thanksgiving for St. Peter's Day, when my Father and two of my
Brothers most wonderfully escaped being drowned.
O eternal and most merciful God, who hast made us happy in the
knowledge of Thy providence, which governs and preserves all
things both in heaven and earth ; by whose goodness my father and
two of my brothers were, as on this day, delivered from sudden and
untimely deaths : accept of my hearty thanks and praise for this great
mercy vouchsafed to the whole family ; and grant that none of us
may, while we hve, forget these wonderful expressions of Thy lov
ing kindness to us, the most undeserving of all Thy people.
We had sinned many ways against Thee, O Lord, and this was
a loud, a distinct, and merciful call of thine, to every one of us, to
repentance, which I most humbly beseech Thee give us grace to
hear, to remember, and obey.
The greatest happiness, O merciful Father, which I can desire,
either for myself or those who were sharers in this great deliverance,
is what I now humbly beg for ; that we may all of us gratefully ac
knowledge Thy great love for us ; meditate on Thy tender mercies ;
magnify Thy great and good providence ; and by these mighty fa
vours, be reduced to an obedience becoming our redemption.
Pass by and pardon the ingratitude we have any of us been guilty
of ; and give us grace to consider, that by the merciful goodness
of God, we are delivered from a world of dangers, which would
otherwise overwhelm us.
And according to Thy wonted mercies, preserve us, for the time
to come, to serve Thee. May the same watchful Providence, which
has beforetime defended us from such imminent dangers, guard us,
the remainder of our days, through all the changes and chances of
this mortal life. This I most humbly beseech Thee to grant, for Thy
60

474
own goodness' sake, and for the merits of our Saviour Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise His
holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who
saved thy life from destruction.
Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him ; or the sons of
men, that Thou so regardest them ?
But what is my father's house, that Thou shouldest have such re
spect to so poor, so sinful a cottage ?
I am oppressed with the load of mercies which we have received
from Thee.

2 Pet. iv. 10. "As every man has received the gift, even so minis
ter the same one to another, as stewards of the manifold grace of
God." We have received them freely, not for ourselves, but for
others ; no man is excused ; as stewards we are accountable. Every
man should be content with his own talents.

No 66.
(Ad Clerum)
SUPPLEMENT TO TRACT XVIII.
ON THE BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM OF FASTING PRESCRIBED BY
OUR CHURCH.

The following observations were occasioned by some questions,
signed " Clericus," addressed to the Editor of the British Magazine,
in April last; as they related to my tract, I felt called upon to
answer them as far as I could ; and they are now re-printed, with
some additions, in the hope that they may remove some difficulties,
which stand in the way of returning to the wise Rules of our Church,
with respect to the Christian duty of Fasting.
E. B. P.
I. Wednesday Fast. I did not mean to imply that this was a fast
of our church. In p. 6, 1 meant to speak of the example set us by
the early church ; in p. 10, " the two-sevenths of the year, which

475
the church has wished to be in some way separated by acts of self-
denial and humiliation," include the forty days of Lent, not the
Wednesday. Undoubtedly many pious Christians have an especial
respect for the Wednesday, as tne day on which our Saviour is
supposed to have been betrayed, and also because their church has,
in consequence, hallowed it by the use of the Litany. It would be
natural for any Christian, who, would add occasional private fasts,
to select the "Wednesday : and this it were well to bear in mind, for
the church prescribes what is generally necessary only ; those who
strive at higher degrees of holiness, and are constantly stretching
forward, will, when accustomed to them, practise themselves in pri
vate acts o-f self-denial at other times.
II. Does a feast ordinarily supersede a fast, or how is the fast to
be engrafted upon the feast ? Our church, in that she has made
one exception, (viz. that her weekly Friday fast is to give way to
the birth-day of her Lord,) and one only, seems to me to imply, that
on all other occasions the fast is to be retained. Yet this does not
supersede the feast.* The glad remembrance on each such feast-
day still remains, — whether that God then crowned with exceeding
glory the labours and patience of His blessed servants, the Apostles,
or whether it were some act of mercy conveyed to us directly in
His Son. The act of fasting (when the habit is acquired) chastens,
but diminishes not our joy ; nay, on the festivals of the blessed
Apostles, it carries on the lesson of the vigil, and teaches us how
we must " enter into His rest." This, then, seems to me to answer
the third question. Are the vigils to be kept as fasts, in such cases, as
well as the day itself? I should answer, yes ; because the vigil, or
fast, of the preceding evening, is intended to prepare the soul, by
previous abstinence and meditation, that it may rise disposed, and
refreshed, and unencumbered, ready to receive God's holy influ
ences on the morrow, and this ground is even increased by the ad
ditional solemnity of that morrow. There appears, however, to
be this difference between the vigil and the Friday, or the Lent
fast, — that in the vigil, not humiliation, but preparation for a solemn
service, is the main object, the fasting is incidental only ; as indeed
the very name leads one to think of the watching and previous
meditation, not of the abstinence, except as far as it facilitates this
end. IV. Rogation days ; or, the three days preceding our Lord!s as
cension. This, according to Bingham, is a Western fast, unknown
in the East, where the whole period of Pentecost was one season
of joy. This fast appears to have been a sort of extended vigil,
preparatory to the day " when the Bridegroom was taken away,"
* Bingham mentions that the 51st Canon of the Council of Laodicea forbad the
celebration of the birth-days of martyrs, i. e. the days of their martyrdom (and so
saint's-day) during Lent: they were to be transferred to the Saturday or Sunday.
This, hov^ever, has not been adopted by our church.

476
ano teaching us that, laying aside our worldly appetites, we should
" in heart and mind thither ascend, and with Him continually dwell. '
" Doubtless," says Cfesarius,* bishop of Aries, " he loves the wounds
of his sins, who does not, during these three days, seek for himself
spiritual medicines, by fasting, prayer, and psalmody." The council
of Orleans, a. d, 511, ordained that they should be. kept after the
manner of Lent, There is something salutary both in the eastern
and the western view ; in most periods, however, of church his
tory, the earnestness and distrust of self implied by this prepara
tion for the festival of the Ascension is more fitted and more salu
tary for us than the unbroken exulting joyousness of the eastern
church. V. Should the observance of the church's fasts be public ? and if
so, how should it be regulated ? Undoubtedly we are not to fast,
any more than to pray, or give alms, " to be seen of men :" but as
no one has ever interpreted our Saviour's warning as forbidding
public or Common Prayer, so neither can it apply to public or com
mon fasting. If we do publicly only what the church requires, there
is no more boastfulness in so doing than in going publicly to church.
" In the season of the Passion," says Tertullian,! " when the reli
gious observance of fasting is universal and in a manner public, we
scruple not to lay aside the kiss of charity, (this omission was the
public avowal that a person was fasting,) not caring to conceal an
observance which all are sharing with us." But further, since fast
ing is to be accompanied by retirement, all that the world need
know is, that we do fast ; the degree of self-denial need be, for the
most part, known only to God, or to those immediately in one's do
mestic circle, who, it may be hoped, will share our feelings and our
practice, and with whom there is no parade. We are not to ob
trude our practice on others, but neither (as Clericus well objects)
dare we deny it, if discovered, any more than we should deny that
we were walking to church, although it should be on some holy day
which the world has disused. Nay, this very denial proceeds (in
part, doubtless, from misinterpretation of our Saviour's precept,
but in part also) from some sort of feeling that it is a great thing
which we are doing. On the other hand, let a person familiarize
his mind to the idea that fasting is but a "plain duty, (obedience to
the church,") and he will feel, that to try to mislead persons as to
his performance of that duty must needs be wrong, because it is
deceitful, but is also wrong, as countenancing evil, and the neglect
of duty. It is, undoubtedly, often very painful to speak of, or to
avow, any of one's own religious practices, especially when asked
* Ap. Augustin. t. V. p. 299, App. ed. Bened. Serm. 174, aUas de tempore 173, quoted
by Biogham, book 13, c. i. sec. 10, as Augustine's.
t Sic et die Paschse, quo communis et quasi publica jejunii religio est, merito depo-
lumus osculum, nihil curantes de occultando quod cum omnibus facimus. Tertul. de
Orat. c. xiv.

477
in an irreverent spirit, — it seems like profaning the sanctuary of
one's own heart ; — ^yet there is in most minds that instinctive respect
for a man's honest conviction, as well as for the simple straight-for
wardness, which, when called upon, would cheerfully state the truth,
that any unaffected avowal that we thought it our duty to fast, would
instantly command respect — often perhaps lead to inquiry. Only,
we must beware that we be not inconsistent or forward : a person
who should voluntarily go into a mixed or large society, where the
very object of meeting was relaxation or amusement, and yet pur
pose to fast there, would deservedly expose himself to the charge
of inconsistency, because he has chosen for his fast a place mani
festly unsuited to it, and he must bear the difficulties which he has
brought upon himself. On the contrary, should it be convenient to
his Diocesan, or Archdeacon, to hold a visitation on one of the
church's fasts, (the case proposed by " Clericus,") there would be
nothing in the intercourse' of a visitation dinner inconsistent with
the abstemiousness of a fast-day. Generally speaking, however,
retirement and self-collection seem so essential a part of fasting,
that, unless on some extraordinary occasion, which might give a de
cidedly religious character to the meeting, I should think it best for
any one, who would observe the church's fasts, to abstain from all
society, except that of his own circle. The Fellows of one of the
most respected Colleges in this place have, for years, made it a rule
neither to accept nor to give any dinner-invitations on the Wednes
days and Fridays in Lent. This has been a good beginning ; and
they have been the more respected for making this rule, even by
those persons who have not thought it needful to follow their exam
ple. Some other persons, though probably but few, have extended
their rule to all the fast-days of the church, except on some extra
ordinary occasions, such as those above hinted, or where respect to
persons in authority seemed to supersede their private judgment ;
on such occasions, they would practise a quiet unostentatious abste
miousness. Nor do Tthink that any charge of singularity (in any
obnoxious sense) does or would attach in any case when a person
acts simply and unostentatiously. If a clergyman, e. g., were, in
declining the invitation of an elder minister, to assign as his ground,
that he did not dine out on fast-days, there would be something un
becoming in this sort of tacit reproof to an older labourer in God's
vineyard ; but though we must not disguise the truth, if asked for,
we need not voluntarily put forward the grounds of our actions ;
we might leave it to circumstances to lay them open, as far as
might be necessary ; and if we make no parade of our practice,
our Christian liberty will be respected. But, should it be otherwise,
we are, of course, not to count that " some strange thing has hap
pened unto us," though our good should be evil spoken of. After all
our precautions against ostentatiousness, censure of others, and
the like, our very practice, if accounted of any moment, will pro-

478
bably be regarded as implying blame of those who allow them
selves in the things from which we think it our duty to abstain ;
especially shall we have much difficulty in the first outset, but from
within, more than from without. We all, probably, magnify our
own importance, and think that our neighbours canvass us more
than they do ; whereas some passing observation, that " we are good
sort of people, but have exaggerated notions about the church's
authority," or that "our state of health or spirits leads us to
excited notions about fasting," or that " we have new-fangled no
tions about Christian antiquity," or, perchance, that " we are half
papists in this, though sound in other respects," and the like, and so
we are dismissed. Meanwhile, with a little patience, and a few
years, (if God allots them to us,) our new-fangled notions will have
become old ; it will be seen, that in proportion as we love the old
Cathohc Christianity, we must hate the modern corruptions of it in
popery ; and, if we do not influence those older than ourselves,
(which we should not even expect to do, since it is not natural, and
we, on the contrary, shall constantly have to learn something of al
most all our elders,) we shall, in our turn, gradually become older,
and shall be able to influence those whom God in His ordinary deal
ings intends that we should influence — our younger brethren ; and
that, too, when we shall not only be convinced, on the authority of
the church, and of older Christians, that regular prescribed fasting
is good, but have known it for ourselves, and shown it forth, by
God's grace, in our lives.
VL In what is the abstinence of fasting to consist ? On this ques
tion I can say no more than I have already said. Persons, constitu
tions, occupations, states of health, habits of mind, vary so indefinite
ly, that I do not see how a rule, which must take all these into
account, can be general. I do not indeed think it a sufficient an
swer, which some urge, that fasting, e. g. sours their temper, &c. &c.'
for it remains to be proved, whether, if undertaken, not as an expe-
rinient, but as a duty, not as an isolated act, feut as a habit, it would
have that effect. Undoubtedly the flesh will rebel at first, as it does
against every attempt made to subdue it, but this does not prove that
it would not be tranquil and weaned at last. Again, the habit of
fasting would naturally be accompanied by some degree of corre
sponding change in our other habits, which might tend to make it
lighter ; as of old, when men, e. g., on fast-days, abstained from all
unnecessary exercise or fatigue, which might incapacitate the soul
from performing its duties aright, unless the body had its usual re
freshment. And some such arrangement, I should think, parochial
ministers, even with extensive cures, might make, allotting to the fast-
day such portion of their weekly duty as was least exhausting. Yet,
after all, one rule will not apply to all, young or old, in strong health
or weakly, engaged in active or in sedentary duties, of full or spare
habits ; as, again, some of the ends of fasting will vary according to

479
the periods of life, habits, or temperaments ; and, with the ends, so
will the modes also, or degree of fasting. " As fasting hath divers
ends," says Bishop Taylor,* speaking of private fasting, " so has it
divers laws." And for the temptation peculiar to youth, he remarks,
" a sudden, sharp, and violent fast," will often only aggravate the evil.
What is then needed is, " a state of fasting, a diet of fasting, a daily
lessening our meat and drink, and a choosing such a course of diet as
may make the least preparation for the lusts of the body." This, al
though belonging directly to private fasts, is so far to our purpose, as
indicative of his judgment, that the rules of fasting must be adapted
to our several cases ; and it was with this view, that, in the second
edition of my tract, I alluded (p. 23) to the ivpo^ayia, the less rigid
fast of the ancient church, in hopes that those who, from ill health,
were unequal to the harder fasts, might yet not think themselves ex
cluded from the privilege of fasting. And if the fast serve no other
purpose than to distinguish the day from ordinary days, by " eating
no pleasant bread," yet even this degree of fasting, where no other
is admissible, can be, and has been, blessed by God. The rules which
I would recommend to one commencing the observance of the
church's fast would be : — 1. To abstain, as far as possible, from all
mixed society at meals on those days, both as likely to be inconsis
tent with the frame of mind, which it is the object of the fast to
cherish, and as tempting us (were it but to escape notice) to break
our rule, 2. Not to tie himself down to any severe rule at first, as to
the degree of fasting; for as our bodies have been inured to ease, so
must they gradually be inured to seasonable austerities. If we lay
down too strict a rule, it may, in reality, be too much for us at first,
and so we may be tempted to lay aside the whole habit ; whereas,
had we begun more modestly, we might in time have arrived, with
comparative ease, at the higher measures of it, 3. To watch care
fully the effects upon our own minds of any failures or inconsisten
cies in our practice ; for these failures, carefully observed, when we
have once begun the practice of fasting, will show its real uses, more,
perhaps, than the direct benefits of the practice itself. 4. Accompany
the fast not only with increased prayer and meditation, but with
other httle outward acts of self-denial, for thus the whole day will
be more in keeping, and the mind taken off from dwelling too much
on the one act of fasting. Thus the brunt of our enemy's attack will not
rest upon this one point, (as is hkely to be the case if the fasting stand
alone,) but, by being divided, will be weakened. "A man," says
Bishop Taylor, " when he mourns in his fast, must not be merry in his
sport; weep at dinner, and laugh all day after ; have a silence in his
kitchen, and music in his chamber ; judge the stomach, and feast the

* Life and Death of the Holy Jesus. Disc. xiii. 5, " On fasting." This discourse is
full of valuable practical rules, which are in part repeated in the " Holy Living," c. iv.
sec. 5.

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other senses." So again Bishop Taylor instances " hard lodging, uneasy
garments, laborious postures of prayer, journeys on foot, sufferance of
cold, paring away the use of ordinary solaces, denying every plea
sant appetite, rejecting the most pleasant morsels, as being in the rank
of ' bodily exercises,' which, though, as St, Paul says, of themselves
they 'profit little,' yet they accustom us to acts of self-denial in infe
rior instances, and are not useless to the designs of mortifying carnal
and sensual lusts," ,A person would never have selected these in
stances without having tried them hirnself, and found their use ; and,
on the other hand, most persons, probably, who have systematically
tried fasting, have experienced the benefits of some of these accesso
ries. Some of these also may be irksome at first, as others would be
to many no self-denial at all; but every one knows what, however
trifling, would be self-denial to him, and the frequent repetition of
these acts is a constant, though gentle, self-discipline. It seems to
me part of the foolish wisdom of the day, and its ignorance of our
nature, to despise these ' small things,' and to disguise its impatience
of restraint under some such general maxim as, that " God, has no
pleasure in self-torture, or mortification," — "God wills to see his
creatures happy," and the like : undoubtedly God wills not our death,
but our life ; not our misery, but our peace ; but God often restores
our bodily health by bitter herbs, the knife or cautery, and why not
our spiritual ? Our forefathers knew better, and by disciplining them
selves in these little things, attained to greater ; they knew that reli
gion is concerned about little things, as well as great ; that if we look
to great occasions or great instances only, we shall form no habit ;
and therefore they shrunk not from mentioning all the little instances,
if they were only (the case of an aged and pious relative of my own,
long since with the Lord,) abstinence from snuff during Lent, or
abridging self-indulgence as to morning sleep, which they had found
useful to them. 5. Take especial care to practice self-denial as to
food at other times also, lest the fast degenerate into a mere opus ope-
ratum, a thing good in and for itself, even if followed by acts of an
opposite kind. In Bishop Taylor's words, " Let not intemperance
(or self-indulgence) be the prologue or the epilogue to your fast.
When the fast is done, eat temperately according to the proportion
of other meals, lest gluttony keep cither of the gates to abstinence.'
The importance of this caution will probably be felt by those who
have tried to fast ; or it may be seen in the corruptions of the Ro
mish Church. 6. Let young ministers, or those who hope to be or
dained to the ministry, beware lest they be led, by the novelty of this
duty, to overvalue it, or to undervalue those who have lived in times
when it was not systematically practised. Obedience to a parent
is a higher duty than fasting : " God will have mercy, and not sacri
fice." If, therefore, a parent object to any particular mode of fast
ing, let it be laid aside for the time, and let the individual exercise
himself in self-denial in this also, that he relinquishes what a parent

481
objects to, while he looks out for himself other modes to which his
parent would not object.* 7. Omit trying no act of self-denial in
little things, which, without your own thought, suggest themselves to
you, merely because they are little ; such suggestions are generally
proved by the result not to have come from ourselves, and, if follow
ed, they lead onward. 8. If one mode of fasting do not suit your
health, then, after a time, try another ; some persons who could not
bear early abstinence, (the loss of a breakfast,) might well endure
subsequent privation, such as eating a sparing meal early, as the last
in the day, or they might at least decidedly abridge their principal
meal, or, again, they might be able to strike off all luxury in their
food. 9. Supposing all these attempts to fail, after having been fairly
tried, yet a person might keep up the spirit of fasting, by such ac
cessories as those instanced, (No. 4,) and might multiply these in
proportion as he is obliged to abandon the other, that so he may be
ready to avail himself of his ability to fast, whenever God shall re
store it to him. A person of weak health is constantly tempted to
self-indulgence in matters which do not concern his health, e. g. indo
lent postures, taking food at the first moment of craving, &c. «fcc. ;
and thus he may exercise real self-discipline, even if physicians pro
nounce him incapable of fasting, without impairing his ability to do
his duty where God has placed him. Let any one consider what is
the boast of our country — our comforts ; and he will see what a ten
dency these have to make him forget his heavenly country, and that
he is but a pilgrim, — to make him think it " good for him to be here."
How much may he abridge, and yet, by his self-denial, only not be
more disadvantageously situated than others. Or, to take another
view, does not this show us how many occasions ofself-disciphne we
are furnished with more than our neighbours, from our very national
character and circumstances, and that a person need be at no loss for
instances of self-government if he but look for them ? 10. If a per
son acquire the habit, let him recollect how slowly he arrived at the
conviction of its necessity, and not be surprised that others are as
slow, or appear yet more so ; perhaps, without fasting, they are more
self-denying than one's self with it. " Let it be done," says Bishop
Taylor, " just as a man takes physic, of which no man hath reason
to be proud, and no man thinks it necessary but because he is in sick
ness, or in danger and disposition toil." II. Especially let any one
recollect how much, which is humifiating in his youth, (even if God
saved him from open sin,) might have been prevented by the habit
of fasting, if he had then practised it ; let him bear this in mind, when
he fasts, and make his fast an act of humiliation for his own particu-

* In like manner, let him not bind himself so to a particular rule as to preclude any
real act of charity or kindness to others ; but rather let him choose some time for his
own ends of retu'ement, &c., which may be less convenient to himself, i. e. let his rule
be a restraint to himself, not a hindrance to benevolence or an occasion of churlishness,
61

482
lar sins, as well as a discipline, so can he never be proud of his fast
ing. I will only add, that fasting has by no means so many difficulties
as Satan would persuade men, for fear they should try it. Even
among the poorer, some act of self-denial as to the pleasures of
sense might easily be practised, (1 Cor. vii. 5, might be hinted at ;)
and to instance one case only : — A poor woman mentioned, with
much respect, her father's practice never to taste food before re
ceiving the Lord's Supper ; (adhering unconsciously to the practice
of the universal Church in its better days, and indeed of our own
in Bishop Taylor's time ;) she added, " I never heard that his bodily
health suffered from it." With regard to the rich, (who are obvious
ly called upon to fast in greater degrees,) I have the authority of an
eminent physician, whom I well know not to be wedded to any par
ticular theory of medicine, that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hun
dred, the degree of fasting recommended in my tract would not
only not be injurious, but be beneficial. He added, " Fasting is like
the Sabbath — healthy to the body as well as to the soul."
VII. Is there any difference between abstinence and fasting ?
Not, I imagme, in our Church, although she retained the terms
which were used to denote different degrees of abstinence in the
Romish ; and this, I infer from her nowhere saying which are days
of fasting, and which of abstinence, whereas the Romish Church
does distinguish them ; further, as Wheatley remarks, they are
called in the second title, (where they are enumerated,) " days of
fasting or abstinence." As in other cases, our Church seems' to
have used both terms, in order to show that she therein comprehend
ed, without distinction, all to which these several names had been
given. VIII. Vigils. There appears to have been no difference between
the regulations of these and other fasting-days. Whether the old
vigil was formally abohshed is uncertain ; (Card. Bona de Divina
Psalmod. c. 4. § 3. contends that vigils were regulated only, and not
abohshed, except in a provincial Spanish synod ; they were prohi
bited also in the Council of Cognac, A. D. 1260.) "Yet it fell into
desuetude, and then the name was transferred to the fast of the
preceding day; which fast probably existed before the vigil was
disused. " Since the saints," says Alcuin,* " arrived at their present
* De Divinis OfEciis, § 18, de Feria Sexta, quoted by Du Can'ge, Glossar. v. Vigilia.
In like manner, the " dies jejunii," are said by Honorius Augustod, (de Antique Ritu
Missae, 1. 3. c. 6. quoted ibid.) to have been consecrated instead of the vigils, and to
have retained tlie name of vigils : Belethus (Divin. OfEc. Explio. c. 137, referred to 1.
c.) says " the fast of St. John has a vigil, i. e. the day preceding this festival is called
a vigil,, or in place thereof, a fast," where he gives the usual account of the abolition
of the vigils, as does Durand, (Rationale, 1. 6. c. 7. n. 8. ibid.) but without specifying
the time of the fast substituted for it. The preceding day appears to have been a total
faat, until after afternoon service, or three o'clock, when a moderate and dry meal was
permitted, (see some original authorities ap. Coteler. ad Patres Apostol. t. 1. pp. 326,

483
happiness through temporal affliction, we, as we rejoice together
with them in their eternal joy, so must we needs suffer with them,
that following their steps throughout, we may .... arrive
at the same joys. To mark this, on the days preceding those of
their birth, (into the other life,) which days we call their vigils, eat
ing more sparingly than usual, we devoutly preface those solemnities
with the due observance of fasts, and with affliction of the flesh ;
that, purified by the abstinence of the preceding day, we may the
more worthily celebrate the joy of the following festival." Fasting,
then, seems to have been a primary part of the solemnity, — to re
mind Christians, namely, in their days of ease, how " through much
tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God," and that the
"good soldiers of Christ must endure hardness," — not merely as a
preparation for the duties of the morrow. Each day had its pecu
liar subject of meditation and of resolve ; the vigil, — the hardships
which the Apostles endured in their conflict; the festival — the
Christian graces which through this their patient perseverance they
realized, and the glory bestowed upon them. Yet even as a mere
preparation, the Christian also might do well to remember (blessed
are they who know it not) that corpus onustum — animam quoque
prsegravat una, atque affigit humi divince particulam aurcB.
IX. " Clericus" asks, in connexion with this subject, what is to be
done, where there is no daily service, as to the prayers appointed
for the Ember-week to be used every day ? I own, the more I
hear or think of this subject, or those connected with it, I am the
more convinced that the clergy are wrong in withholding daily
prayers, that they underrate the willingness or the wish of their
people to go to Church, if invited. To mention two or three facts
only : — In a small country village of less than 300, where a clergy
man was assured that he would have a congregation on Saints'-days,
there assembled in winter, (when there was not much work,) to
prayers only, above fifty persons. In another, where there was
service on the Wednesday and Friday in the Ember-week, with a
sermon, the congregation was like that of a Sunday, and the people
deeply interested. In a manufacturing town, on the e^es of Saints'-
days, with a sermon, it averaged 1000. A poor person here told a,
friend of my own incidentally, that her father, when he had no
work, went round to see where there was any service. Surely we
are neglecting to supply the cravings which either already exist, or
might readily be awakened, when man has no earthly friend. And
328.) In a canon of the Council of Salegunstadt, A. D. 10^2, provision is made that
the fast of the vigil of our Lord's nativity should not interfere with the ember fast,
(lest so persons might lose the benefit of a fast.) Harduin Concil. t. vi. p. 828. Hence
it appears that the fast of the vigil extended over the day ; for if the fast of the vigil
had belonged to the evening, it would not have interfered with that of the ember fast,
the more rigid part of which terminated at three o'clock. See also the Capithla of
Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, ib. t. iii. p. 1774, and the Council of MechUn,
A. D. 1570, ib. t. X. p. 1188.

484
might not our poor, when destitute of employment, be led to ^ the
Church instead of to the ale-house ? Consider, again, how different
would the state of things be, if every Church in our country had
but its ten, or eighteen, or fifty worshippers. Would not the holy
angels rejoice at such a sight ? and might not the evils we dread,
perchance, by God's mercy, be averted ? Again, how would such
simple prayer undermine the world's present maxim, which would
make human agency, and so preaching, every thing ! How would
it, too, build up those who are real Christians, and so raise the stan
dard of Christianity among us ! or how would it support, and com
fort, and purify, and initiate into the happiness of their coming hfe,
many who are about to part from this I To return to the Ember-
days, besides the direct, incalculable blessing which would result
from their observation, do not they furnish an opportunity of incul
cating, what in these days is much needed, the claims, the import
ance, the sanctity of the office of the Christian ministry and of the
Church, without the appearance of extolling one's self or one's
office because it is one's own ?
E. B. P.
P. S. Some space being left, it may not be amiss to say a few
words on some of the prevailing prejudices against fasting.
There is no expficit command to fast in the New Testament. Per
sons are but little aware how far this argument will go. Any one
will find, if he examine, still less proof that he should receive the
Communion of his Lord's Body and Blood, still less direct proof
that he shall go to Church on the Lord's day, that he may have his
infant children engrafted into Christ, that there is any especial ob
ject in morning and evening prayer, that he should read the Scrip
tures daily, and in fact for almost every practice, which every per
son who cares about bis soul, knows to be needful for him. I omit
others, because some might be glad of an excuse for abandoning
them also. Now what is the direction about the Lord's Supper ?
Our Saviour says, " This do, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remem
brance of me." And of fasting He says, " When ye fast, be not as
the hypocrites :" in both cases, it is implied that the observance shall
be followed, and in both, directions are given concerning how it is
to be observed : in the one case, " not as the hypocrites," in the
other, " in remembrance of me." I do not mean that there is not
satisfactory proof, that Christ has given His body and blood to be
our spiritual food and sustenance, or not full and condemning evi
dence, by way of inference, that whoso does not " eat the flesh of
Christ and drink His blood," in His Supper, " has no life in Him ;"
but the objection made against the necessity of fasting is drawn
from the absence of any explicit direction to fast habitually ; let men
observe then, that on the same ground they should doubt whether
they should habitually receive the Lord's Supper. Nay, the direct

485
evidence is perhaps the stronger in behalf of fasting ; for in answer
to the objection "The disciples of John fast oft, but thine eat and
drink ;" our Saviour replies, " when the Bridegroom shall be taken
away from them, then shall they fast in those days." (Luke v. 34,
35.) Does not this then imply that the only difference between
John's disciples and our Saviour's in this respect, was, that the Apos-*
ties had their Saviour still in the body, present with them ; but that
afterwards they should fast as John's disciples did? and when we
find that they did so fast, what farther commentary on our Saviour's
words do we want ? and if we fast not, are we acting, as He said
His disciples would ? or if we make a spiritual fast, why do we not
adopt spiritual sacraments, i. e. none at all ? If, again, we have in
dications of frequent communions in the New Testament, so have
we of " fastings often ;" if we trace up the practice of the early
Church in the sacraments to the inspired writings, and so obtain the
sanction of God's word for the eariy practice, why not in the use
of fasting, which is equally clear ? why not, except that the one
is an obvious privilege and costs us nothing, while fasting, though
a privilege, is at first painful, and so we shut our eyes and refuse to
see? " Fasting," we are told, " is a legal observance, which may be
useful at a certain stage of religious progress, for an infantine state
in individuals or in the church ; but is unfit for an advanced state,
such (it is implied) as we are in." It is remarkable that the same
persons, who at one time objected to fasting, as not resting on a
positive law, should next complain of it as legal. It might suffice
to answer. Why then did our Saviour fast ? or, rather, (for we dare
not speculate on things too high for us,) since it was part of His
Father's will that He should fast, must it not be needful for us ? and
may not one object of His fasting have been to leave an example
to us, (as nothing which He did, can be without its meaning to us,)
and just to show us that fasting is a spiritual action, and belongs
also to a high spiritual state ? For His fasting was not required to
fulfil the law, since fasting formed no part of the law, and was en
grafted upon it by the prophets, or spiritual men among the Jews,
as a part of self-discipline, and so was an evangelical portion of the
old dispensation. And, as matter of history, who, among Chris
tians, have fasted most rigidly ? Uniformly, the most spiritual ; and
they, increasingly, as they went on heavenwards.
And to what else can one attribute it, that so many eminent men
in the French Church, amid all the disadvantages of a corrupt reli
gion, attained a degree of spirituality rare among ourselves.
" Fasting is Popish." If this means, that it has been preserved
amid the errors of Romanism, is not this true of most of the truths
of the Gospel ? Our charge against the Romanists, generally, is
not that they have not preserved the truth, but that, like the Phari
sees, " they have made it of none effect by their traditions ;" at

486
least, in great measure, to so many of their members. And does
not the objection imply that we have forgotten the peculiar charac
ter of our church, which is not a mere Protestant, but a Primitive
Church ? And if we are to prevail in our approaching conflict with
Romanism, or to be (as we seem marked out to be) a means of re-
• claiming that Church, must we not reconsider the character of our
own Church, and take our stand in its principles, not in the protest
antism of other churches, or of the day ?

TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.

RECORDS OF THE CHURCH.

No. 1.

THE HOLY CHURCH THROUGHOUT ALL THE WORLD DOTH
ACKNOWLEDGE THEE.
St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, is reported to have
been the child whom Christ took into His arms, in order to give
His disciples a pattern of Christian humbleness. But, however this
was, he certainly was a disciple and friend, of the Apostles, particu
larly St. Peter and St. John.
St. Peter and St. Paul are said to have laid on him their hands,
and made him Bishop of Antioch. In A. D. 106, when he had been
Bishop nearly 40 years, the persecuting Emperor Trajan came to
Antioch ; and on finding Ignatius resolute in confessing the faith of
Christ, he ordered him to be carried prisoner to Rome, and there
thrown to the beasts in the idolatrous heathen shows, a command
which was strictly obeyed. During his journey, he wrote letters to
various Churches, by way of taking leave of them, and to confirm
them in Christian zeal, love, and unity ; and these by God's good
providence are preserved to us. They are especially valuable to us
at the present day, as showingus how important it is, in the judgment
of this blessed Martyr, to honor and obey our Bishops. They are
as follows : —
Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and St. John, and Bishop
of Antioch, on the way to Martyrdom, to the Ephesians.
Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to her who is blessed in the
greatness and fulness of God the Father ; to the predestinate be
fore all worlds to be ever in marvellous glory unchangeable,
united, and elect through the true Passion, through the will of the
Father and Jesus Christ our God ; to the truly beatified
Church, which is in Ephesus of Asia, all health in Jesus Christ
and in unspotted grace.
I. I WELCOME in God's behalf that well-beloved name, which ye
have attained in all righteousness, according to the Faith and Love

488
which is in Jesus Christ our, Saviour, for that being followers of
God, and kindling the inward flame by the Blood of God, ye have
perfectly accomplished the work that belonged to you,when ye heard
that I came bound from Syria, for the common name and hope ;
trusting through your prayers to fight with beasts at Rome, that so
by suffering I may become indeed the Disciple of Him " who gave
Himself to God, an Offering and Sacrifice for us." How many ye
be, that be called by the name of God, I have heard from Onesimus,
whose love is beyond all words, your Bishop according to the flesh ;
whom I beseech you, by Jesus Christ, to love, and that ye would
all be like unto him. And blessed be God, who has granted unto
you, who are so worthy of him, to enjoy such a Bishop.
II. As to my fellow-servant Burrhus, who is your most blessed
Deacon, in things pertaining to God, I pray that he may abide with
you to the honor both of you and of your Bishop. And Crocus, also,
worthy both of God and you, whom I have received as the sample
of your love, has in all things refreshed me, as the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ shall also refresh him ; together with Onesimus,
and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, in seeing whom I have seen
the love of you all. And may I always have joy of you, if I be wor
thy of it ! It is therefore fitting that you should by all means glorify
Jesus Christ, who hath glorified you : that by a uniform obedience,
" Ye may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the
same judgment; and may all speak the same thing :" and that being
subject to your Bishop, and his Presbytery, ye may be sanctified in
all things.
III. These things I prescribe to you, not as if I were somebody ;
for though I am bound for his name, I am not yet perfect in Christ
Jesus. But now I begin to learn, and I speak to you as Fellow-Dis
ciples together with me. For I ought to have been stirred up by
you in Faith, in Admonition, in Patience, in Long-suffering. But
forasmuch as Charity suffers me not to be silent towards you, I have
first taken upon me to exhort you, that ye would all concur in the
mind of God. For Jesus CnRist, our inseparable Life, is the Mind
ofthe Father ; like as the Bishops, appointed even unto the utmost
bounds ofthe earth, are after the mind of Jesus Christ.
IV. Wherefore it will become you to concur in the mind of
your Bishops, as also ye do. For your famous Presbytery,
worthy of God, is knit as closely to its Bishop, as the strings
to a harp. Therefore by your unanimity and harmonious love
Jesus Christ is sung ; and each of you taketh part in the
chorus : that so, being attuned together in one mind, and taking
up the song of God, ye may with one voice, and in a perfect
unity, iing to the Father by Jesus Christ ; to the end that by this
means He may both hear you, and perceive by your works, that ye
are indeed the'members of His Son. Wherefore it is profitable for

489
you to live in blameless unity, that so ye may always have fellow
ship with God-
"V^. For if I in this little time have held such communion with
your Bishop, I mean not earthly, but spiritual ; how much more
must I think you blessed, who are so joined to him, as the Church
is to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ to the Father, that so all
things may agree in the same unity? Let no man deceive himself;
if a man be not within the altar, he faileth of the bread of God.
For if the prayer of one or two be of such force, as we are told, how
much more that of the Bishop and the whole Church? He, there
fore, that does not come together in the same place with it, is proud,
and has already condemned himself. For it is written, " God re-
sisteth the proud." Let us take heed, therefore, that we do not set
ourselves against the Bishop, that we may be set under God.
VI. And the more any seeth his Bishop keep silence, the more
let hira reverence him. For whomsoever the master of the house
sendeth to his own household, we ought so to receive, as we would
him that sent him. It is plain then that we ought to look to the
Bishop, even as to the Lord himself. And truly Onesimus himself
doth greatly commend your good order in God: in that ye all live ac
cording to the truth, and that no heresy dwelleth among you, but ye
hearken to no man above Jesus Christ, speaking to you in truth.
VII. For some there are who carry about the name of Christ in
deceitfulness, and do many things unworthy of God ; whom ye must
flee, as ye would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, which
bite secretly ; against whom ye must guard youiselves, as hardly to
be cured. Tliere is one Physician, both Fleshly and Spiritual ; Be
gotten, not Made ; God incarnate ; true Life in Death ; both of Mary
and of God ; first made subject to suffering, then liable to suffer no
more. VIII. Wherefore let no man deceive you ; as indeed neither are
ye deceived, being wholly the servants of God. For inasmuch as
there is no contention nor strife among you, to trouble you, surely ye
live according to God's Will. My soul be for yours; and I myself
the expiatory offering for your church at Ephesus, so famous to all
ages. They that are of the flesh cannot do the works ofthe spirit ;
.neither they that are ofthe spirit the works of the flesh ; as also faith
cannot do the works of unfaithfulness ; neither unfaithfulness the
works of faith. But even those things which ye do according to the
flesh are spiritual ; forasmuch as ye do all things in Jesus Christ.
IX. Nevertheless I have heard of some who have gone to you,
having perverse doctrine ; whom ye did not suffer to sow among
you ; but stopped your ears, that ye might not receive those things
that were sown by them : as being the stones of the temple of the-
Father, prepared for His building ; and drawn up on high by the
Cross of Christ, as bv an engine ; with the Holy Ghost as the line
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490
by which to ascend: your faith being your support, and your charity
the way that leads you up unto God. Ye therefore, with all the com
panions of your way, are full of God, of His spiritual temple, of
Christ, of the Holy One : adorned in all things with the commands'
of Christ ; through whom also I triumph, in that I have been
thought worthy by this present Epistle to hold converse with you ;
and to joy together, that having regard to the other life, ye love noth
ing but God only.
X. Pray also without ceasing for all men ; for there is hope of
repentance in them, that they may attain unto God. Suffer them
therefore to learn from you, if only from your works. Against their
raging, be ye mild ; against their boasting, be ye lowly-minded ;
against their blasphemies, oppose your prayers ; against their errors,
be ye " steadfast in the faith ;" against their cruelty, be ye gentle :
not striving to imitate them again, let us be found their brethren in
all kindness, but imitatoirs of the Lord ; if any one be more than
other either injured, or defrauded, or despised ; that so no plant of
the devil be found in you, but ye may remain in all holiness and so
briety both of body and spirit, in Christ Jesus.
XL The last times are come upon us : let us therefore be very
reverent, and fear the long-suffering of God, that it be not to us unto
condemnation. For let us either fear the wrath that is to come, or
be thankful for present grace ; one of the two ; only to be found in
Christ Jesus, unto true life. Besides Him, let nothing be worthy
of you i for whom also I bear about these bonds, those spiritual
jewels in which I would to God, that through your prayers, I might
rise again ; of which may I ever partake, that I may be found in the
lot of the Christians of Ephesus, who have always agreed with the
Apostles, through the power of Jesus Christ.
XII. I know iDoth who I am, and to whom I write ; I, a man con
demned; ye, such as have obtained mercy : I, exposed to danger;
ye, confirmed against danger. Ye are the hosts of those that are
killed for God ; the companions of Paul in the mysteries ofthe Gos
pel ; the holy martyr, the truly blessed Paul ; in whose footsteps
may I be found, when I shall have attained unto God ; who, through
out all his Epistle, makes mention of you in Christ Jesus.
XIII. Let it be your care therefore to come oftener together, to give
thanks and glory to God. For when ye tneet often together in the same
place, the powers of the devil are destroyed, and his mischief is dis
solved by the unity of your faith. And indeed, nothing is better
than peace ; by which all war, both spiritual and earthly, is abo
lished. XIV. Of all which nothing is hid from you, if ye have perfect
faith and charity in Jesus Christ, which are the beginning and end
of life ; the beginning, faith; the end, charity. And these two
joined together, are of God ; and on them followeth all other good-

491
ness. No man, professing a true faith, goes wrong ; neither does he
who has charity, hale any. " The tree is made manifest by its
fruit ;" so they who profess themselves to be Christians, shall be
known by what they do. For it is not now the time for profession,
but for the power of faith, if a man be found faithful unto the end.
XV. It is better for a man to hold his peace, and be a Christian ;
than to say he is, and not to be- It is good to teach, if what he says,
he does likewise. There is therefore one master " who spake, and
it was done ;" and even those things which He did without speaking,
are worthy of the Father. He that hath the word of Jesus, is truly
able to hear his very silence, that he may be perfect; and both do
according to what he speaks, and be known by those things in which
he is silent. There is nothing hid from God, but even our secrets
are nigh unto him. Let us therefore do all things, as becomes those
who have God dwelling in them ; that we may be His temples, and
He may be our God within us,_as also He is, and will show Himself,
before our faces, by those things for which we justly love Him.
XVI. Be not deceived, brethren ; those that corrupt others, shall
not inherit the kingdom of God. If therefore they who do this ac
cording to the flesh, have suffered death; how much more shall he
die, who by bis wicked doctrine corrupts the faith of God, for which
Christ was crucified ? He that is thus defiled, shall depart into un
quenchable fire, and so also shall he that hearkens unto him.
XVII. For this cause did the Lord suffer the ointment to be
poured on his head ; that he might breathe the breath of immortality
unto His church. Be not ye therefore anointed with the evil savour
of the doctrine of the prince of this world ; lest he lead you away
captive fiom the life that is set before you. And why aie we not all
wise ; seeing we have received the knowledge of God, which is
Jesus Christ? Why do we suffer ourselves foolishly to perish;
not considering the gift which the Lord has truly sent to us ?
XVIII. My life be an offering for the doctrine of the Cross ;
which is indeed a stumbling-block to the unbelievers, but to us sal
vation and life eternal. " Where is the wise man? Where is the
disputer ?" Where is the boasting of those who are called wise ?
For Jesus Christ, our God, was according to the dispensation of
God, conceived in the womb of Mary, of the seed of David, by the
Holy Ghost : was born, and baptized, that through His Passion
He might purify water.
XIX. Now the virginity of Mary, and her delivery, was kept in
secret from the prince of this world ; as was also the death of our
.Lord; three most notable mysteries, yet done in secret by God.
How then was our Saviour manifested to the world? There shone
a star in heaven above all other stars, and its light was unspeakable,
and its strangeness wrought amazement. All the other stars, yea,
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492
beyond them all. And there was trouble to think whence this un
wonted strangeness might be. Hence all the power of magic was
dissolved ; and every bond of wickediiess was destroyed ; ignorance
was taken away ; the old kingdom was-abolished ; God Himself ap
pearing in the form of a man, for the renewal of eternal life. More
over the full dispensation of God then took its beginning. From
thenceforth all things were disturbed ; forasmuch as he designed to
abolish death.
XX. But if Jesus^ Christ shall give me grace through j'our pray
ers, and it be His will, I purpose in a second Epistle, which I will
shortly write unto you, to manifest to you more fully the dis
pensation, (of which I have now begun to speak,) unto the new man,
which is Jesus Christ; both in His faith, and in His love, in His
suffering and in His resurrections especially if the Lord shall make it
knowTi unto me : that ye may all and each of you, by grace, concur
in professing the name of one faith, and one Jesus Christ, who was
of the race of David according to the flesh ; the Son of man, and Son
of God ; that ye may obey your Bishop and the Presbytery with an
entire affection ; breaking one and the same bread, which is the me
dicine of immortality ; our antidote that we should not die, but live
for ever in Christ Jesus.
XXI. My soul be for yours, and for theirs whom ye have sent to
Smyrna, to the glory of God ; from whence also I write to you ;
giving thanks unto the Lord, and loving Polycarp even as I do you.
Remember me, as Jesus Christ doth remember you. Pray for the
Church which is in Syria, from whence I am carried bound to Rome,
being the least of all the faithful which are there ; amongst whom I
have been thought worthy to be found to the glory of God. Fare ye
well in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, our common hope.
Amen. No. II.
Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter, on his way to Martyr
dom to the Magnesians.
Ignatius, which is also Theophorus, to the Church that is in Mag
nesia, nigh to Mseander, the blessed of God the Father through Je
sus Christ our Saviour : in whom I salute it, and pray that it
may have all joy, in God the Father and Jesus Christ.
I. Being aware how righteously ordered is your love and charity
m God, the gladness which I feel has induced me to address you in
the spirit of Jesus Christ. For, admitted as I am to the noblest of
titles in the bonds which I bear about me, I make my song to the
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493
Spirit of Jesus Christ, (who is our life evermore,) and of Faith and
Charity, which surpasseth all things, and, more than these, Jesus
and of the Father, through whom, when we have endured all as
saults from the prince of this world, after we have escaped, we shall
be with God.
II. Seeing now it is my privilege to behold you, through Dainas
your most holy Bishop, and youi worthy Presbyters, Bassus and
Apollonius, and your Deacon my fellow-laborer Sotion, toward
whom I am tenderly affectioned, because he is subject to his Bishop
as to a gracious gift from God, and to the Presbytery as to an insti
tution of Jesus Christ, I determined to write unto you.
III. Your duly likewise is it, not to bear yourselves toward your
Bishop with a freedom proportioned to his youth, but according to
the power of God the Father, to concede to him all homage. As I
am aware the holy Presbyters do, you take no occasion from his
apparent youthfulness for the station, but as men wise in a godly
wisdom submit themselves to him ; yet not to him, but to the Fa
ther of Jesus Christ, the Bishop of us all. Meet therefore it is,
that for the honor of him, who wills it, ye should present an obedi
ence that is without guile ; since in any delusion of your visible
Bishop, you trifle rather with the Bishop invisible, and so the ques
tion is not with the flesh, but with God who seeth the secrets.
IV. It is men's duty not merely to bear the name of Christians,
but such to be likewise ; whereas some there are, who use the name
of Bishop, yet do all without consideration of the office. To me
such persons appear to be void of a good conscience, since they are
a congregation of men not gathered together in strict conformity to
the commandment.
V. Now, as all things have their end, two alternatives are laid
before us, death and life ; and every man must go to his own place.
For there are, as it were, two coins ; one of God and one the
world's : and each of these has its proper mark upon it ; unbelievers
the mark of this world, and they who in love believe, the mark of
God the Father through Jesus Christ ; through whom if we are
not readily disposed to die after the likeness of his passion, neither
have we His life in us.
VI. Seeing now, that, through the persons aforenamed, I have
seen you all gathered together in faith and love, take good heed, I
charge you, that you do all things in a spirit of godly concord :— the
Bishop holding presidency over you, in the place of God ; and the
Presbyters in the place ofthe Council of Apostles ; and the Deacons,
my well-beloved, entrusted with the service of Jesus Christ, who
was with the Father before the worlds, and appeared in the last
days. Assuming therefore all of you this scheme of godly unity,
give heed one to another, and let no man regard his neighbor in a
fleshly spirit, but love ye one another conlimially in Jesus Christ.

494
Lot there be in you nothing that can divide you ; but be ye made
one, in the Bishop, and in the Superiors, for an example and lesson
of incorruption.
VII. As therefore our Lord, being united with the Father, with
out Him, neither of Himself, nor by His Apostles, did any thing ;
so neither do you do any thing apart from the Bishop and the Pres
byters. Neither seek ye gratification in any thing to your own self
ish judgment, but be there in the same place, one form of prayer.
One topic of supplication, one mind, one hope, in love and joy re-
proachless. There is One Jesus Christ, who surpasseth all things ;
together therefore haste ye all, as to One Temple of God, as to One
Altar, as to One Jesus Christ, who proceeded from One Father,
and is in One, and to One returned.
VII. Be not led astray by strange doctrines, nor by old fables,
which are unprofitable. For if we still live under the Judaic Law,
it is a confession that we have not received Grace. For in the faith
of Jesds Christ the holy Prophets lived ; wherefore also they
Avere persecuted, being inspired with His grace, that unbelievers
might be fully assured that there is One God, who manifested Him
self in Jesus Christ His Son, who is His eternal Word, (not pro
ceeding from silence,) who in all things well pleased Him who sent
Him .
IX. If then they, who lived under the old dispensation, have come
to a newness of hope, superseding the Sabbatical system, with that
rule of life which is according to the Lord's Day, wherein our life
has arisen through the Lord, and through His death which some
deny ; (from which mystery we received our faith, and thence take
patience, that we may be found Disciples of Jesus Christ our only
Master;) how shall we be able to have life except through Him?
Whom the Prophets also, being His Disciples, except in spirit as
their Master ; and therefore He for whom they justly waited, did by
His advent raise them from the dead.
X. Let us not then be insensible to His goodness ; for if He
should imitate the way in which we act, we already have perished.
Wherefore, becoming His disciples, let us live according to the reli
gion of Christ ; for whosoever is called by any other name but
this, is rot of God. Put aside therefore the evil leaven, which hath
grown old and waxed sour, and be ye changed into the new Ifeaven
which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him, that none among
you may be corrupted, inasmuch as by your savour shall ye be judg
ed. The name of Jesus Christ cannotbe joined with an adherence
to Judaism. For the Christian faith goes not for its completion to
the Jewish, but the Jewish goes to the Christian ; that every tongue
that believeth may be gathered to God.
XL Beloved, it is my desire, not as knowing that any of you are
so affected, but as setting myself below you, to guard you "against

495
these things, so that you fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but
be fully assured of the Birth, and Passion, and Resurrection, which
took place in the time of the government of Pontius Pilate ; which
verily and surely are things done by Jesus Christ our Hope : — and
from that Hope may none of you be turned away.
XII. May you be my joy in all things, if of that I be worthy ;
and bound though I am, I am above comparison with any of you who
are loosed. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus
Christ within you ; and I know that from the abundance of my
praise ye gather caution ; as it is written, the just man accuseth
himself. XIII. Study therefore to be coiifirmed in the doctrines of the
Lord and of the Apostles, that in all you do, you may be well ad
vanced in flesh and spirit, the Beginning and the End ; under your
most excellent Bishop, and your Presbytery, a well twined spiritual
garland, and the Deacons according to God : be ye subject to the
Bishop, and one to another, as Jesus Christ to His Father accord
ing to the Flesh, and the Apostles to Christ, and to the Father,
and to the Spirit, that your union may be of the Flesh and of the
Spirit. XIV. Knowing that God dwelleth in you richly, I have exhorted
you in few words. Remember me in your prayers, that I may be
joined to God. Remember also the Church which is in Syria,
(whereby I am not worthy to be called ;) for I require your united
prayer and love to God, that the Church in Syria may be refreshed
with dew through your Church.
XV. The Ephesians in Smyrna, (whence I write to you,) salute
you ; who now are here to the glory of God, like unto you, and have
refreshed me in all things, together with Polycarp, Bishop of the
Smyrna°ans. Likewise the olher Churches salute you in the honor
of Jesus Christ. Be strong in the concord of God, possessing the
Spirit invisible, which is Jesus Christ.

Wo. III.
The Apostle St. John and the Robber, (from the Church History
of Eusehius)
Listen to a tale, which is no mere tale, but a true story which
has been handed down and kept in memory, of John the Apostle.
For when the Roman Emperor was dead, and St. John had returned
to Ephesus from [bis banishment in] the island of Patmos, he went
over the neighboring countries ; in some places to appoint Bishops,
in some to establish new Churches, in others to separate to the min
istry some one of those whom the Spirit pointed out to him. At

496
length he arrived at a city not very far from Ephesus, of which some
even give the name ; and after he had refreshed the brethren, he turned
at last to the Bishop, whom he had appointed, and having observed a
youth of goodly stature, comely appearance, and of an ardent spirit,
" Here," he said, " is a deposit which I earnestly commend to your
care, in the sight of Christ and the Church." And after the Bishop
bad accepted the charge, and had promised all that was required of
him, he repeated the same request, and with the same solemn form
of words. Accordingly the elder, taking to his home the youth
entrusted to him, bred, controlled, fostered, and at last admitted him
to baptism. After this he relaxed somewhat of his constant care
and watchfulness, as having placed upon him the seal of the Lord,
that last andbest preservative from evil. But the other, having thus
obtained his liberty too early, was taken hold of by certain idle and
profligate youths of his own age, themselves habituated to wicked
ness. At first they lure him on by expensive revellings, next they
carry him along with them on a thieving expedition by night, and
then they beg him to join them in some still greater crime. By
little and little he became habituated to vice, and then through the
hotness of his nature, starting like a hard-mouthed and spirited
horse out of the right path, and taking as it were the bit into his
mouth, rushed so much the more violently down the. precipice.
Finally despairing of the salvation which is by God, he was no
longer contented with mere petty offences ; but, as he was now
altogether lost, would fain do some great thing, and disdained to
suffer but an equal punishment with the rest. He took therefore
with him these same companions, and having got together a band of
robbers, became their ready leader, and of all the most violent, the
most bloody, the most cruel.
An interval elapsed ; and upon some need falling out in the
Church, the men of the city again called upon John to visit them.
After he had set in order the things for which he came, " Come,"
said he to the Bishop, " give me back the deposit which I and
Christ committed to thee in the sight of the Church over Avhich
you preside." The Bishop was at first amazed, for he thought that
John was unjustly charging him with money which had not been
really given him, and knew not either how lo credit a demand for
what he had never received, or Tiow to discredit the Apostle. But
when he said plainly, " It is the youth that I demand of thee, the soul
of a brother," the old man groaned from the bottom of his heart.
and shedding a few tears at the thought, answered him, " He is
dead." "How then did he die, and by what death?" "He is
dead," he said, " to God, for he has ended in becoming wicked
and abandoned, and to sum up all, a robber, and now instead of the
Church, he has tiken to the hills with an armed band of robbers like,
himself." Then the Apostle tore his garment, and uttered a loud

497
wail, beat his head, and said, " A careful guardian truly, I left of the
soul of my brother ; but bring me a horse, and let me have some one
to guide me on my way." So he rode away from the Church, just
as he was, and when he came to the place, beifsg taken, by the out
posts of the robbers, he neither fled from them, nor asked for mercy,
but cried out, " For this purpose came I, bring me to your chief."
He in the meantime, in the armor he wore, waited for his approach.
When, however, he recognized St. John, as he drew near, he was
filled with shame, and turned and fled. But the Apostle foUowed
after him with all his strength, forgetful of his years, and calling out,
" Why do you fly from me, my son ? Me your father, unarmed, and
stricken in years ; pity me, my son, and fear me not. Thou hast yet
hope of life. I will give account for thee to Christ; yea, if it be
needful, I will willingly undergo the death for thee, even as our Lord
the death for us. For thee will I render up my breath. Stay and
believe, Christ hath sent me." But the young man, when he heard
his words, first stood still, with his eyes cast down to the ground ;
next threw away his arms, and then trembling, wept bitterly. And
when the old man drew nigh to him, he threw his arms around him,
and besought pardon, as best he could, with his groans, and was bap
tized, as it were a second time, with tears, hiding only his blood
stained hand. But John, with promises and.solemn protestations of
his having obtained his pardon from the Saviour, besought him, nay,
knelt to him, and kissed the very right hand he had withheld from him,
as already cleansed by change of heart ; and so brought him back to
the Church. Finally interceding for him, sometimes in frequent
prayers, sometimes striving together with him in long continued fasts,
and sometimes soothing his spirit with various holy text, he departed
not, so they tell us, till he had fully reinstated him in the Church, and
had thus set forth a mighty example of true change of heart, and a
mighty proof of regeneration, a trophy as it were of a visible resur
rection. ^
Here we see sinners baptized, taught, and brought to repentance
by the holy Church, at the hands of the Bishops, whom the Apostles
have appointed.

Conduct, of the Apostle Si. John towards the false teacher Cerin-
thus, (from the Church History of Eusebius.)
Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, in noticing certain facts con
cerning the Revelation of St. John, derived from ancient tradition,
makes mention of this Cerinthus, and affirms that the doctrine
which he taught was, that the reign of Christ would be upon earth',
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498
and that it would consist, for so he wickedly dreamt in the pleasures
v\rhich he himself desired, being a lover ofthe body, and altogether
carnal, in the gratification, that is, of the fleshly lusts, in meats
namely, and drinks and marriages, or as he thought in fairer words,
to reach the same meaning, in feastings, and in sacrifices, and in the
slaughter of victims.
Thus far Dionysius ; moreover certain of his more secret and
false opinions are added by Irenaeus, who has also handed down to
us in writing a story, which ought never to be forgotten, and which
he gives us on the authority of Polycarp, [the disciple of St. John
himself, and whom Irenceus had knoiun in his youth.'] " John the
Apostle," he says, " entering for the purpose of bathing into some
public baths, and learning that Cerinthus was within them, recoiled
from the spot, and rushed out of doors, not even enduring to be
under the same roof with him ; and exhorting them also who were
with him to adopt the same conduct, in these words : " Let us flee,
lest the very building should fall in, within which Cerinthus, the
enemy of the truth, is abiding.' "
Hence we learn to avoid false teachers, after the pattern of the
Blessed Apostle, even though it inconvenience us to do so.

[ad Clerum.']
No. IV.
Epistle of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, the friend of St. Peter and
of St. John, on his way to Martyrdom, to Polycarp, Bishop of
Smyrna.
Ignatius, called also Theophorus, to Polycarp, of the Church at
Smyrna, Bishop and Superintendent : yea, rather himself superin
tended lay God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. All
hail !
I. Welcoming thy disposition which is to God ward, founded as
upon an immoveable rock, I glorify Him, in that I have been honored
by thy holy presence, and praying that I may rejoice in it through
God. I beseech thee, by the grace of God, wherewith thou art in
vested, to press onwards in thy course, and to exhort all unto salva
tion. Maintain thy station in all diligence, both of body and soul ;
study to preserve that unity, than which nothing is better. Endure
all men, as the Lord has also endured thee ; continue, as thou dost,
to bear with all men in love ; devote thyself to prayer without ceasing ;
seek for more understanding than thou hast ; watch with an unwea
ried spirit ; speak unto every one as God shall enable thee : asa

499
practised combatant, endure the weaknesses of all ; for where labor
abounds, there also abounds gain.
II. For in that thou lovest the good disciples, vrhat thank hast
thou ? yea, rather with mildness bring into subjection the more mis
chievous. For every wound is not treated with the same application ;
but violent paroxysms are to be assuaged by emollient medicines.
Be in all things " wise as the serpent, and harmless as the dove."
For this end art thou formed of flesh and spirit, that thou mayest
soften th'e things which are in thy sight: but pray that the things
which are invisible may be revealed imto thee, that thou mayest want
in nothing, but abound in every gift of God. The present season de
mands thee, as pilots the wind, as the storm-tost mariner his desired
haven, that thou attain unto God. Be temperate, as God's Cham
pion ; the reward is incorruption, and eternal life : in which also thy
faith is firm. In all things, my soul is as thine, and so are my bonds
which thou hast loved.
III. Be not dismayed at those who seem worthy of trust, and yet
teach new doctrines ; stand firm, as the anvil under the stroke, for he
is a mighty champion, who though buffetted, yet overcometh. But
above all, for the sake of God, we must endure all, that He also may
endure us. Become more and more zealous : study the times ; await
Him who is above all time, the Eternal, the Invisible, (who yet for
us men became visible,) the Impalpable, the Impassible : who yet
for our salvation becarfie subject unto suffering, and endured all
things. IV. Let not the widows be neglected, for thou imder the Lord art
their guardian ; let nothing be done without thy sanction, neither thy
self do any thing without the sanction of God ; which thing indeed
thy constancy suffers thee not to do. Let your assemblies be held
more frequently. Seek out and address all by name. Slight not
the slaves ; yet suffer them not to be puffed up, but let them rather
serve the more diligently unto the glory of God, that from Him they
may obtain a more perfect freedom. Let them not seek to be eman
cipated at the public cost, lest they be found to be slaves of their own
desires. V. Avoid evil arts ; nay, rather mention them not at all. Speak
unto my sisters, that they love the Lord, and be content, in will as in
deed, with their husbands. E.xhort also- my brethren in the name of
Jesus Christ, that they love their wives, even as the Lord loveth
the Church. If any one can remain in chastity, to the honor of the
flesh of our Lord, let him do so in all humility. If he boast, he is
already lost ; yea, if he reveal it to any one, save the Bishop, he is
corrupted. It is fitting for those who purpose matrimony, to accom
plish their union with the sanction ofthe Bishop ; that their marriage
may be godly, and not according to lust. Let all things be done to
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500
VI. Hearken unto your Bishop, that God may also hearken unto
you. My soul is as the soul of them who are in subjection to their
Bishops, their Presbyters, their Deacons ; and may my portion be
with them in the Lord ! Labor together, strive together, run together,
suffer together, lie down together, rise up together, as the stewards,
the ministers, and the servants of God. Seek to please Him, whose
soldiers ye are, and whose wages ye receive. Let none of you be a
deserter : let your baptism remain, for it is your armor ; your faith, a
helmet ; your love, a spear ; your long-suffering, a coat of mail. Let
your deposits be your good works, that ye may finally receive the
portion earned by your service. Be patient with one another in mild
ness, as God is with you. May I rejoice in you alway I
VII. But as it has been disclosed to me that the Church of Antioch
in Syria, through your prayers, is at peace, I have rather been of good
cheer in secure reliance on God, (if through suffering I shall attain
unto Him,) that by your prayers also I may be found in the resurrec
tion a true disciple. It is meet, 0 most blessed Polycarp, that thou
shouldst call together a holy council, and choose some one, well-be
loved and zealous, that he may be called God's Messenger 5 and to
appoint him to go into Syria, that he may make manifest your zealous
love, to the glory of Christ. A Christian is not master of himself,
but is devoted to God's service. This work is God's, and your's,
when you have accomplished it. For I trust in the Grace which is in
you, that ye are ready to every good work which appertaineth unto
God ; and therefore, as I know your zeal for the truth, my exhorta
tion has been brief.
VIII. Since I have not been able to write to all the Churches, be
cause I have been suddenly called upon to sail from Troas to Neapo-
lis, do thou write to those which are nearest to thee, knowing that
God's will is that they shall do the same onwards, sending, if possible,
messengers ; if not, trusting their Epistles to those whom thou shalt
send, that ye may all be glorified for ever, as ye are worthy. I salute
all by name ; and especially the wife of Epitropus, with her household
and family. I salute Attains my beloved. I salute him who shall be
chosen to go into Syria ; that the grace of God may be with him
alway in my prayer, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; in whom
may you continue in the miity of God, and mtder His protection.
Salute Alee, my well-beloved. Farewell in the Lord !

Wo V.
The Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter, on his way to Mar
tyrdom, to the Trallians.
Ignatius, which is al^ Theophorus, to the Holy Church that is in
Tralles in Asia, beloved of GoD,the Father of Jesus Christ, chosen
godlike, having peace through the flesh and blood and passion of
Jesus Christ, (who is our hope in the following of His resurrec
tion,) which I salute in the plenitude of my Apostolic character, and
pray that it may have all joy.
I. I know the reproachless spirit, and unfailing unanimity, that not
by occasion, but habitually belong to you ; which also were set forth
to me by Polybius your Bishop, who, by God's will and the will of
Jesus Christ, was present in Smyrna, and so rejoiced with me in my
bonds for Jesus Christ, that in his person you were all before my
eyes. So that meeting with this godly kindness in him, I reckon on
finding you, (as I have also known you,) the followers of God.
II. For in that you are subject to your Bishop as to Jesus Christ,
you seem to me to be living not after the way of men, but according
to Jesus Christ : who died for your sakes, that by believing in His
death ye may from death escape. It is therefore your bounden duty,
as it also is your practice, to do nothing apart from the Bishop. Be
subject moreover to the Presbytery, as to the Apostles of Jesus
Christ our hope ; may we be found to have had our conversation in
Him ! It is requisite too, that they who are Deacons [ministers] of
the mysteries of Jesus Christ, should be obliging to all men in every
manner ; for they are not ministers [deacons] of meat and drink, but
servants of God's Church: they must therefore guard against reproach
as against fire.
III. Likewise let all men give heed to the Deacons, as to an institu
tion of Jesus Christ; and to the Bishop, as to the image of God;
and to the Presbyters as to the Council of God and the Company of
Apostles. Without these the name of Church is not. On which
points I am persuaded that you hold with me ; for I found and retain
with me a specimen of your love in the person of your Bishop ; whose
whole constitution of mind is an instructive lesson, and his meekness
full of power. I suppose that even Atheists respect him. Though
able to write on this point, thus far only I mean to do so, lest a con
vict such as I should be giving laws to you like an Apostle.
IV. God has granted to me the knowledge of many things ; but I
control myself, lest I perish in my boasting : for now I must be espe
cially fearful, and hold off from them that puff me up. For they who

502
make me their talk, inflict a persecution upon me. I am well con
tented to suffer, yet I know not that I am worthy to do so. My zeal,
known but to few, is the more excited in myself. I have need there
fore of that moderation, whereby the Prince of this world is brought
to nought.
V. Am I unable to write to you of spiritual things ? I am not unable,
but fear lest I should bring an injury on infants such as you. Excuse
therefore my doing so ; lest from inability to receive my words, you
be choked of them. For even I, prisoner as I am, am not enabled to
behold the things that are in Heaven, the marshalling of the Angels,
the stations of the celestial Powers, visible things and things invisi
ble, but herein I am but a learner. For many things are placed be
yond our capacity, lest we cease to have dependence on God.
VI. I exhort you, therefore, (yet not I, but the love of Jesus
Christ,) to use only the Christian nourishment, and to abstain from
the strange herb, which is heresy. For the heretics receiving credit
on the score of worldly reputation, invest Christianity with poison ;
offering as it were their fatal drug in a sop ; and he who knows it not,
accepteth death with a ready and fatal welcome.
VJI. From such men keep yourselves guarded. And guarded ye
will be, if ye are not puffed up, nor separated from Jesus Christ our
Lord, and from the Bishop, and from the rules laid down by the
Apostles. He that is within the altar is pure : he that is without,
whoever, namely, acts independently of the Bishop, the Presbytery,
and the Deacons, is a man of unclean conscience.
VIII. I am not aware that there is aught of this kind in you, but,
for the love I bear you, I put you on your guard, foreseeing as I do
the snares of the Devil. Do you therefore, gathering a spirit of meek
ness, stablish yourselves in Faith, which is the flesh of the Lord,
and in Love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let none of you
find a fault in his neighbor. Give no occasion to the heathen ; lest,
on the score of a foolish few, the godly many be evil spoken of; for
" woe unto him, because of whose levity My name is evil spoken of
by any."
IX. Turn then a deaf ear to any man who departs in what he
says from Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David, and born
of Mary; who verily was born, did eat and did drink; verily was
persecuted, under Pontius Pilate ; verily was crucified and died,
being seen of them that are in Heaven, of them that are on earth,
and of them that are under the earth ; who verily also was raised
from the dead. His Father raising Him ; in the likeness whereto,
us also who believe in Him shall his Father raise up through Je
sus Christ, without whom the real life belongs not to us.
X. But if (as some godless men, which are unbelievers, assert,)
it was only his shade that suffered, (whereas they are but a. shade, )
how came I to be in bonds ? and why do I rejoice in the prospect of

503
" fighting with beasts ?" In such case I perish to no purpose, and
behe my Lord.
XI. Avoid then those mischievous offshoots, fruitful of death, the
which if a man taste he shall die thereby ; for these were not planted
of the Father. For if they were, we should see them growing
from the Cross, and their fruit would be unto eternal life ; in accord
ance whereto He in His passion inviteth you under the title of His
own Members. The Head and the limbs cannot therefore have a
separate existence, for God hath promised their union, and Himself
existeth therein.
XII. I send you my salutation from Smyrna, together with the
salutation of the Churches that are here with me, which have every
way refreshed me, both in body and spirit. My bonds supply you
with a lesson ; for I bear them for Jesus Christ's sake, praying
that I may go to God. Continue in one mind, and assemble toge
ther for prayer ; for it is right for every one of you, and for the
Presbyters particularly, to refresh your Bishop's spirit, that so you
may show honor to the Father, to Jesus Christ, and to the Apos
tles. I pray that you may hear me in love ; and that I may not, by
writing this, be made a testimony against you. Likewise do you
for my sake pray (for I desire your love in the mercy of God,) that
I may be held worthy of that destiny which I press on to gain, and
mayr not become a castaway.
XIII. The love of the Smyrneans and Ephesians, saluteth you.
Remember in your prayers the Church that is in Syria, whereby I
am not worthy to be called, being last among them. Be strong in
Jesus Christ ; subject to your Bishop as to the commandment,
and to the Presbytery likewise. Love one another, every one of
you, with an undivided heart. My spirit saluteth you ; not now
only, but when I shall have gone to God. I have yet to fear for
myself; but the Father is faithful in Jesus Christ, to fulfil my
prayers and yours. In Him may you be found blameless.

No. 6.
Account of the Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne.
[From the Church History of Eusebius.]
In the seventeenth year of the Emperor Antonius Verus, the per
secution raged with fresh violence against us, in some parts of the
world, by means of the attacks made on us by the populace of the se
veral cities. We may conjecture, from what occurred in a single
country, that myriads of martyrdoms took place throughout the earth.
These are well worthy of immortal memory, and happen to have

504
been transmitted to posterity in WTiting. The whole document,
which contains the fullest account of them is placed in my collection
of Martyrs, containing a description which is not merely historical,
but also instructive. As much, however, as is connected with my
present purpose, I will select and insert here.
Others, in composing historical narrations, commit to writing vic
tories in war, and trophies over the enemy, and the exploits of gene
rals, and the valor of troops stained with blood and endless slaughter,
in defence of their children, their country and their fortunes. But
our narrative of the acts of a Divine Commonwealth, will rather seek
to inscribe, on an everlasting monument, those most peaceful wars
for the peace of the soul ; and the Heroes who have fought in these,
rather for the truth than for their country, and rather for religion than
for the objects of their dearest affections. It wiU proclaim for eter
nal memory, the perseverance, and the enduring valor of the combat
ants in the cause of Piety, and their trophies over devils, and their
victories over unseen adversaries, and their crowns which followed.
Gaul (i. e. France] then was the place of the conflicts of which
we speak. The principal cities of this country, remarkable and cel-
brated above others, are Lyons and Vienne, through both which rtms
the stream of the Rhone, which passes with a rapid course round
that whole region. The account of the martyrdoms, transmitted by
the Churches of chief note in these parts to those in Asia and Phry-
gia, thus describes the things done among them ; and I will give their
own words.
Letter of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne in the South of Fr-ance
to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia.
The Servants of Christ, that sojourn at Vienne and Lyons in
Gaul, to the Brethren in Asia and Phrygia, who have the same faith
and hope of redemption with us, peace, and grace, and glory, from
God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. * * *
The greatness of the sufferings in this country, and the wonderful
rage of the heathen against the Saints, and how much the blessed
Martyrs endured, we are neither able accurately to declare, nor is it
possible to be comprehended in writing. For the Adversary rushed
dovtrn upon us with all his might, as already anticipating his future
coming without control ;* and went through all possible means in pre
paring and exercising his own beforehand, against the Servants of
God. So that we were not only excluded from the houses, the baths,
and the market ; but it was even forbidden for any of us to shew
himself, in any place whatever.
But the Grace of God took the lead in opposition to him ; and
protecting the weak, set Firm Pillars in battle array against him,
* Rev. XX 3.

505
whose fortitude rendered them first to draw on themselves the whole
violence of the Evil One ; men who went forth to meet him, sup
porting patiently every kind of insult and torture, and counting the
most he could do as little, were in haste to be with Christ ; shewing,
of a truth, that " the sufferings of this present time are not to be com
pared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."
And in the first place, they nobly endured all the injuries heaped
on them by the assembled populace, who hooted, beat, dragged about,
plundered, stoned, and confined them ; and did all such things, as are
wont to be done bya furious mob to those, whom it hates and counts
its enemies. And, lastly, when brought into the market-place by the
commander of the troops and the authorities of the city, and question
ed before the whole multitude, they confessed, and were shut up in
prison till the arrival of the Governor.
And when afterwards they were brought before the Governor, and
he shewed the utmost cruelty towards us, Vettius Epagathus, one of
the brethren, (full of love toward God and his neighbor, and of so
exact and perfect a life, that, though a yotmg man, he was equal to
the testimony borne to the aged Zacharias, in that " he walked in all
the commandments and judgments of the Lord blameless," and ready
in every service to his neighbor, having great " zeal toward God,"
and " fervent in spirit,") this excellent man could not endure the un
reasonable judgment, which was passing against us, but testified his
indignation, and demanded to be heard himself in defence of the
Brethren. And when those about the tribunal hooted him down,
(for he was a man of note,) and the Governor would not allow the
just claim he had put in on our behalf, but only asked if he too
were a Christian, he confessed with a loud voice, and was himself
taken, and so took his place among the number of the Martyrs ;
being called the Advocate of the Christians, and having in himself
the " Advocate," (or the Comforter,, John xiv. 16.) the Spirit,
yet more than Zacharias (Luke i. 67.) "Which he also shewed by
the fulness of his love, being ready to lay down his own life for
the sake of defending his Brethren. For he was, yea, is, a genu
ine Disciple of Christ, " following the Lamb wherever He goeth."
Theii also others began to be distinguishable ; and the First Mar
tyrs were conspicuous and prepared, fulfilling with all readiness the
Martyr's confession. Those also might be discerned who were un
prepared and unexercised, and still weak, unable to bear the strain of
a great conflict. About ten of whom fell away ; who also caused
us much grief and unmeasured lamentation, and hindered the readi
ness of others, who were not yet arrested, and who, though suffer
ing all possible indignities, were in attendance on the Martyrs, and
did not desert them. Then, however, we were all greatly alarmed
by the uncertainty of the confession ; not fearing the cruelties that
were inflicted, but looking to the end, and fearing that any one might
fall away. 64

506
Those, however, who were worthy, were daily apprehended, fiU-
ino up their number, so that there were taken up, froirj the two
Churches, all the best men, and those, by whom things here were
chiefly kept together. There were also taken up some heathen ser
vants belonging to persons amongst our number, since the Governor
ordered a public inquisition to be made after us all. And they, by a
device of Satan, fearing the tortures which they saw the Saints en
dure, the soldiers urging them on, belied us as holding Thyestean
feasts,'* and guilty of impurities like those of (Edipus, and such
things as it is not allowed us to mention, or even to think of, no, nor
to believe thatrthey ever existed among mankind.
But when these things were noised abroad, all were infuriated
against us ; so that, even if any had before shown moderation on ac
count of connections, even these were greatly enraged, and stung
with malice (Acts v. 33.) against us. And that was fulfilled which
the Lord had foretold us, (John xvi. 2.) " the time shall come, when
every one that kiUeth you, shall think that he doeth God service." —
Then afterwards the Holy Martyrs endured tortures beyond all de
scription ; Satan being ambitious of drawing some to blaspheme
with their lips.
But most eminently did all the rage of the populace, the Governor
and the soldiers, light on Sanctus, a deacon of Vienne ; and on Ma-
turus, one newly enlightened, but a noble champion ; and on Attalus,
a Pergamene by birth, who had always been " a pillar and support"!
of those in this neighborhood ; and on Blandina, by whom Christ
showed that the things which are lowly esteemed among men, and
held by them mean and contemptible, are thought worthy of great
honor with God, for that love of Him, which is showed forth in power
and does not boast in a vain appearance.
For when we all were in fear, and her own mistress according to
the flesh, (who also herself was one champion among the Martyrs,)
was in agony for her, lest she should be unable to make even one
bold confession, from the weakness of her body ; Blandina was filled
with such strength, that even those, who tortured her by turns, in
every possible way, from morning till evening, were wearied and gave
it up, themselves confessing that they were conquered, having noth
ing more that they could do to her. And they wondered at her
remaining still alive, her whole body being mangled and pierced in
every part ; and declared, that any one kind of torture was enough to
deprive her of life, not to say so many and so severe.
But that blessed woman, like a brave wrestler, renewed her strength
in confessing ; and it was to her recovery, and rest and ease from
her sufferings, to say, ," I am a Christian, and nothing vile is done
amongst us."
* 1. e. Eating human flesh, a calumny derived from the Lord's Supper.
1 1 Tim, iii. 15.

507
Sanctus also, for his part, endured exceedingly, and above every
man, all the cruelties of men with a noble patience, when the wicked
hoped that, by means of the continuance and severity of the tortures,
they should hear something from him that ought not to be uttered,
set himself against them with such firmness as not to mention even
his own name, nor that of the nation or city whence he was, nor
whether he was bond or free ; but to all questions he answered in the
Roman tongue, " I am a Christian." This he repeatedly declared
to be to him instead of a name, instead of a country, and instead of a
family ; but no other word did the heathen hear from him. Whence
also there was a great strife both of the Governor and torturers against
him ; so that, when they had nothing left that they could do to him,
at last they fastened red hot plates of brass on the tenderest parts of
his body. But though his limbs were burning, he remained upright
and unshrinking, stedfast to his confession, bathed and strengthened
from Heaven with that fountain of living water, that springs from the
well of Christ. But his body bore witness of what had been done,
being one entire wound and bruise, and wrrenched, and deprived of
the external form of man. In whom Christ Himself suffering
showed forth great glory, confounding the adversary, and showing,
for an example to others, that nothing is terrible where is the love of
the Father ; nothing painful where is the glory of Christ. For
when the ungodly again, after several days, tortured the Martyr, and
thought that they should overcome him by applying the same torments
while his wounds were yet swollen and sore, and could scarce bear the
mere touch of the hand ; or that by dying under the tortmre he would
at least alarm the rest ; not only did no such thing befal him, but
also, contrary to all human expectation, his frail body recovered and
was strengthened in his latter torments, and regained its former ap
pearance, and the use of the limbs ; so that, by the favor of Christ,
his second torture was made to him no punishment, but a remedy.
And then the Devil, thinking he had already swallowed up one
woman of the number of those, who had denied Christ, named
Biblias, led her to the torture, to compel her to say impious things
concerning us, as one now easily to be broken, and without courage.
But she came to herself under the tortures, and awoke, so to speak,
from a deep sleep ; being reminded by temporal punishment of the
eternal misery of hell ; and declared, in contradiction of the blasphe
mers, "How should those ,devour children, with whom it' is not
allowed even to eat the blood of brute animals ?" And from this
time she confessed herself to be a Christian, and was added to the
number of the Martyrs.
But, when these tyramiical cruelties were confounded by Christ
through the patience of the Blessed Martyrs, the Devil imagined
other devices, such as confinement in prison, in the darkest and most
loathsome dungeon ; and stretching their feet in the stocks, even to

508
the fifth hole ; and all such other insults, as the under-keepers, when
enraged, (and these same men filled with the Evil Spirit,') are ac
customed to put upon their prisoners ; so that many were suffocated
in the prison, those whom the Lord willed thus to escape, showing
forth His glory. Some there were who had been bitterly tormented,
so that it should have seemed that with all possible care they could
scarce have lived, who stayed in prison ; deprived indeed of human
care, but revived and strengthened by the Lord in body and soul,
and exciting and comforting the rest. But the young, and those
newly apprehended, whose bodies had suffered no previous mang
ling, could not endure the pressure of this confinement, but died in
prison. But the blessed Pothinus, who was entrusted with the bishoprick
of the Church in Lyons, above ninety years of age, and quite worn
out in body, scarce able to breathe from his previous infirmity, but
renewed in strength by the readiness of his spirit, in his earnest
desire of martyrdom, himself was also dragged to the tribunal ;
his body worn out with age and disease ; but his life being still kept
in him, that Christ might triumph through it : — who, when brought
by the soldiers to the tribunal, all the authorities of the city follow
ing him, and all the crowd, as though he had been Christ Him
self, uttering all sorts of cries against him, bore a good testimony.
And when asked by thp Governor, who might be the God of the
Christians ? he said, " If thou be worthy, thou shalt know." After
this he was dragged about without mercy, and suffered all kinds of
buffeting, those who were near him insulting him with their hands
and feet without regard to his age ; and those at a distance throw
ing at him whatever came to hand ; and all thinking any one guilty
of a great fault and impiety, who should be wanting in insolence
towards him. For they considered that they should thus avenge
their gods. And he was cast, scarce alive, into the prison, and died
after two days. Here then there took place a remarkable dispensa
tion of God, and an infinite compassion of Jesus was shown forth ;
a thing, which had rarely occurred in the brotherhood, but is not un
suited to the wisdom of Christ. For those, who denied at their
first apprehension, were themselves also confined, and partook of our
sufferings. At this time the denial of the faith was of no use to
them ; for those who confessed what they were, were imprisoned as
Christians, no further charge being brought against them ; whereas
these were still detained as murderers* and impure, suffering double
the punishment of the rest. Those indeed the joy of martyrdom,!
and the hope of the promises, and the love of Christ, and the Spirit
of the Father, comforted ; but these, conscience tormented with
great vengeance ; so that, in passing by, their comitenances might be
* Vid. p, 508. t Bearing witn«»o.

509
distinguished amongst all the rest. For the one went cheerfully,
great glory and grace being mingled in their countenances ; so that
their very chains hung on them as a noble ornament, as on a bride
adorned with robes embroidered and fringed with gold ; at the same
time smelling so of the sweet odour of Christ, that some even ap
peared to have been anointed with earthly perfumes. But the others
went abashed, and dejected, and wretched in their looks, and full of
disgrace ; and moreover reproached by the very heathen as ignoble
and unmanly ; bearing indeed the charge of murder,* but having lost
the honorable, and glorious, and life-giving Name. The rest, seeing
these things, were confirmed ; and those who were apprehended con
fessed, without hesitation, not even taking any thought of the reason
ings of the Devil. * * * *
To conclude ; their martyrdoms were distinguished by various
kinds of death. For, having plaited a crown of different colors, and
of all kinds of flowers, they offered it to the Father. It was need
ful, it seems, that these noble champions, who had endured a varied
conflict, and been greatly victorious, should receive the great and
incorruptible crown.
Maturus, and Sanctus, and Blandina, and Attalus, were taken to
the beasts in the public place, for a common spectacle to the inhu
manity of the heathen ; this day of wild-beast fighting being given on
purpose to show forth our Martyrs. And Maturus, and Sanctus,
again went through, in the Amphitheatre, every torture, as if they had
absolutely suffered, nothing before. Rather, as having now in several
combats foiled the Adversary, and engaged in the contest for the very
crown, they supported again the course of scourging usually inflicted
there, and the dragging about by the beasts, and whatever else the
mad populace shouted and demanded, on this side and on that, to
have done to them ; and above all, the iron seat, on which their
bodies, being scorched, choked them with the smell. But their
persecutors did not cease even with this ; but yet were more outra
geous, wishing to overcome their patience. And even thus they
could hear nothing from Sanctiis, beyond the w^ords of confession he
had been accustomed to use from the first. These then, their life
holding out long through a severe conflict, were at last put to death ;
being by themselves, throughout that day, a spectacle to the world,
instead of all the variety of single combats. But Blandina, hung up
on a Cross, was placed to be devoured by the beasts that were turned
in. She thus visibly hanging in the figure of a Cross, and engaged
in earnest prayer, wrought great readiness in thope who underwent
the conflict ; since they saw, in the midst of their sufferings, even
with the outward eye, in their sister. Him who was crucified for
* Namely, of eating human flesh, as above, p. 507.

510
them, to persuade those who believe in Him, that every one who hath
suffered for the glory of Christ, hath forever communion with the
Living God. And, none of the beasts having at that time touched
her, she was taken down from the cross, and carried up again to the
prison, to be kept for another conflict ; that, by conquering in yet
more encounters, she might bring inexorable condemnation on the
crooked Serpent ; and, though by nature little, weak, and easily to be
despised, yet having put on Christ, the great and invincible Cham
pion, she might encourage the brethren ; having overpowered the
Adversary in many combats, and having won in the contest the in
corruptible crown.
Next, Attalus himself, being much called for by the multitude,
(for he was a well-known man,) came in prepared for the combat by
good conscience, since he was truly exercised in the Christian disci
phne, and had always been amongst us as a witness ofthe truth. He
was led all romid the Amphitheatre, with a tablet carried before him,
on which was written in Latin " This is Attalus the Christian." And
the people being exceedingly enraged against him, the Governor hav
ing understood that he was a Roman, ordered him to be taken back
among the rest that were in the prison ; concerning whom he sent to
Caesar, and waited for his decision. But the meantime was not idle
nor fruitless to them, but through their patience the infinite mercy of
Christ appeared. For the dead members were enlivened through
the living ; and the Martyrs showed favor to those who were not
martyrs, and there was great joy to the Virgin Mother, the Church,
in receiving those again living, whom she had cast away as dead and
abortive. For by those good men, the greater number of those, who
had denied Christ were renewed, and reconceived and rekindled ;
and learned to confess ; and now, living and full of nerve, were
brought before the tribunal ; — God, who desireth not the death of a
sinner, but sheweth goodness to repentance, granting them His kind
ness to be again questioned by the Governor. For, (Caesar having
ordered that these should be executed, but that if any denied, they
should be released,) when the public festival here began, which is
numerously attended by persons, who come together to it from all
nations, he brought the blessed Martyrs to the tribunal for a specta
cle, and to make a show of them to the multitudes. Wherefore also
he examined them again ; and as many as appeared to have had Ro
man citizenship, he beheaded ; but the rest he sent to the beasts. —
But Christ was greatly glorified in those who had denied before, but
then confessed, contrary to the expectation of the heathen. For these
were even separately examined, as on the idea that they were to be
dismissed ; but confessing, were added to the number of the Martyrs.
But those remained without, who never had any trace of faith, nor a
feeling of the bridal garment, nor a sense of the fear of God ; but by
their very manner of life brought scandal on the true way, that is, the

511
sons of perdition. But aU the others were united to the Church.
And while they were under examination, one Alexander, a Phrygian
by birth, and a physician by profession, who had lived many years in
the provinces of Gaul, and was known almost by all, for his love to
God, and boldness in declaring the word, (for he was not without a
share of the Apostolic gift,) standing by the tribunal, and encouraging
them by signs in their confession, was observed by those who stood
round the tribunal, to be thus as it were in travail for them.* But
the multitude, being enraged at hearing these confess again, who had
before denied, cried out against Alexander, as if he had been the
cause of it. And the Governor turning upon him, and asking who he
was, he answered, " A Christian ;" upon which the other, in a rage,
condemned him to be given to the beasts. And next day he came
in with Attains. For the Governor, to please the people, gave up
Attalus also again to the wild beasts. But they, in the Amphitheatre,
having passed through all the instruments of torture, that ever were
invented, and endured' a most severe conflict, were at last put to
death. Alexander without uttering a groan or syllable, but convers
ing in his heart with God. But Attalus, when he was placed on the
iron seat, and scorched, when the vapor went up from his body,
said to the crowd, in the Roman tongue ; " Behold this is man-eat
ing, which yourselves do ; but we neither eat paen, nor do any other
evil thing." And when asked what name God hath, he answered,
" God hath not a name, as a man hath."
And after all these things, on the last remaining day of the combats,
Blandina was brought in again, with a boy from Pontus, of about
fifteen years old ; (who had been brought in every day to see the
tortures of the others ;) and were commanded to swear by their idols.
And because they remained constant, and set them at nought, the
multitude was enraged against them ; so that they neither pitied the
youth of the boy, nor respected the female ; but they put them to all
the most dreadful tortures, and made them pass through the whole
course of inflictions, demanding of them again and again to swear,
(by the heathen gods,) but unable to make them do so. For the
youth of Pontus, encouraged by our sister, so that even the heathen
saw that she was forwarding and confirming him, having nobly en
dured all his torments, gave up the ghost. But the blessed Blandina,
last of all, like a noble mother, having stirred up her children, and
sent them forward victorious to the king ; and having herself gone
through all the same conflicts with her children, hastened after them,
rejoicing and exulting in her departure, as if called to a marriage
supper, instead of being thrown to wild beasts. And after the scourg
ing, after the wild beasts, after the scorching, at last she was placed
in a basket, and thrown to a bull ; and died, after having been much
* Gal. iv. 19.

512
tossed about by the animal, having no feeling of her sufferings, through
her hope and hold of those things which she believed, and her con
verse with Christ ; even the heathen themselves confessing, that no
woman ever among them bore such and so numerous tortures.
But not even thus could their madness, and cruelty to the Saints,
be satisfied ; but those fierce and barbarous tribes, stirred up by the
Dragon, were hardly to be quieted. And they made another fierce
attack on the bodies of the Martyrs, being not ashamed of their for
mer defeat, because they had not the reasonable feeling of men ; but
it rather inflamed their anger, as though both Governor and people
had been of some brute nature, showing like unjust hatred towards
us"; that the Scripture might be fulfilled, " he that is ungodly, let
him be ungodly still ; he that is righteous, let him be righteous still.*"
For they even through those, who were stifled in the dungeon, to the
dogs ; watching them carefiflly night and day, lest any should be
buried by us. And then having exposed what beasts and fire had
left, partly torn and partly burnt to a cinder, and the heads of the rest,
with the headless bodies, they kept them in like manner unburied,
with military observation and guard, many days. And some grinned
and gnashed their teeth at them, seeking to wreak some further ven
geance on thfem ; others mocked and jested at them, glorifying their
idols, and ascribing to them the punishment of the dead. Even the
better sort, and those who seemed to have some compassion, uttered
many reproaches, saying, " Where is their God, and what has His
service profited them, which they chose before their own lives ?" —
Such were the various doings of our enemies ; but we were in great
sorrow, for that we could not commit the bodies to the earth. For
neither woifld night enable us to do it, nor would money persuade,
nor entreaties shame them ; but they guarded them in every way, as
if they gained much in depriving them of burial.
# « * #
The bodies of the Martyrs, when they had been publicly insulted
and exposed in every way for six days, were at last burnt to ashes by
the ungodly, and swept into the river Rhone, which runs by, that not
a fragment of them might stiU appear on the earth. And this they
did, as if they could overcome God, and deprive them of their resur
rection ; in order, as they said, that " these Christians may not have
even that hope, of rising again,jwhich persuades them to bring in
upon us some strange and new worship, and to despise all terrors,
coming readily and with joy to their death. Now let us see, if they
will rise again ; and if their God can help them, and take them out
of our hands."

•Rev, xxii. II.

513
Such were the sufferings of the Blessed Saints in early times for
Christ their Saviour.
Hence we learn how Christ supports all who trust in Him ; and
how far we are below the Saints of early times in courage, patience,
and love. We learn that our greatest troubles are very light, com
pared with those which Christians then underwent, and underwent
for their very virtue's sake ; whereas now we often suffer only for our
sins. And we learn beside, how blessed it is to suffer boldly in a
good cause,' for we encourage others to do the same ; and we are re
minded what a short time the fiercest sufferings last ; for these cruel
trials of the Christians of France took place so long ago, that it is as
if they had never been ; whereas ever since, and now, and so on for
ever, these Martyrs have been rejoicing in heaven in the presence of
God.
Moreover we learn how we ought to think of, love, and imitate
good Christians, however far off. We are not so far from France,
as France is from Asia. Now this letter was written to the Churches
of Asia ; which shows, how anxious the Christians in those parts
were, to know about the trials of their brethren of France.

No. VII.

Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and St. John, Bishop_
of Antioch, on his way to martyrdom, to the church of Smyrna.
Ignatius, who is caUed also Theophorus, to the Church of God the
Father and the beloved Jesus Christ, which is at Smyrna in
Asia, mercifully blessed with every gift of God, fulfilled in faith
and love, most acceptable in His sight, and fruitful in Saints, defi
cient in no one of His Gifts ; Hail, in the Holy Spirit and in
the Word of God !
I. I glorify Jesus Christ, even God, who has made you thus
wise vtnto salvation. For I have perceived that ye are perfected in
immoveable faith, as though ye were nailed, both in body and soul,
unto the cross of our Lord Jesus; and firmly estabhshed in love
through the blood of Christ, most fully beheving upon our Lord ; '
who verily was of the race of David according to the flesh, but the
Son of God according to the WiU and the Power of God ; truly bom
of a Virgin, baptized of John, in order that all righteousness might
be fulfilled by Him, who for us was truly nailed to the cross in the
flesh under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch, of whose fruit
are we, through His divine and blessed Passion ; that He may by
His resurrection raise a standard for ever for His faithful Saints,
whether Jews or Gentiles, in one body of his Church.
65

514
II. For He suffered all these things for us, and. for our salvation ;
and He verily suffered, as He in verity also raised Himself again ;
and not as some unbelievers say, that He suffered in appearance
only, being themselves only an appearance ; and according to their
belief, so shall it be unto them, seeing that they are Phantastics and
Demoniacs. III. For I know, that even after the Resurrection He was in the
flesh, and believe that He still is ; and, when He came unto Peter
and his companions, he said, " Take hold, handle me, and see, that
I am not an incorporeal Spirit." And immediately they touched Him,
and believed ; being convinced both by His Flesh and His Spirit ;
through which conviction also they despised death, and were found
to be superior to it. But after His Resurrection He in the flesh ate
and drank with them, although being in the Spirit united to the
Father. IV. These things I exhort you, my beloved, knowing that thus
also ye are disposed of yourselves. But I forewarn you against
beasts in human shape ; these you must not only not admit to yoiu:
society, but if possible, not even come in their way. Only, pray for
them, if by any means they may repent; which yet is a hard matter ;
but our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our true Life, has power even
for this. For if in appearance only these things were done by our
Lord, then are my bonds also in appearance only. But wherefore
have I given myself up unto death, to the fire, to the sword, to
beasts ? But if I am near the sword, I am near God ; and if I am
among beasts, I am with God also. Only, in the name of Jesus
Christ I endure all : that I may suffer with Him, as He, who
became perfect man, gives me strength.
V. Whom some, not knowing, deny . nay, rather are denied of
Him, being the advocates not of truth but of death ; whom neither
the prophecies, nor the Law of Moses, nor even the Gospel up to
this day, nor our individual sufferings have converted. For they
think the same thing even concerning us. What availeth it to me,
if any one praiseth me, but blasphemeth my Lord, denying that
He came in the flesh? But he who denieth this, denieth Him
altogether, being dead in Spirit. But t'he names of these men it
hath not seemed good to me to write, seeing that they are in unbe
lief; nay, I woiild not that I should mention them at all, until
they shall be turned to belief in His Passion, in which consists our
Resurrection. VI. Let no one deceive himself. Even heavenly things, and the
glory of Angels, and Powers visible and invisible are condemned
aheady, if they beheve not in the blood of Christ. " He that is
able to receive this, let him receive it." Let no one be puffed up by
rank. For Faith and Love, to which nothing is preferable, are all
in afl. But consider those who hold other doctrines than the gi-ace

515
of God which has come unto us, how contrary they are to the will
of God ; who have no care for brotherly love, who take no thought
for the widow, the orphan, or the oppressed, bond, or free, hungry,
or thirsty.
VII. These abstain from the Sacrament, and from prayer; because
they confess not that the Sacrament is the Body of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, which the Father in His
mercy raised again. They then, denying the Gift of God, perish in
their disputes. Well had it been for them to accept it rather with
thankfulness, that through it they might rise again. From such then
it is meet that you should abstam ; and not even to speak concerning
them, either in private or public. But attend dfligently to the Pro
phets, and above all to the Gospel in which His Passion is made
manifest to us, and His Resurrection perfected; but avoid divisions,
as the beginning of evils.
VIII. Follow your Bishop, all of you, even as Jesus Christ the
Father ; and the body of Presbyters, as the Apostles. Respect the
Deacons, as ye would the commandment of God. Let no one do
any thing pertaining to the Church without the Bishop. Let that be
esteemed a well-ordered celebration of the Sacrament, which is
administered either by the Bishop, or by those to whom he has
committed it. Where the Bishop is, there let the body of Believers
be ; even as where Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. With
out the Bishop it is lawful neither to baptize, nor to celebrate the
Communion; but whatever he judges right, that also is well-pleasing
unto God, that all which is done be safe and firm.
IX. It is meet that we should return to a sober mind, and whfle
we have yet time, repent and turn unto Gop. It is good to regard
God, and the Bishop. Whoso honoreth the Bishop, he is honored
of God. But he that doeth any thing hidden from the Bishop,
showeth the Devil. May all things abound unto you in grace, for
ye' are worthy. In all things ye have refreshed me ; even as Jesus
Christ has refreshed you. Ye have loved me when I was present,
and ye have loved me when I was absent. God reward you there
fore, for whom ye endure all things ; wherefore also ye will attain
unto Him !
X. Ye have done well, in that ye have received as the servants of
Christ, even of God, Philo, and Rheus, and AgathopUs, my follow
ers in the word of God ; who also bless the Lord for you, because
ye have in every way refreshed them. None. of these things shall
perish. My soul be as your souls, and my bonds, which ye despised
not, neither were ashamed of; wherefore He who has perfect Faith,
even Christ Jesus, will not be ashamed of you.
XI. Your prayer has come unto the Church which is at Antioch
in 'Syria; from whence coming in bonds, which are acceptable to
God, I salute you ah. Nor am I worthy to be called one of that

516
Church, because I am the last of them. But by the will of God
I was deemed worthy ; not as being inyself conscious thereof, but
through the grace of God ; which I pray may be given unto me per
fectly, that through your prayers I may attain unto God. That
therefore your work may be perfected, both on earth and in heaven,
it is right for the honor of God ; that your most sacred Church
should elect some one to go into Syria to congratulate them that
they are at rest, and that their numbers have been regained, and their
body re-established. It seems to me befitting, that you should send
some one of your members with an Epistle, that he may, with them
glorify God for the quietness which He has vouchsafed unto them ;
and for their having reached the harbor through your prayers. As
ye are perfect, so let your sentiments be perfect. For to those who
wish to do well God is ready to vouchsafe it.
XII. The love of the brethren at Troas salutes you ; from which
place I send this epistle by the hands of Burrhus, whom you sent
with me, along with your Ephesian brethren, and who has in every
way been a comfort to me. And would that all imitated him, as a
pattern of God's Ministry I The grace of God will fully reward him.
I salute your holy Bishop, your most sacred Presbytery, and my fel
low servants the Deacons, individually and together in the name of
Jesus Christ, in His Flesh and Blood, His Passion and Resurrec
tion, both of Body and Spirit, in the unity of God and of you. Grace
be with you, mercy, peace, and patience evermore !
XIII. I salute the households of my brethren, their wives and
children, the virgins and widows. Farewell through the Spirit.
Philo, who is with me, salutes you. I salute the household of Tabia,
and pray that she may be established, in body and sotfl, in Faith and
Love. I salute Alee, my well-beloved, and the incomparable Daph-
nus, and Eutecnus, and ah of you by name. Farewell in the grace
of God I

617

No. VIII.

Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and St. John, and
Bishop of Antioch, on his way to martyrdom, to the Romans.
Ignatius, which is also Theophorus, to the Church which hath
found mercy by the greatness of the supreme Father and of Jesus
Christ His only Son, beloved and enlightened by the wifl of Him,
who wifleth all things, according to the love of Jesus Christ our
God ; and which is established in the place of the Romans, all-
godly, all-gracious, aU-blessed, all-praised, all-prospering, all-hal
lowed, enthroned in Love, wdth the name of Christ and with the
name of the Father ; salutation in the name of Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father ; so that ye being united in flesh and spirit,
according to all His will, ever filled with the grace of God, and
cleansed from all outward pollution, may have a plenteous and
blameless joy, through the Lord Jesus Christ our God.
I. Since, through prayer to God, it hath been granted unto me, to
behold your godly countenances, (an event I have very greatly desired,)
bound as I am in Jesus Christ, I have a hope of saluting you, if by
God's will I be deemed worthy to attain unto my end. For my pro
gress has been begun successfully if I but find grace to come unto
my consummation without hindrance. For I have fears from your
love, lest even it should bring injury upon me ; for to you it is easy-'
to work your purpose ; but there will be a difficulty in the way of
my going unto God, if your affection interfere for me.
II, I desire that ye be not men-pleasers, but pleasers of God,
which ye also are. For never shall I find such an opportunity of
gaining the presence of God ; nor can you have any deed reported
of you more glorious, than your silence now. For if you abstain
from interfering for my safety, I shaU go unto God; but if you
attach yourselves to my temporal welfare, I shall have to run my
course anew. You can give me no better gift, than my immola
tion to God, while yet the altar is ready ; that becoming a choir
in love, ye may sing to the Father in Jesus Christ, for that it
hath pleased God to call the Bishop of Syria out of the east, and
that he shotfld be brought into the west. It is well for me, in
learning the world, that I should set unto God, that in God I may
rise. III. Ye have spoken evil of no man. Ye have taught others. It
is my desire, that the lessons ye have given may find a firm founda
tion. Do ye only ask for me power from within and from without
that I may not only speak, but also feel ; not only bear the name

518
of Christian, but approve myself one ; for if I approve myself one,
I shah be entitled to the name, and shall be reckoned to have been
faithful, when the world seeth me no more. For nothing visible is
abiding ; visible things are temporal ; things invisible are eternal.
For our God, which is Jesus Christ, assumes a more visible
reality in His union with the Father. This is no time for holding
peace. When Christianity is hated of the world, it calls for high
exertions. IV. I write to the Churches, and I charge you all, that I die
wiflingly for God, unless you prevent me. I exhort you, not to show
me unseasonable kindness. Suffer me to be devoured by wild beasts,
for by their means I am permitted to go to God. I am food for God's
service. Let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I
may be found pure bread unto Christ. Yea, encourage ye them,
that they may be my grave, and may leave no part of my body ; so
that, when I am fallen asleep, I may burthen no man. Then shall
I be a true disciple unto Christ, when the world seeth my mortal
body no more ; pray ye to Christ for me, that by their instrumen
tality I may be found a sacrifice unto God. I make not my com
mands unto you, as though I were Peter or Paul ; they were Apostles ;
I have been condemned ; they were free ; I, hitherto, am a slave :
but if I suffer unto death, I shall become the freedman of Jesus, and
shall have a resurrecti^on unto liberty in Him. Now am I learning,
while in my bonds, not to set my affections on any thing that is
worldly and fallacious.
V. From Syria unto Rome I carry forward my sufferings, by
land and sea, night and day ; enchained of ten leopards, which are
the soldiers ranked around me ; who by kindness are made harsher.
But I take a lesson from their misdeeds ; yet not herein am I made
perfect. I long for the wild beasts that are prepared for me. And
I pray that they may be found ready ; yea, I will encourage them
quickly to devomr me, and not to spare me with the timidity which
they have shown to others. If they do it not of their own will, I
will put a force upon them. I claim of you to bear with me. I
have discovered my true interest ; I am just becoming a disciple.
All things, whether seen or unseen, are tasteless to me, so that I go
to Christ. Fire and Cross, the assault of beasts, the rending of
my bones, the laceration of my limbs, the crushing of my whole
frame, dire tortures of Satan, let them come upon me, so that I but
go to Christ !
VI. In the enjoyments and the ambition of this present world, my
hopes repose not; I had rather die in Jesus Christ, than reign unto
the ends of the earth. For what shall it profit a man if he gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul ? I am seeking Him, who died
for us ; I am longing for Him, who rose for our sake. This is the
gain which I have before me. Have pity on me, my Brethren. Do

519
not wish for me to die, when I desire to hve with God. Enter not
into the sympathies of this world. Permit me my portion in the
spotless light. For when I arrive thither, I shall belong to God.
Suffer me to imitate the sufferings of my God. If any man hath Him
in himself, let him perceive what are my wishes, and sympathize
with me, knowing what it is " that constraineth me."
VII. The Prince of this world desireth to tear me away, and to
corrupt the purpose that I have to God-ward. Let none of you, who
are at my side, give him your help ; adhere rather to my cause ; it
is the cause of God, Talk ye not of Jesus Christ, while your affec
tions are set on the world. Let no hatred dwell within you. If, when
I come among you, I claim of you to interfere for my preservation,
yet listen not to me. Keep faith rather with the terms, in which I
now write to you. I live, but while I am writing to you, I long to
die. My affections are crucified. I have in me neither the flame, nor
its fuel ; but there is the living water, that speaketh in me, and saith
from within, " Come hither unto the Father." I have no taste for
corruptible food, or for the pleasures of this world. I long for the
bread of God, heavenly bread, bread of life, which is the flesh of
Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was of the seed of David in the
latter days. And I long for the drink of God, His blood, which is
Love without con;uption, and Life for evermore.
VIII. I desire no longer to live after the manner of men ; and no
longer shall I live so, if you concede to me this favor. Favor
me, therefore, that yourselves may find favor. I have written to
you in few words. Place confidence in me. Surely Jesus Christ
shall make this manifest unto you, that I have spoken truly ; He is
that mouth that cannot lie, whereby the Father spoke truly. Pray for
me, that I may attain. I have written to you, not according to the
flesh, but according to the counsel of God. If I suffer, let it have
been with your good- will ; if I am a castaway, let it have been at the
expense of your regard for me.
IX. Remember in your prayers the Church that is in Syria, which
hath God for its Shepherd instead of me. Its only Bishop now will
be Jesus Christ, and your love. I feel unworthy to bear the name
of my flock. I am the last among them. I am " one born out of
due time." But, by the mercy of God, I shall be of some small
account, if I go unto Him. My spirit saluteth you ; as doth the love
of the Churches, which received me in the name of Jesus Christ,
not as a chance traveller ; for even the cities, that lay not on my road,
have in every instance forwarded me on this journeying of my out
ward man.
I write thus unto you from Smyrna, by the hands of the truly
blessed Ephesians. Crocus, a well-beloved name to me, and many
others, are with me. I suppose you to be not unaware of those per
sons who have preceded me from Syria to Rome, to the glory of

520

God. Make it known to them, that I am now at hand. They are
all meet for God, and deserve your kindness ; and you ought in every
manner to -assist them. I write this to you on the day preceding the
9th of the Kalends of September. Be strong unto- the end, in the
patience of Jesus Christ.

No. IX.
The Martyrdom of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter and. St. John,
and Bishop of Antioch, at Rome.
I. Not long after the accession of Trajan, Emperor of Rome,
Ignatius, who had been the Disciple of St. John, the Apostle, and
who himself showed forth in his conduct all the features of the Apos
tolic character, was actively engaged in the task of superintending
the Church of Antioch. He had been recently directing its affairs,
when it was straggling through those frequent days of storm and
persecution, which occurred during the reign of Domitian ; and like
a skflful Pilot, with rudder and with cable, he had borne up against
the swelling and insurgent billows, by prayer, by fasting, by assiduous
teaching, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, as one who was deeply
concerned that not one soul should perish, among the weak and the
simple, that were entrusted to his care. It was not, therefore, without
satisfaction, that he witnessed the calm which the Church enjoyed,
during the temporary cessation of persecution ; though, at the same
time, for himself he had much misgiving, that he as yet fell short of
the perfect love of Christ, and had not arrived at the highest eleva
tion, which is offered to a Disciple's hopes. He felt that, were he to
make the confession of Martyrdom, he would attain a more close
similitude to his Divine Master. For the few succeeding years he
continued at the head of the Church, a burning and shining light ;
and truly the expositions which he gave of the Holy Scriptures spread
a bright reflection upon the hearts of all around hini. At length he
attained the object of his hopes.
II. It was in the ninth year of Trajan, when that monarch, elated
with his recent victories over the Scythians, Dacians, and several
other nations, appears to have regarded the pious brotherhood of
Christians, as forming the only exception to the universality of his
conquests ; and he accordingly issued his threats of persecution
against any person who should refuse to perform the customary
worship to the heathen gods ; so that all who professed the Christian
religion were either reduced by their fears to acquiesce in this wor
ship, or were exposed lo the prospect of death if they refused it.
Alive to the danger which had fallen on the Church of Antioch, this
vahant soldier of Christ permitted himself to be brought before

521
Trajan, who was residing at the time in that city, and was on the eve
of an expedition. against Armenia and the Parthians. When brought
into the imperial presence, he was thus addressed by Trajan, —
" Who art thou," he said, " and what evil spirit is exercising its
malice upon thee, that thou hast thus adventured to transgress the
¦commands which I have given, and even to exercise such persuasion
upon others, as has brought them to a miserable end ?" Ignatius
answered, " I bear the title of Theophorus ; evfl spirits cannot influ
ence the acts of those who bear that name ; the Servants of God
are protected from the reproach of Demons. But if, in supposing
the malice of such beings towards me, you imply my hostflity against
them, I admit that you are not mistaken. For I am the subject of
a Heavenly King, whose name is Christ, and by His help I bring
to naught the counsels of the evil spirits." " What signifies the title
Theophorus?" inquired Trajan; "to whom belongs it?" "It belongs,"
replied Ignatius, " to all who carry Jesus Christ in their bosoms."
" Then," said Trajan, " do you think that we have not our gods in
our minds, when we employ them to fight with us against our ene
mies ?" Ignatius answered him ; " You do wrong to designate as
gods, the Demons whom the heathen worship. There is One God,
who made the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them ; and
there is One Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, of
whose kingdom I am an expectant." " Do you mean," inquired
Trajan, " that person, who was crucified in the time of Pontius Pi
late ?" " Him," replied Ignatius, " I mean, who nailed upon His
Cross both the sins which I have committed, and the being that led
me to commit them, and who has decreed that aU spiritual craft and
malice shall be put under the feet of them, who cany Him in their
bosoms !" " Do you then," asked Trajan, " carry a crucified man
within you?" Ignatius answered, " I do ; for it is written, ' I will
dwell within them, and I will walk among them.' " Trajan );hen
issued this sentence, " We command that Ignatius, who says that
he carries about within him one who has been crucified, be carried by
soldiers in chains unto the great city of Rome, there to be devoured
by wild beasts, for the public gratification." When the holy Martyi-
heard this announcement, he cried out with joy, " I thank Thee, 0
my Master, for that Thou hast permitted me to show forth, in the
penalty I am to suffer, the perfect love I have toward Thee, and hast
associated me with Thine Apostle Paul, in these iron bonds." So
saying, he gladly put on the chains, and after offering a prayer for
the Church, and commending it with tears to the Lord, he was with
drawn hke some leader of a goodly flock, the foremost of its associates
in grace and stature, being destined, under the conduct of harsh and
savage soldiery, to become a prey for the wfld beasts at Rome.
III. Maintaining a tone of mind thus elevated, and happy in the
prospect of the closing scene, he travelled from Antioch to Seleucia,
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522
and proceeded forward by sea ; and on arriving after a trouble
some voyage at Smyrna, he gladly took the opportunity of disem
barking to visit the holy Polycarp, who at that time was Bishop of
the Smyrnasans, and who was his own fellow-disciple, both having
at a former period received instruction from Saint John the Apostle.
After having continued some time the guest of Polycarp, and having
communicated with him in spiritual gifts, he declared the joy he
found in his bonds, and invited him to give all diligence in assisting
the main object of his desires ; which was, that the wild beasts
might make him an early prey ; and so, retiring from the sight of
this world, he might pass into the presence of Christ. To assist him
in his object, he more particularly invited St. Polycarp. But he
extended the request to the Church in general ; for the Chmrches
and cities of Asia had, through their Bishops, Presbyteries, and
Deacons, received the holy man ; and all were pressing forward to
meet him, from their anxiety to partake in the spiritual gifts which
he distributed.
IV. It was in terms like those which have been stated, that he
gave evidence of the integrity of that love for his Saviour, which
was now leading him through a good confession to his heavenly
inheritance ; and he was assisted herein by the zealous prayers
offered up by the persons who were with him, with a reference to
the season of his trial. In repayment of the kindness shown him
by the Churches which received him on his journey, he sent by
their rulers certain letters of thanks, which breathed forth the graces
of a Christian spirit, in the language of supplication and warning.
And, noticing what kindness of feeling was exhibited on all sides
towards him, he began to fear, that now, while the glorious gate of
martyrdom lay open before him, the affection of the Christian bro
therhood would lead them to interfere with his devotion to the Lord ;
and he therefore addressed the Church of the Romans in an Epistle
on the subject.*
V. Having, by that Epistle, engaged in his own view those of the
brethren at Rome, whose intentions had been opposite, he left
Smyrna, and proceeded on his voyage. The object of his military
guard, in thus hurrying him forward, was to arrive at Rome in time
for the games, which are publicly held in that great city ; so that the
populace might see him, when he gained his Crown of Martyrdom,
by being thrown to the wild beasts. He touched at Troas, and then
crossed to Neapolis ; and traversing Macedonia, by way of Phflippi,
advanced to the parts of Epirus near Epidamnus ; here finding a
vessel on the coast, he crossed the Atlantic, and entered the Tyrr
hene sea. As he was coasting in sight of the various islands and
towns, the city of Puteoli was pointed out to the holy man, and hfi
* Vid. Records of the Church. No. VIII.

523
expressed a strong desire to disembark there, in order that he might
tread in the very footsteps of the Apostle Paul. But as the wind
arose violently, and the vessel was running before it, he was pre
vented from doing so ; and therefore passed straight onward, not
without remarking how good and blessed a love was once exhibited
by the brethren in that spot. [Acts xxviii. 13, 14.] Taldng advan
tage of the wind, which during the whole day and ensuing night
continued favorable, we hurried forward ; unwillingly ourselves, for
we wept at the thought of that just man's separation from us ; but
he, on the other hand, was well satisfied with an early removal from
this world, in the hope of being sooner joined unto the Lord he
loved. We landed at the Roman Havens, nearly at the close of the
unhallowed games. The soldiers expressed impatience at the tardi
ness of our arrival ; and the Bishop was glad to acquiesce in their
demand to hasten forward.
VI. The party was therefore hurried on from the place of landing
called Portus ; and, reports concerning the holy Martyr having gone
before his arrival, he was met by certain brethren, whose minds
were in a mingled state of fear and joy : — of joy, at being counted
worthy to meet with him, whom the Saviour had taken up in His
arms, while at the same time they shuddered at the thought of such
a man being dragged away to death. To some of them he expressed
a wish, that they should hold back from interference ; as, in the
ardor of their feelings, they declared their intention of inducing
the populace to ask, that this good man might not be killed. Know
ing this, he implored all, after saluting them, to show him a true love ;
expressing himself more largely on the point than in his Epistle ;
and entreating them not to injure the prospects of one who was
hastening to his Lord. And so, with all the brethren on their bended
knees, he besought the Son of God for the Churches, that he would
remove from them this persecution, and confirm the brotherhood in
all mutual love. After which he was hurried off to the amphitheatre,
and straightway cast down into it, as the Emperor had ordered, nearly
as the games were going to close. It was on that high day, which
the Romans call the thirteenth, and multitudes were accordingly
assembled. He was thrown to the wild beasts at a spot close to the
temple ; and so was speedily carried into effect the desire of this
holy Martyr Ignatius, according to that which is written, "the
desire ofthe righteous shall be granted." For thus he was a burthen
to none of his brethren from the trouble of gathering up his remains ;
a consummation in correspondence with a wish which he had previ
ously expressed in his Epistle. The harder parts were alone left,
and those were gathered up and carried to Antioch, where they were
wrapped in a linen cloth, and deposited with the brethren of that
Holy Church — a treasure rendered invaluable by the Christian
graces which had adorned the Martyr's life.

524
VII. This event took place on the thirteenth day before the Ca
lends of January, that is, on the twentieth of December. The Con
suls at Rome were Syrus, and Senecius for the second time. We
personally witnessed every thing, and passed the following night
within doors, in tears ; and often knelt we down, and addressed to
the Lord a prayer, that He would strengthen that reliance in Him,
which the even*-, of the day had tended to disturb. For a little time
we reposed in sleep, and, on our doing so, some of us presently saw
him, leaning over and embracing us; others saw our blessed Igna
tius praying over us, as he had previously been doing ; while to
others he appeared with marks of recent struggles and exertions upon
him, but now come up, and standing before his Lord, his labors over,
and rejoicing with exceeding gladness. After comparing the visions
which thus presented themselves in our dreams, we sang an hymn to
God, the Giver of all good, and uttered the language of benediction
over the departed saint.
And now we make known to you the day and time at which this
event occurred ; that at the season of his Martyrdom we may gather
together, and collect a portion of the spirit which animated this cou
rageous Champion and Martyr of Christ, who trod down Satan
beneath his feet, and finished according to his hope his career of love
and zeal, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom, with the Father
and the Holy Ghost, be glory and power throughout " all ages !
Amen. From this narrative, we learn to make the most of our time, wher-
ftver we are, and however circumstanced. We are always on our
trial, always have duties, always can be promoting God's glory.
Ignatius wrote his letters when he was a prisoner, travelling a weary
way across a whole continent to his death. And of all his labors
through forty years, these letters alone have been preserved to us.
When then we are in pain, or trouble, and begin to despond, and think
our labor has no fruit, let us think of this Blessed Martyr, praise
God, and take courage.

525

No. X.

Epistle of Ignatius, the friend of St. Peter, on his way to Martyr
dom, to the Philadelphians .
Ignatius, which is also Theophorus, to the Church of God the
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that is in Philadelphia of Asia,
that hath obtained mercy, and remaineth stedfast in godly con
cord, and exulteth continually in the Passion of our Lord ; and
hath in His Resurrection been richly furnished with all Mercy.
Even this Church do I salute in the blood of Jesus Christ, which
is our everlasting and abiding joy ; especially if it be in TJnity with
the Bishop and his Fellow-Presbyters and Deacons, appointed
after the mind of Jesus Christ ; whom he hath according to His
own Will established in all confidence, by His Holy Spirit.
I. This your Bishop, I well know, hath obtained his public minis
try not of himself, or by the means of men, neither out of vain
glory, but in the love of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
His moderation I do greatly admire ; as he by silence doth more
prevail, than others with their idle disputations ; for he is exactly
fitted to the commandments, even as a harp to its strings. Where
fore my soul esteemeth his mind toward Gou most happy ; knowing
it to be perfect in all virtue ; as also his unmoved and dispassion
ate temper, according to the moderation ofthe .Living God.
II. Do ye then, being children of light and truth, avoid division
and corrupt doctrines ; but where your shepherd is, thither follow ye
as sheep. For there be many wolves, held worthy to be trusted, who
captivate by corrupt pleasure those that are running a godly course ;
but in your Unity they shall have no place.
III. Abstain from the evfl herbs, that Christ Jesus dresseth not ;
forasmuch as they are not the Father's planting. I saynot this because
I have found you divided, but rather sifted from evil. For all that
are of God, and Jesus Christ, these are with the Bishop ; and all that
shaU repent and turn to the Unity ofthe Church, these also shah be
of God, that they may live after the example of Jesus Christ. Be
not deceived. Brethren ; whosoever fofloweth one that createth
schism, he inheriteth not the kingdom of God ; whosoever walketh
by another man's opinion, he consenteth not to the Passion of
Christ. IV. Endeavor therefore to use one and the same Eucharist ; for
there is but one Body of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and one Cup ; that
His Blood may make us one. There is but one Altar ; also there

526
is one Bishop, together with the Presbytery and Deacons, my fel
low servants ; that so whatsoever ye do, ye rfiay do all according to
the wifl of God.
V. My brethren, I abound in love toward you even to overflow
ing, and in my exceeding joy I fortify you ; and yet not I, but Jesus
Christ ; for whom, though I am in bonds, I have therefore the more
fear, inasmuch as I am not yet made perfect. But your prayer to
God shall make me perfect; that I may obtain that portion with
which I was in mercy blessed ; flying for refuge, to the Gospel as the
Blood of Christ, and to the Apostles as to the Presbytery of the
Church. Let us love the Prophets also, for that they have taught
us both to look with hope to the Gospel and to await it ; as they
also believed in it and were saved, being in the Unity of Jesus
Christ, holy men, worthy to be loved and had in wonder ; who have
received testimony from Jesus Christ, and have been reckoned in
the Gospel of our common Hope.
VI. Now should any one expound Judaism unto you, hearken not
unto him ; for it is better to hear Christianity from a man who hath
circumcision, than Judaism from one who is uncircumcised. But if
they speak, neither one of them, concerning Jesus Christ, they are
unto me but as monuments and sepulchres of the dead, whereon is
nothing written but the names of men. Fly therefore from the evil
arts and snares of the Prince of this world ; lest at any time, being
oppressed by his devices, ye grow weak in love. But join all of
you together with an undivided heart. I thank my God that I enjoy
a good conscience toward you ; and that no one can profess, either
privately or in public, that I have been burdensome to him in much
or little ; and I pray all, among whom I have spoken, not to enter
tain such profession as a testimony against me.
VII. For, though some would have deceived me according to the
flesh, yet the spirit is not deceived, being of God ; for it knoweth
" whence it cometh and whither it goeth," and reproveth all the
secrets of the heart. I cried out while I tarried with you, I spake
with a loud voice, " Give heed to the Bishop, to the Presbytery, and
the Deacons." Now some suspected, that I spake things, as know
ing beforehand that among them Was a spirit of division. But He is
my witness. He for whom I am in bonds, that I knew it not from
any living man ; but the Spirit proclaimed, saying, " Keep your
body as the Temple of God; love Unity; avoid divisions; be
ye followers of Jesus Christ, even as He is a follower of His
Father." VIII. Wherefore I did my part, as a man fitted to the preserving
of unity. For where is division and wrath, there God dwelleth not.
The Lord therefore forgiveth all, when they repent, if in repentance
they turn to godly Unity and the Council of the Bishop. I have
faith in the grace of Jesus Christ, that He wifl loose you from every

527
bond ; and I exhort you to do nothing with contention, but accord
ing to the instruction of Christ. And this I say, because I heard
some affirm that I have not faith in the Gospel, unless I find it
written in the Records ; and when I told them. It is so written ;
they answered. Nay, it doth not so appear. But my records are
Jesus Christ. My uncorrupted records are His cross and death
and resurrection, and the faith which is by Him ; in the which I
desire to be justified through your prayers.
IX. The Priests indeed are good ; but far more excellent is the
High-Priest, who hath received charge of the Holy of Holies ; who
hath alone received charge of the hidden things of God. He is the
door of the Father, through which enter in Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, and the Prophets, and the Apostles, and the Church.
All these things tend to godly unity ; but the Gospel hath an espe
cial gift, namely, the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, with His
Passion and Resurrection. For the beloved Prophets brought
tidings of Him; but the Gospel is the fulfilment of Immortality.
All things are good together, if ye have faith with love.
X. Now I am told that, through your prayer, and the hearts ye
bear in Christ Jesus, the Church which is in Antioch, of Syria, is in
peace, it is fitting for you, as a Church of God, to elect a Deacon, who
shall there exercise the office of God's ambassador ; that so you may
take part in their joy, when they are met together, and may glorify
the name of God. Blessed in Jesus Christ is he, who shall be
thought worthy of such a ministry ; and ye also shall obtain glory.
Now if ye be willing, it is not impossible to do this for the name of
God ; seeing that all the neighboring Churches sent, some Bishops,
some Priests and Deacons.
XI. Touching Philo, the Deacon from Cilicia, a man of good
report, who serveth me even now in the word of God, together with
Rheus Agathopus, one ofthe elect, who fofloweth me from Syria,
having taken leave of life ; these also do bear testimony unto you.
And I thank God for your sakes, that ye receive them, even as the
Lord wfll receive you. But for those who showed them dishonor,
may they be redeemed through the grace of Jesus Christ. The
brethren who are in Troas salute you with all love ; whence also I
write unto you by the hand of Burrhus, who was sent with me by
the Ephesians and Smyrneans for respect's sake. Our Lord Jesus
Christ wifl honor them, on whom they hope in body and soul, in
faith, in love, in concord. Fare ye wefl in Christ Jesus, our common
Hope.

528

No. XI.

Account of the Martyrdom of St. James, the Apostle, who is called
the Lord's brother, and was thefirst Bishop of Jerusalem.
[From the Church History of Eusebius.]
The Church was delivered over to the Apostles, and especially to
James, the Lord's brother ; who was surnamcd the Just, by one
consent, from the Lord's time, even to our own. James was the
name of many besides him ; but this man was holy even from his
mother's womb. He drank no wine, nor strong drink ; neither did
he eat any living thing ; the razor came not on his head ; he anointed
not his body with oil, nor indulged in the luxury of the bath. He
alone had leave to enter into the Holy place ; his garment being not
of woollen stuff, but of linen. So he used to go alone into the I'em-
ple, and was found continually kneeling on his knees, and praying for
the forgivness of the people ; insomuch that his knees became hard,
even as a camel's knees, because he was continually kneeling, wor
shipping God, and praying for the forgivness of the people. "Where
fore, by reason of his exceeding righteousness, he was called Dicceus
and Oblias ; which mean, being interpreted, the Just Man, and the
Defence. of the People, as the Prophets declare concerning him.
It came to pass that certain of the seven sects of the people in
quired of him. How Jesus was the door. And he said. That this
Jesus was the Saviour ; whence some believed that Jesus was the
Christ. Now the sects, whereunto the aforementioned persons be
longed, believed neither in the resurrection, nor that Christ shoifld
come hereafter to render to every man according to his works. But
all who believe, believed through James. So when many of the
Rulers also believed, there arose a disturbance of the Jews, and
Scribes, and Pharisees, saying ; " There is danger, lest all the people
look to Jesus as the Christ." And "When they were come together,
they said unto James ; " We pray thee, stop this people ; for they
have been deceived with regard to Jesus, as if He indeed were the
Christ. We pray thee, therefore, persuade all people concerning
Jesus, when they are come together on the day of the Passover.
And this, we pray, because that all will be persuaded of thee ; inas- _
much as we and all the people bear witness to thee, that thou art a
Just Man, and no respecter of persons. Do thou then persuade the
muhitude not to be deceived concerning, Jesus ; for also we and all
the people are readily persuaded of thee. This do therefore ; stand
upon the pinnacle of the Temple, that thou mayest be conspicuous

529
from on high, and that thy words may be wefl heard by afl the people.
For by reason of the Passover afl the tribes are assembled, together
with the Gentfles also." So the aforementioned Scribes and Phari
sees set James upon the pinnacle ofthe Temple, and cried unto him,
and said ; _" Thou just man, of whom we ought all to be persuaded,
the people is deceived and followeth after Jesus which was crucified ;
do thou therefore declare unto us, how Jesus is the door." And he
answered with a loud voice, and said ; " Why ask ye me concerning
Jesus, the Son of Man ?— Behold, He sitteth on the right hand of
Great Power, and He shaU come hereafter upon the clouds of heaven."
And when rnany were fully convinced and beheved on the testimony
of James, and cried, Hosanna to the Son of David ! then came
again those same Scribes and Pharisees, and said among themselves,
" We have done ifl, in that we have afforded such testimony to the
name of Jesus. Come, let us go up, and cast him down, that the
people may be afraid, and not beheve his words." So they cried aloud,
saying ; " Oh ! Oh ! The Just One also hath been deceived !" —
And they fulfllled the word which is written in the book of Esaias ;
Let us away with the Just One ; because he is dipleasing unto us ;
wherefore they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Then went they
up and cast down the Just One, and said one to another ; Let us stone
James the Just." And they began to cast stones at him, because that
after he was cast down, he died not, but turned and fell upon his
knees, saying ; " 0 Lord God Father, forgive them ; they know not
what they do." But whfle they were thus casting stones at him, one
of the Priests, of the sons of Rechab, the son of Rechabeim, who
have the witness of Jeremy the prophet, cried out, saying ; Cease ye ;
what are ye doing ? Behold this Just man prayeth for you." And
one of them of the company of the Fullers took the board with which
he was wont to press the clothes, and struck therewith the head of
the Just One ; and thus James bore witness to the truth, even to
martyrdom. And they buried him in that place ; and his monument
doth stfll remain, hard by the Temple. This man became a true
witness and martyr, both to Jews and Gentiles, that Jesus is the
Christ. And straightway Vespasian besieged the city of the Jews, and
carried them away captive.*
Hence we learn that even the holiest life wfll not shield good men
firom the envy and malice of those who hate their Lord and Saviour ;
* Eusebius, it may be added, proceeds to declare, that among all intelligent Jews, an
opinion prevailed, thaK the murder of James was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem,
which so soon followed. "Josephus," says he, scrupled not to assert directly in his
History ; ' These things happened to the Jews, in signal vengeance of the death of James
the Just, brother to Jesus who was said to be the Christ. For notwithstanding his ex
traordinary character for justice, ho was barbarously murdered by the Jews.' "
67

530
so that we must depend upon God alone, not upon an arm of flesh.
The world admires true Christians for awhile, and makes much of
them ; and then on a sudden turns round, and persecutes 'them. —
But they will calmly go through evil report and good report, for the
name and cause of Christ ; and be surprised neither when flattered
nor evfl entreated by sinners. They will make use of the good opinion
the world has of them while it lasts ; but will fear to shrink ever so
little from a bold Christian profession, in order to preserve it to them.

(ad, Populum)
No. XII.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Disciple of St. John, and Bishop
of Smyrna.
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, and Martyr, was a disciple of St.
John ; he was placed over the Church at Smyrna by the Apostle, and
presided in it at least seventy years. Some persons have supposed
that he was the " Angel," or Bishop, of Smyrna mentioned in Rev. ii.
8-1 1 . Shortly after St. John's death, he was visited by Ignatius,
. Bishop of Antioch, who had as wefl as himself attended the teaching
of St. John, and was then on his way to martyrdom at Rome. It was
from Smyrna that Ignatius wrote several of his Epistles, especiafly
that to the Romans ; and when he had left the place, and got as far
as Troas, he wrote his Epistles to Polycarp and the Church at Smyr
na. We owe it to Polycarp that these important Epistles were pre
served to after-ages.
Among the disciples of Polycarp was Irensus, who was Bishop of
Lyons in France, after Pothinus, his predecessor, had been martyred
in the great persecution there,'* He gives the following account of
his master in one of his works. " I remember," he says, " what hap
pened when I was a boy, more vividly than what takes place now ;
for what we learn in our youth grows up with us, and at last becomes
part of our mind itself. Thus I can describe even the place, where
the sainted Polycarp used to sit and discourse, and his goings forth
and comings in, and his manner of life, and his personal appearance,
and his discourses to the people ; and his account of what passed
between him and St. John, and the other disciples who had seen the
* Vide Records, No. VI.

531
Lord ; and his recollections of the sayings of those who were eye
witnesses of the Word of Life, of their account of His miracles, and
His teaching, which was afl agreeable to what is related in the
Scriptures. To afl this I used to listen with earnestness, through the
mercy of God vouchsafed to me, recording them, not on paper, but
in my heart ; and through God's grace I ever have them accurately
in mind." Irenaeus says this, when writing against a friend of his, who
had been formerly taught by Polycarp, but had faflen away from the
true faith into heresy. He adds : " I protest, in the sight of God, that
if that Blessed and Apostolical Elder had heard any such doctrine
as thine, Florinus, he would have cried out, and stopped his ears,
and said after his manner ; ' 0 my God, unto what' times hast thou
reserved me, that I should hear such words !' and vfould have even
fled the place in which he had heard them."
So far Irenfeus. Now let us hear the account of Polycarp's mar
tyrdom, which took place under the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and
Lucius Verrus, A. D. 169.
Epistle from the Church at Smyrna to the Church at Philorrielium.
The Church of God which dwelleth in Smyrna to the Church of God
which dwelleth in Philomelium, and to all the members in every
place, of the Holy Catholic Church, mercy, peace and love, from
God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied.
We have written to you, brethren, the history of those who
have been martyred, and more particularly of the blessed Polycarp,
who closed the persecution, setting a seal, as it were, upon it, by his
own martyrdom. For almost all that happened before was done that
the Lord from on high might in him set forth to us this example of
a trae Christian confession. For he abode where he was, as also our
Lord did, that he might be delivered up, in order that we too might
be followers of him, and not look only to our own good, but to the
good of our neighbors also ; for it is the part of a sincere and sted
fast charity for a man to desire not only his own salvation, but also
of all the brethren.
Noble, therefore, and blessed are all those testimonies, which have
been offered up according to God's will ; (for to God must we with
especial reverence attribute the power over all things ;) for who but
must admire their nobleness, their endurance, their faithfulness to
their Lord ? For when torn with scourges, till their whole frame,
even to the veins and arteries within was laid open, they bore it so
patiently, that the very bystanders pitied and bewailed them ; yet
they had attained to such a noble spirit, that not one of them uttered
a cry or groan himself, showing plainly to us, that in that hour of
torment Christ's witnesses were absent from the flesh, or rather that

532
our Lord stood near and held converse with them ; and they, intent
on Christ's favor, despised this world's torments, that they might by
one hour's anguish purchase redemption from eternal chastisement.
The fire of their cruel tormentors felt cold to them, for they had be
fore their eyes the fleeing from the eternal flre that never shall be
quenched, and with the eyes of their heart they looked to the good
things reserved for them that endure ; the things that ear hath not
heard, nor eye seen, neither have they entered into the heart of man ;
but which were aheady half shown by the Lord to them, who were
men no more, but aheady angels. In like manner also did those who
were condemned to the wild beasts endure long time, in their con
finement, fearful punishments ; for they lay long stretched on sharp
shells, and were buffeted with divers other torments, that, if he were
able, the tjrrant might, by continued punishment, turn them to a denial
of the faith.
For many were the contrivances which the devil wrought against
them ; but, (thanks be to God,) he prevafled not over them. For the
heroic Germanicus gave courage to their fearfulness by the patient
endurance that was in him ; who fought with the wild beasts notably :
for when the Proconsul endeavored to persuade him, and besought
him to compassionate his years, he provoked the animal, and drew
it upon himself, wishing to be sooner freed from an unjust and law
less race. Upon this the whole multitude were struck with wonder
at the Christians' noble love and devotion to their God, and shouted,
." away with the godless men, look for Polycarp."
But one Phrygian, Quintus by name, who had newly arrived from
Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts, played the coward ; yet this
was the man who had prevailed on himself and others to offer them
selves voluntarily for apprehension. Him the Proconsul, after much
urging, persuaded to take the oath and offer sacrifice ; wherefore,
brethren, we commend not those who give themselves up, since the
Gospel doth not so teach.
Now the truly admirable Polycarp, when he first heard of these
clamors, was nowise troubled, but wished to remain in the city. The
greater part of us, however, persuaded him to wdthdraw, and he with
drew to a small villa, not far distant from the city, and there remain
ed with a few brethren, doing nothing else, night and day, but pray
ing for all men, and for the Churches throughout the world, as was
his practice. And as he prayed, three days before his apprehension,
he saw his pillow, in a vision, on fire. Turning therefore to those who
were with him, he said prophetically, "I must be burnt alive."
His pursuers persevering in their endeavors, he removed to another
villa ; and immediately they came to the first place, and when they
found him not, they took hold of two young slaves, one of whom being
put to the torture confessed. And truly it was impossible that he
should remain concealed, when they who betrayed him were his own

533
servants ; and the Irenarch,'* who is also caUed the Distributor of
lots, Herod by name, hastened to bring him to the theatre, that Poly
carp might accomplish his lot, being made partaker of Christ ; but
they who betrayed him might undergo the penalties of Judas.
Taking therefore the lad with them, on the day of preparation, about
the hour of supper, the search-officers and horsemen set forth with
their ordinary wepoans, as though they were pursuing a felon ; and
entering late in the evening, they found him lying down in a small
chamber at the top ofthe house. From thence he might have got
away to another place, but would not, saying, " The Lord's wfll be
done ;" but, on hearing that they were come, he descended from his
chamber, and conversed with them. And they who were there mar.
veiling at his age and vigor, some said, "Was there such a mighty
work about arresting an old man like this ?" And he gave orders
immediately to set before them meat and drink as much as they would,
and besought them to give him an hour's free space to pray. And
when they permitted him, standing up he prayed, being full of the
grace of God, so that for two whole hours he could not cease ; and
they that heard him were astonished, and many repented that they
had come out against such a divine old man.
After he had done praying, having made mention of all with
whom he had ever met, great and small, noble and obscure, and of
the whole Catholic Church throughout the world ; when the hour
of going forth arrived, they set him on an ass, and led him into the
city, it being the day of the great Sabbath. As he went, the Iren-
arch Herod and his father Nicetes, who were driving forth, happened
to meet him, and transferred him into their chariot ; and sitting by
him argued with him, saying, "What harm is there in saying. Lord
Caesar ? and in sacrificing, and so saving your life ?" with the other
usual sort of arguments. At first he gave them no answer : but on
their persevering he only said, "I will not do what you counsel me."
So they, when they found their endeavors to persuade him fruitless,
railed at him, and pushed him down from the chariot so hastily,
that in his descent his shin was laid open. But he, nowise moved,
passed on readily and speedily as thougli he had received no injury,
being led by the attendants to the theatre.
As he entered it, though the tumult there was so great that many
heard not, a voice came to Polycarp from Heaven, " Be strong,
Polycarp, and play the man."t Him that spake, not one of us saw ;
but the voice, those of ourselves who were present heard. On his
being led to the tribunal, there was immense clamor at the news
* This office seems to have answered to that of Provost Marshal.
t "Then they brought a faggot, kindled with fire, and laid the same down at Dr.
Ridley's feet. To whom Master Latimer spake in this manner, 'Be of good comfort.
Master R\d\ey , and play the man ; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's
grace, in Ensland, as I trust shall never be put out."— Fox's Book of Martyrs.

534
that Polycarp had been apprehended. At last, when he was brought
near, the Proconsul asked him, if he were Polycarp; and, on his
acknowledging it, he began to persuade him to deny the faith, say
ing,' " Compassionate thine years ;" and other similar expressions,
which it is their wont to use. "Swear by the fortune of Caesar;
think better of the matter ; say, Away with the godless men.*" But
Polycarp regarded with a sad countenance the whole multitude of
lawless heathen in the theatre ; and waving his hand towards them,
groaned, and looking up to heaven .said, "Away, with the godless
men." And when the Governor urged him further, and said,'
" Swear, and 1 wfll dismiss thee ; revile Christ :" Polycarp replied,
" Eighty and six t years have I been his serv^ant, and he hath
wronged me in nothing, and how can I blaspheme my King and
my Saviour." And on his pressing him again, saying, " Swear by
the fortune of Caesar," Polycarp replied, "If ye vainly suppose
that I shaU swear by Caesar's fortune, as ye call it, pretending to be
ignorant of my real character, let me tell you plainly, I am- a Chris
tian ; and if ye wish to hear the Christian doctrine appoint me a
time, and hear me." The Proconsul answered, " Persuade the
people." Polycarp replied, " To you I thought it right to give ac
count, for we have been taught to give to rulers and the powers or
dained of God such fitting honor as hurteth not our souls ; but them
I deem not worthy, that I should defend myself before them." The
Proconsul said unto him, " I have wild beasts in readiness, to them
will I throw thee, if thou wilt not change thy mind." But he said,
" Bring them forth then, for the change of mind from better to worse
I will never make. From cruelty to righteousness it were good to
change." Again he said unto him, " I will have thee consumed by
fire, since thou despiseth the wild beasts, except thou change thy
mind." Polycarp answered, " Thou threatenest me with a fire thaf
burnest for an hour, and is speedily quenched ; for thou knowest not
of the fire of future judgment and eternal punishment reserved for
the ungodly. But why tarriest thou ? Bring what thou wilt."
As he spake these and other words, he was filled with confidence
and joy, and his countenance was overspread with grace ; so that
not only was he not overthrown and confounded with what was said
to him, but the Proconsul on the contrary was wonderstruck, and
sent the herald to proclaim three times in the middle of the Stadium,
that Polycarp had confessed himself to be a Christian. When this
had been announced by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gen-
* Literally, Atheists ; for such, because they denied the heathen deities, the Christians
were called ; and such, because they denied the o.ne true god, Polycarp terms the
unbelievers. t This must not be understood of his age, (for then he could have been only seven
teen when St. John died, and consequently could not have been consecrated Bishop by
him, as is almost universally believed,) but of his conversion to Christianity.

535
tiles and of Jews, who were settled in Smyrna, shouted with uncon
trollable rage, and in a loud voice, " This man is the teacher of all
Asia, the father of the Christians, who pulleth down our gods, who
teacheth many neither to pay incense nor homage to them. With
these words they cafled upon Phihp the Asiarch,* to let out a lion
upon Polycarp. But he answered, he could not do that, as the show
of wild beasts was concluded. ' Then it occurred to them with one
accord, to demand that he should bum Polycarp alive. For it was
necessary that the vision which had been shown to him upon his pfl-
low should be fulfilled ; when he saw it on fire as he prayed, and
turned to the believers who were with him, and prophetically de
clared, " I must needs be bumt alive."
This, therefore, was no sooner said than done, for the multitude
collected immediately wood and faggots from the shops and the
baths, the Jews especially, as is their wont, being very zealous in as
sisting to this end. But, when the pile was ready, without any aid
he laid aside his garments, and after unloosing his girdle, endeavored
to unbind his sandals too, a thing he had never done before, because
that each of the faithful was ever pressing to be the first to touch his
person. For he had ever been highly honored on account of his vir
tuous conversation, even before his head had grown hoary.
Straightway then they arranged about his person all that was re-
quisitet for the pile. But when they were about also to nail him to
the stake, he said, " Leave me as I am, for He who giveth me to en
dure the fire will also give me power, without the security of your
nails, to remain untroubled upon the pile." They forbore, therefore,
to nail him, but only bound him with cords. He therefore placed
his hands behind him, and being bound to the stake, even as the
chief ram taken from a large flock, to be a burnt-offering acceptable
to God, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, " 0 Lord God Al
mighty, Father of Thy well-beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ,
through whom we have attained to the knowledge of Thee ; Thou
God of Angels and of Powers, and of every creature, and of the
whole generation of the just who live before Thees I bless Thee
that Thou hast accounted me worthy of this day and hour, that I
might receive my portion in the number of thy witnesses, and drink
ofthecupj of Thine Anointed, unto the resurrection of both body
and soul unto eternal hfe through the incorruption ofthe Holy Spirit ;
amongst which blessed martyrs may I be accepted before Thee this
day for a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as thou hast foreor-
* Not the Proconsul, for his name was Quadratus,but, as it appears below, the Pagan
High Priest, to whom it had fallen to provide the wild beasts, and shows of gladiators,
on that occasion.
+ That is, probably, the shirt besmeared with pitch and tar, in which we elsewhere
learn it was usual to clothe the Christian confessors, the stake to which they were
fastened, and the cords used so to fasten them.
t Matt. XI. 22, 23; xxvi. 39, 42. John xviii. 11.

536
dained, foreshown, andnow accomplished, the trae and unfailing God.
For this, andfor all Thy doings, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify
Thee, through the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy well-
beloved Son, through whom be glory to Thee with Him in the Holy
Spirit, both now and for evermore. Ampn."
And when he had pronounced in a loud voice his Amen, having
finished his prayer, they whose office it was kindled the fire, and a
great flame flashed forth ; and we to whom the sight was vouchsafed,
beheld truly a mighty marvel, who have been to this end preserved,
that we might declare to the rest the things which were done. For
the fire taking the shape of a dome, like the sail of a ship when filled
with wind, compassed all round the body of the martyr ; and he ap
peared in the middle, not like burning flesh, but like gold and silver
tried in the furnace. Yea, we perceived too such a sweet odor as
from the breath of frankincense, or some other precious perfume.
In the end, therefore, when the ungodly saw that his body could not
be consumed ofthe fire, they commanded an executioner to go near to
him, and thrust his sword into him. Which when he had done, there
issued forth such a stream of blood, that it quenched the fire ; and
all the multitude marvelled that there was such a difference between
the unbelievers and the elect. Of them was this mai> one, and the
most remarkable in all our time, being Bishop of the Catholic Church
that is in Smyrna, and an Apostolic and prophetic Teacher. For
never word came from his mouth, but it has been, or shall be fulfilled.
But the envious and wicked Adversary of the generation of the
righteous, when he saw the mightiness of his testimony, and his
blameless conversation from the first, and how that he was now
crowned with the crown of immortality, and had borne away a prize
that could not be spoken against, contrived that his poor body might
not be obtained by us, though many much desired to secure it, and
to communicate'* over his holv remains. For some suggested to
Nicetes, the fatiier of Herod, and brother to Alee, that he should
persuade-the governor not to give up his body, "lest," said he, "they;
leave the Crucified and take to worshipping this fellow." And these
things they said, as instigated and supported by the Jews, who even
watched us when some of us were about to take his body from the
fire, for they little knew how impossible it was for us either to for
sake the worship of Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the
whole world of them that be saved, or to pay worship to any other.
For to him truly we pay adoration, forasmuch as He was the Son of
God ; but the martyrs, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we
revere as they deserve, for their incomparable loyalty to their King
* That is, probably, to meet for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist with the
body in their sight. The same feeling has shown itself almost in all ages, in the inter
ment of the dead in the church and churchyard.

537
and Master, praying that we may be made their patrons and their
fellow-disciples. Then the centurion, seeing the earnestness of the Jews, laid out
the body and burnt it, as was their custom ; and so we afterwards ga
thered uphisbones,more valued than stones of much price, and purer
than fine gold, and laid them up in a fitting treasure-house. I'here
assembling, as we may, in joy and in triumph, the Lord shaU grant
unto us to celebrate the birth-day'* of his martyrdom, both to the re
membering of them who wrestled before in the cause, and the train
ing and preparing of those that shall come after.
§uch is the story of the blessed Polycarp, who, being, (with them
of Phfladelphia,) the twelfth who has given his testimony in Smyrna,
is made alone the especial subject of all men, so that even by the Gen
tiles is he spoken of in every place, having been not only a notable
teacher, but also a chief witness ; whose confession, rendered as it
was according to the Gospel of Christ, afl men desire to imitate. For
by his patient endurance he triumphed over the unjust ruler, and thus
having won the garland of immortality, and rejoicing with the Apos
tles, and all Saints, he glorifieth God and the Father and blesseth
our Lord, who is both the Governor of our bodies, and the Shepherd
of the Catholic Church throughout the world.
Ye requested, therefore, that these circumstances should be de
tailed to you at length, and we have now briefly signified them
through our brother Marcus. Therefore, after ye have understood
these things, send our letter about to our brethren also in the regions
beyond you, that they too may glorify the Lord, who maketh choice
out of his own servants, who is able by His grace and free gift to
bring all of you unto His eternal kingdom, through His only begotten
Son Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, honor, dominion and greatness,
for ever. Amen. Salute ye all the Saints. They that are with us
salute you; and Evarestus, who hath written this, with all his
house. The blessed Polycarp gave his testimony on the 2nd of the month
Xanthicus, on the 26th of March, on the Great Sabbathf, at the eighth
hour. He was apprehended by Herod, in the High Priesthood of
Philip of Tralles, in the proconsulship of Stratius Quadratus, in the
everlasting reign of Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, honor, greatness,
and a throne eternal, from generation to generation. Amen.
* The Church always celebrated the day of martyrdom as that on which the Saint
was truly born, and not what we call the birth-day. The following translation from an
old writer may serve to explain this view. "We celebrate not the day of birth, since
it is the entrance to sorrow and all trials ; but it is the day of death we celebrate, as the
lying down of all sorrows, and the escape from all trials. We celebrate the day of
death, because these die not when they seem to die." — Comment, in Job. Lib. 3.
t "There is some doubt what this great Sabbath was ; but it seems most probable
that it was that which came between the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection,
a fitting time for His followers to enter into His rest.
68

538

We pray you, brethren, to be strong, walking by the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, (with whom be glory to God, both Father and Holy
Spirit, for the salvation of the elect Saints,) even as the blessed
Polycarp suffered, in whose steps may we be found in the kingdom
of Jesus Christ.

This letter Gaius took from Irenajus, the disciple of Polycarp ;
being himself also a friend of Irenaeus.

And I Socrates, of Corinth, have transcribed it from the copy
of Gaius. Grace be with afl men.

And I again, Pionius, have copied from the above-written, Poly
carp himself in a vision having showed me where the manuscripts
were, as I shall declare in the sequel, after I had long sought for
them ; and so I gathered them, when now by length of time almost
worn out, that so the Lord Jesus Christ may gather me also with his
elect ; to whom be glory, with Father and Holy Ghost, for ever and
ever. Amen.

Thus ends this ancient history. It appears that one Pionius suf
fered mart5n:dom at the same place, Smyrna, in the Decian persecu
tion, which happened eighty years after this in which Polycarp suf
fered. The name and death of this martyr are mentioned by Euse
bius in connection with that of Polycarp, and it seems probable that
the full account of his sufferings was appended to the manuscript
which has been here translated. We may therefore infer, that this
was the man, who had so dihgently and faithfully transcribed the his
tory of his fellow-countryman, and that having carefully conned his
sacred lesson, and thus given courage to his fearfulness, and strength
to his weakness, he at length, by God's grace, was enabled to with
stand the like tortures, not accepting the deliverance, that he might
obtain a better resurrection.

539

jfo. xm.
Justin Martyr.

JrsTiN, sumamed the !Mart}T, was born at Sichem in Samaria,
where was Jacob's weU. His parents were heathens, and he grew
up to man's estate, ignorant of the true God, yet dissatisfied with
what the wise men of this world taught on the subject of rehgion.
He was of an inquiring turn, and successively attached himself to va
rious sects of philosophers, beginning with the Stoics, who are men
tioned in Acts xvii. IS. At length he fancied he was making pro
gress in the discovery of the unseen world, when one day he wan
dered out by the sea-side to enjoy his meditations imdisturbed. To
his surprise he found himself joined by an old man of grave but
mild countenance. Justin stopped and steadfly gazed on him. The
other asked him if he knew him, that he eyed him so earnestly. —
On Justin's expressing surprise at meeting any one in so sohtary a
place, the old man accounted for the accident, and then fell into con
versation with him, which ended in his preaching to him Jesus
Christ, and Justin's receiving impressions which led to his conver
sion to the true faith. This took place, a. d. 132, about thirty years
after St. John's death. About eighteen years after he fixed his
abode at Rome, where he employed himself in various writings in
defence of the Gospel. At length he was cafled upon to die for it,
under circumstances which are detafled in the foUowing ancient ac
count.
Narrative of the Martyrdom of Justin the Philosopher, a.d. 167.
Whfle the persecution raged against the Christians for their refus
ing to sacrifice to the idols, the holy men (Justin and his compan
ions) were arrested and brought before Rusticus, the Prefect of Rome,
who bade Justin believe in the gods and obey the emperor.. He
answered, " It is safe and unexceptionable to obey the commands of
oui Saviour Jesus Christ." The Prefect asked, " What depart
ment of learning do you pursue ?" Justin answered, " I have essay
ed all, but I have attached myself to that tame phflosophy which the
Christians profess, however displeasuig it may be to mistaken rea
soners." "Miserable man," said Rusticus, " is that your learning ?"
The other replied, " Yes, verily, I profess it in all taruth of doctrine."
" What doctrine ?" " A reverent acknowledgment of the God of
the Christians, whom we account to be the One original maker and
framer of the whole world, visible and invisible ; and of the Lord

&

540
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was foretold by the prophets
as the herald of salvation, and the inslructer of dutiful disciples. For
myself, mortal as I am, I cannot hope to speak adequately of His in
finite majesty, which is a gift peculiar to the prophets. For they
foretold His coming, whom I have declared to be the Son of God."
The Prefect said, " Where is your place of meeting ?" Justin
answered, " Where each chooses and is able to come. Do you think
that we afl meet at the same place ? Not so, for the Christian's God
is not bounded by space, but though invisible fills both heaven and
earth, and every where receives the homage and praise of the faith
ful." The Prefect Rusticus replied, " Tell me where ye meet to
gether, in what place thou assemblest thy disciples." Justin answer
ed, " that he lodged near one Martinus, at the baths called Timiotine ;
that this Was the second time he had sojourned in Rome, that through
out the whole period he had known no other place of meeting, that
he had communicated the words of truth to any one who chose to
visit him." Rusticus said, " Art thou not in short a Christian ?" —
Justin answered, " Yea, I am a Christian."
Then the Prefect said to Charito, " Say, thou too, Charito, — Art
thou a Christian ?" Charito answered, " By God's command I am a
Christian." He then said to Charitina, " And what sayest thou,
Charitina ?" She answered, " By God's gift I am a Christian." He
next addressed Evelpistus, and said, " And what art thou ?" He,
being a slave of Caesar's, made answer, " I too am a Christian, being
made free by Christ, and am partaker by Christ's favor of the same
hope." The Prefect said to Hierax, "And art thou a Christian ?"
Hierax said, " Yea, I am a Christian, for I reverence and adore the
same God." Rusticus said, " Hath Justin made you Christians ?"
Hierax answered, " I was a Christian, and I will continue one."—
Then Paeon stood up and said, " I too am a Christian." The Pre
fect said, " Who was he that taught thee ?" Pason answered,
" From my parents I received this good confession." Evelpistus said,
" I too, though I have listened gladly to the preaching of Justin, was
taught of my parents to be a Christian." Rusticus said, " And
where are thy parents ?" Evelpistus answered, " In Cappadocia."
The Prefect asked Hierax where his parents were. Hierax made
answer in these words : " Christ is our true father, and faith in Him
our true mother. My earthly parents are dead, and I myself have
been brought hither from Iconium in Phrygia." The Prefect Rus
ticus addressed Liberianus : " And what dost thou say ? — art thou a
Christian ? — art thou too an unbehever ?" Liberianus said, " I too
am a Christian, for I am a behever and a worshipper of the only
true God."
The Prefect said to Justin, " Listen thou, who art accounted an
orator, and supposest thyself skifled in true doctrine ; if I should
have thee scourged and beheaded, what is thy belief ?— that thou

541
, wouldest ascend into heaven ?" Justin said, " I do trust that if I
endure these things, I shall receive rewards from Him, for I know
that for them who have so lived there remaineth the divine gift, tifl
the times of the consummation of all things." The Prefect Rusti
cus said again, " Dost thou imagine, that thou shalt go up into hea
ven, and there receive a recompense ?" Justin answered, " I ima
gine it not ; for I know and am entirely persuaded that I shall." —
Rusticus said, " It remains then that we come to the matter in hand,
which presseth us. Come, therefore, all of you together, and with
one mind do sacrifice to the gods." Justin answered, " No man of
right judgment falleth from religion to irreligion." Rusticus answer
ed, " If ye will not obey me, ye shall be tortured without mercy."
Justin replied, " We ask in prayer, that we may be tortured for the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ and be saved ; for this shall be our
salvation and our confidence, at that more terrible tribunal whereat
all the world must appear, of our King and Saviour." In like man
ner said the other martyrs also, " Do what thou wilt, for we are
Christians and do no sacrifice to idols."
Then the Prefect Rusticus gave sentence, saying, "Let such as
refuse to do sacrifice to the gods, and to obey the decree of the Em
peror, be scourged, and then led away to capital punishment, in pur
suance of the laws." So the holy martyrs, giving glory to God,
were led forth to the accustomed place, and were beheaded, giving
fuU completion to their testimony by the confession of the Saviour.
And certain of the faithful, when they had secretly taken up their
bodies, deposited them in a meet place, the grace of our Lord Je
sus Christ working with them, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

Justin's account of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the Public
Worship of God.*
We wifl state in what manner we are created anew by Christ,
and have dedicated ourselves to God. — As many as are persuaded
and believe that the things which we teach and declare are true, and
promise that they are determined to live accordingly, are taught to
pray, and to beseech God, with fasting, to grant them remission of
theh past sins, while we also pray and fast with them. We then
lead them to a place where there is water, and there they are regene
rated in the same manner as we also were ; for they are then wash
ed in that water in the name of God the Father and Lord of the
universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spi
rit. For Christ said, " Except ye be bom again, ye shafl not en-
* Mr, Chevallicr's translation has been generally adhered to in this extract.

542
ter into the kingdom of heaven ; and that it is impossible that those
who are once born should again enter into their mothers' wombs, is
evident to all. Moreover it is declared by the prophet Isaiah, in what
manner they who have sinned and repent may escape the punishment
of their sins. For it is said, " Wash you ; make you clean ; put
away the evil from your souls ; learn to do well ; do justice to the'
fatherless, and avenge the widow : and come, and let us reason to
gether, saith the Lord. Even if your sins should be as scarlet, I
will make them white as wool : and if they should be as crimson, I
wifl make them white as snow. But if ye will not hearken unto me,
the sword shall devour you : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
these things."
The Apostles have also taught us for what reason this new birth
is necessary. Since at our first birth we were born without our
knowledge or consent, by the ordinary natural means, and were
brought up in evil habits and evil instructions, in order that we may
not longer remain the children of necessity or of ignorance, but may
become the children of choice and judgment, and may obtain in the
water remission of the sins which we have before committed, the
name of God the Father and Lord of the Universe is pronounced
over him who is wiUing to be born again, and hath repented of his
sins ; he who leads him to be washed in the laver of baptism, sajting
this only over him : — for no one can give a name to the ineffable
God ; and if any man should dare to assert that there is such a name,
he is afflicted with utter madness. And this washing is called, illu
mination, since the minds of those who are thus instructed are illu
minated. And he who is so iUuminated is baptized also in the name
of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate ; and in
the name of the Holy Spirit, who by the prophets foretold all things
concerning Jesus. * * « ,
We, then, after having so washed hira who hath expressed his
conviction and pi'ofesses the faith, lead him to the brethren, where
they are gathered together, to make common prayers with great
earnestness, both for themselves and for him who is now illuminated,
and for all others in all places, that having learned the truth, we may
be deemed worthy to be found men of godly conversation in our lives,
and to keep the commandments, that so we may attain to eternal
salvation. When we have finished our prayers, we salute one ano
ther with a kiss. After which, there is brought to the brother who
presides, bread and a cup of wine mixed with water. And he, hav
ing received them, gives praise and glory to the Father of afl things,
through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and gives
thanks in many words for that God hath vouchsafed to them these
things. And when he hath finished his praises and thanksgiving, all
the people who are present express their assent, saying Amen, wiich
means, in the Hebrew tongue, " So be it." He who presides having

543
given thanks, and the people having expressed their assent, those
whom we call deacons give to each of those who are present a por
tion of the bread which hath been blessed, and of the wine mixed
with water, and carry some away for those who are absent. And
this food is called by us the Eucharist (thanksgiving ;) of which no
one may partake unless he believes that what we teach is true, and
is washed in the Laver, which is appointed for the forgiveness of sins
and unto regeneration, and lives in such a manner as Christ com
manded. For we receive not these elements as common bread or
common drink ; but even as Jesus Christ our Saviour, being made
flesh by the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation,
even so w^e are taught, that the food which is blessed by prayer, ac
cording to the word which came from Him, (by the conversion of
which into our bodily substance our blood and flesh are nourished,)
is the Flesh and Blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the
Apostles, in the Memoirs composed by them, which are called Gos
pels, have related that Jesus thus commanded them ; that, having
taken bread, and given thanks. He said, " Do this in remembrance
of me — this is my Body ;" and that, in like maimer, having taken
the cup, and given thanks. He said, " This is my Blood ;" and that
He distributed them to these alone  After these so
lemnities are finished, we afterwards continually remind one another
of them. And such of us as have possessions assist all those who
are in want ; and we all associate with one another. And over all
our offerings we bless the Creator of afl things, through His Son
Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit.
And on the day which is cafled Sunday, there is an assembly in
one place of afl who dwell in towns or in the country ; and the Me
moirs of the Aposties or the writings of the Prophets are read, as
long as the time permits. Then, when the reader hath ceased, the
head of the congregation delivers a discourse, in which he reminds
and exhorts them to the imitation of all these good things. We then
afl stand up together, and put forth prayers. Then, as we have al
ready said, when we cease from prayer, bread is brought, and wine,
and water ; and our Head, in like manner, offers up prayers and prais
es with his utmost power ; and the people express theh assent by
saying Amen. The- consecrated elements are then distributed and
received by every one ; and a portion is sent by the deacons to those
who are absent.
Each of those also, who have abundance, and are wifling, accord
ing to his choice, gives what he thinks fit ; and what is collected is
deposited with him who presides, who succours the fatherless and the
widows, and those who are in necessity from disease or any other
cause ; those also who are in bonds, and the strangers who are so
journing among us ; and, in a word, takes care of afl who are in
need.

544
We all of us assemble together on Sunday, because it is the first
day in which God changed darkness and matter, and made the world.
On the same day also Jesus Christ our Saviour arose from the
dead.

(Ad Populum.)
No. XIV.
Irenceus.

Iren^us was Bishop of Lyons in France. He is supposed to
have been a native of Asia. He was born at latest, about forty
years after St. John's death, and died A. D. 202. The following is
his account of the faith of Christians, and of the Church as the
piflar and ground, the appointed witness of that faith.
The Church, although extended through the whole world, even
unto the ends of the earth, has received from the Apostles and their
Disciples the behef in One God, the Father -Almighty, Maker of
heaven, and earth, the seas, and all that is in them ;— and in one
Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation;
and in the Holy Ghost, who by the prophets proclaimed the merciful
dispensation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the
passion, and the resurrection, and the ascension into heaven, in our
flesh, of the Beloved, Christ Jesus our Lord, and His appearing
from heaven in the glory of the Father, to gather together all things
in one, and to raise from the dead all flesh of human kind; that to
Christ Jesus our Lord and God, and Saviour, and King, according
to the good pleasure of the Invisible Father, every knee may bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth,
and every tongue may confess Him, and that He may recompense
just judgment upon all, sending into everlasting fire wicked spirits
and angels -that transgressed and became apostates, and irreligious,
unjust, lawless, and profane men, but upon the just and holy, who
have kept His commandments, and persevere in His love, whether .
serving Him from the first, or turning by repentance, may bestow
immortality by the free gift of life, and secure for them everlasting
glory. This is the message, and this the faith, which the Church has
received (as was said above ;) and which, though dispersed through
out the whole world, she sedulously guards, as though she dwelt but
m one place ; believes as uniformly as though she had but one soul,
and the same heart ; and preaches, teaches, hands down to posterity.

545
as harmoniously as though she had but one mouth. True it is, the
world's languages are various, but the power of the Tradition is one
and the same. There is no difference of Faith or Tradition, whether
in the Churches of Germany, or in Spain, or in Gaul, or in the East,
or in Egypt, or in Africa, or in the more central parts of the world ;
but as tljp sun, God's creature, is one and the same in all the world,
so also the preaching of the Truth shineth every where, and lighteth
every one who will come to the knowledge of the Truth. Among
the rulers of the Church, neither he who is powerful in word
speaks other doctrine, (for no one can be above his Master,) nor does
the weak in the word diminish the Tradition. For, whereas the
Faith is one and the same, neither he who has much to say con
cerning it, hath any thing over, nor he who speaketh httle any lack.

What a lesson does this passage furnish to the inquiring Christian
of this day ! Irenaeus was the disciple of Polycarp, the friend of
St. John. Here then is a witness, only one remove from the Apos
tles, for the Catholic Faith, such as we hold it, such as we declare it
in Church unto this day. Wanderers and disputers, perplexed
inquirers, and weak brethren ! come home to this true doctrine of
Christ, clearly conveyed to us from Christ Himself and His
Apostles. And observe this holy Bishop tells us, that it was received as
such, preached as such, delivered as such, all over the world.
There is no room for disputing, it is one and the same Truth, as
Christ is One, and as the Holy Spirit in the Church is One. Yes !
and as the Church itself is one. The one faith is held in the one
Church. Wanderers, come home to it I come home to the Church
Catholic, of which Irenaeus spoke, which is still upon earth; of
which the English Church, with its Bishops, Priests, and Deacons,
is a true and living branch. And, at all events, even if you are not
persuaded to this suitable religious deed, yet at least you cannot
refuse to take' up a humbler jtidgment of the Christianity of this day
than is generally taken. For is not unity the chief blessing which
Christ prayed his Church might possess ? Was it not, as the above
extract shows, marvellously instanced in the state of the Primitive
Church ? Is it not lost now ? Surely this is undeniable. What
ever our knowledge, our exertions, our various gifts. Christians
have lost their peculiar privflege, have transgressed their peculiar
duty, " that they all should be one, as Christ and the Father are
One."

69

546

ANECDOTE OF THE GREAT ST. BASIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CffiSAREA IN
CAPPADOCIA.
The Holy Basil visited one day a sacred brotherhood ; and, after
such discourse as was fitting, said to the Head of it, " Hast thou a
brother here who has the grace of obedience ?" and he answered him,
" My Lord, we be all thy servants, and are endeavoring after salva
tion." Basil said a second time, " Yea, hast thou one so gifted ?"
And he brought rmto him a brother. Then the Holy Basil employed
him to minister to him as he dined. After he had eaten, the other
brought him water to wash ; but Basil said, " Come hither, and I
too wifl give thee water to virash." And the other suffered the Bishop
to pour out the water upon his hands. Then said Basil, " When I
enter into the chancel, come before me, and I wfll make thee a Dea
con." And afterwards he made him Priest, and took him with him
to his own house on account of his obedience.

(Ad Populum.)
Wo. XV.

The temporal condition and the principles of Christians.
From the Epistle to Diognettes.
The writer of the Epistle to Diognetus was either Justin Martyr,
or some disciple of the Apostles themselves, a contemporary of Jus
tin Martyr, i. e. about a. d. 130.
Christians differ not from other men in country, or language, or
customs. They do not live in any peculiar cities, or employ any
particular dialect, or cultivate characteristic habits of life. The truths
which they hold result not from the busy ingenuities of human
thought; the counsels of man in them possess no champion. They
dwell in cities, Greek and barbarian, each where he finds himself
placed, and while they submit to the fashion of their country in dress
and food, and in the general conduct of life, they yet maintain a sys
tem of interior polity, which beyond all controversy is fuU of admir
ration and wonder. The countries they inhabit are their own, but
they dweU like ahens ; they take their part in all privfleges, as being
citizens; and in all suJQFerings they partake as if they were strangers.
In every foreign country they recognise a home ; and in their home
they see the place of their pilgrimage. They marry Hke other men.

547
and exclude not their children from their affections ; their table is
open to all around them ; they live in the world, but not according
to its fashions ; they walk on earth, but their conversation is in hea
ven. They obey the established laws, but in their lives transcend
all law ; they love all men, and are persecuted by all ; they are un
known,., and yet are condemned. Death to them is life ; of their
poverty they make many rich, and in the extremity of want they still
possess all things. They are treated with dishonor, and by dishonor
are made glorious ; their integrity is insured by the insults which
they suffer ; when cursed, they bless, and reproaches they pay with
respect. When doing good they are punished as evil-doers ; and
when they are punishedjthey rejoice as men that are raised unto life.
By Jews they are treated as aliens and foes, by Greeks they are
persecuted ; and none of their enemies can state a ground for their
enmity. In good truth, Christians are to the world what the soul is to the
body. The soul is transfused through the members of the body,
and Christians through the cities of the world ; the soul dweUs in the
body, but is not ofthe body ; and Christians dweU in the world,- but are
not of the world. The soul unseen is treasured up in the visible
body ; and Christians visibly are in the world, but their faith is a
guest unseen in it. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it
without provocation, because it forbids the enjoyment of its plea
sures ; and the world hates Christians without provocation, because
they are at enmity with its enjoyments. The soul loves that flesh
and those limbs that hate it; and Christians love aU that hate them.
The soul is shut up in the body, but itself is to the body a protector;
and Christians are included in the world as in a prison house ; and
yet they are the guardians of the world. The immortal soul resides
in a mortal tabernacle ; and Christians dweU amidst corruption, but
are waiting for incorruption in heaven. By loss of meat and drink
the soul is strengthened ; and Christians abound more and more,
though suffering every day. Such is the station in which God has
planted them, and it is not lawful for them to retire firom it.
I have aheady said, that their faith was not a discovery of this
world. It is not a human counsel which they support with this
anxiety; nor are they entrasted with the stewardship of mysteries
which proceed from man ; but God Himself, the Almighty and In
visible Creator, has sent down from heaven to men His holy and
incomprehensible Truth and Word, and fixed it in their hearts ; not,
as might, perhaps, be anticipated, sending any minister to man,
angel, or principality, (whether of those whose functions belong to
the earth, or of such as are engaged in the economy of Heaven,) ^t
Him, who was the very Maker and Builder of all : by whom He
built the heavens, and marked the bounds of the ocean ; whose mys
terious ordinances the elements afl faithfully obey ; from whom the
sun receives the measure of its daily career, and at whose will the

548
obedient moon puts forth her mighty lustre, with the stars that move
attendant on her course. He is the universal counsellor, and Law
giver, and Monarch ; His are the heavens, and all that is in heaven ;
His the earth, and all in the earth ; the sea, and all that is in the
sea ; fire, air, and depth ; the height above, and the deep be
neath ; afl are His. Him God sent to man : but was it, as man
might anticipate, to overrale, to terrify, and to strike ? Not so ; but
in meekness and in mercy. He sent Him, as a king might send his
royal son : as God He sent Him ; as a Messenger and a Saviour to
mankind, to persuade, but not to compel. Violence is not an attri
bute of God. He sent Him in love, not in judgment : in judgment
He wifl hereafter send Him, and who wfll beat His coming?
 See you not how Christians are cast to the beasts,
that they may be made deny their Lord, and are not overcome ? See
you not how they abound, in proportion with the increase of their
sufferings ? These things seem not hke the work of man; but they
are the power of God, and indications of His presence.
What mortal man could tell what God was, before He came
among us ? Would you admit the vain and trifliijg fables of such
empty phflosophers, as say that the Deity is compbsed of fire (call
ing that a Deity, to which themselves are tending ;) or of water, or
of any other of those elements which God has created ? And yet,
if any of these fables is admissible, each and every of the creatures
might simflarly be called a God. These things are the trickery and
deceit of impostors. Man had never seen or known Him, but He
manifested Himself. He. manifested Himself by faith, by which
alone it is possible to see God. For that God, who is the Master
and Architect of all, who made all things, and disposed them in their
place, was found not only benevolent, but also patient. Such, indeed,
He always has been, and is, and wfll be, — kind, and good, and mfld,
and true : and only He is good ; and having conceived that great and
unspeakable counsel, which he communicated to His Son alone, so
long as he retained the project of His wisdom, and reserved it in
concealment, he seemed to be without care or consideration for us ;
but when, through His beloved Son, He revealed and made mani
fest the things which, from the beginning, were prepared. He at
once presented to us all the scheme, so that we partake and be
hold His benefits. Who among us could conceive these things ?
But He, in Himself, and with his Son, foreknew the course of His
Providence. For the time past, therefore, he suffered us to be borne along as
we would, by irregular impulses, led astray by pleasures and desiies ;
not that He feels complacence in our sins, but He permits them,
from no gratification in the times of unrighteousness, but because
He is working out the purposes of His justice : — that, during the
time past, convicted by our own works of unworthiness to enter into

549
life, we might now be rendered worthy through the goodness of
God ; and being proved of ourselves unable to enter into the king
dom of God, we might, by the power of God, be made able. But
when our unrighteousness was assured, and it was clearly manifested
that the wages of sin is punishment, and death was before our eyes,
then came the time, which God foreordained for the manifestation of
His goodness and power, forasmuch as, in the abundance of His
beneficence, love was alone displayed ; He hated not, nor rejected
us, nor remembered our .guilt ; but showed Himself long-suffering,
and forbearing, and, in His own words, bare our sins. He gave His
own Son as a ransom for us, the just for the unjust, the guileless
for the guilty, the righteous for the wicked, the incorruptible for the
corrupt, the immortal for the dying. For what other thing, except
His righteousness, could cover our guilt ? In whom was it possible
for us lawless sinners to find justification, save in the Son of God
alone ? Oh, sweet exchange I Oh, counsel untraceable, and mer
cies out of thought ! — that the guilt of many might be covered by
one that was righteous, and the righteousness of one might justify
many who were guilty. Having, then, in the times past, insured
the incapacity of our nature for the attainment of life, and sending a
Saviour afterwards, who is able to save those who of themselves are
incapable of salvation. He has pleased, from both these truths, to
make us rely on His goodness, and regard Him as our Guardian,
our Father, our Teacher, our Counsellor, our Physician, our Mind,
our Light, our Honor, and Glory, and Strength, and Life ; and so
take no thought for raiment or for food.
If, then, you are anxious to know and accept this Faith, first learn
that God has love for mankind, and for their sake made the world,
and gave them dominion over all things in it : He gave them reason
and perception ; them only He permits to look upward towards Him
self, and made them in His own image, and sent to them His only be
gotten Son, announcing a kingdom in Heaven, which He will give, if
they love Him. When you learn this, with what joy, think you,
will you be filled, or how will you love one who first loved you so
well ? And if you love Him,' you will imitate his kindness. Nor
wonder that man can be an imitator of God ; by God's gift, he can ;
for happiness does not rest in the possession of authority over others,
or in aiming at advantages which others possess not, or in wealth or
superior power : in these things it is not possible for man to imitate
God ; but he who bears a brother's burden, and shares of his abun
dance to them that want, does the work of God towards those, who
at his hands receive what God had given him : and that man is an
imitator of God. Thus shaU you discover, whfle you dwell on earth,
that God works his purposes in Heaven ; you wiU begin to tell o|'
the hidden things of God, and will love and admire those who are
punished for refusing to deny Him ; yos wfll discern the deceilfuln

550
ness and crafts of the world: for you wifl learn truly to live in Hea
ven, and despise that seeming death here, when you are afraid of
the very death, which is kept for those who are condemned to eter
nal fire, the endless punishment of all who are cast to it ; and you
will esteem such as endure this world's fire for righteousness sake,
and reckon them happy, when you know of the other fire.
I deal not in vain or foolish questions : but, whereas I was a dis
ciple of the Apostle, I teach the Gentiles : I administer those doc
trines which have been granted to all worthy disciples of the truth.
For what man who has been taught aright and nurtured in the kindly
word, does not feel an increasing desire clearly to know those things,
which by the Word were directly spoken to the disciples, and which
He manifested fully to them ? — not being understood by unbelievers,
but explaining them to His disciples ; for they were reckoned wor
thy by Him to learn the mysteries of the Father. And for this cause
the Word was sent forth, that He might be manifested to the world ;
and when His nation rejected Him, He was believed in by the' Gen
tiles through the preaching of the Apostles. This is He that was
from the beginning, and appeared in the latter days ; and His ad
vent is continually renewed in the hearts of His saints. This is He
that is from everlasting, the Son this day declared : and of His riches
the Church receives ; for His expansive grace is shed abundantly
among the saints, conferring wisdom, declaring mysteries, enouncing
the times, rejoicing with the faithful, and giving to all that ask : and
these break not the rule of faith, nor transgress the rule of the
fathers. And thus the fear of the Law is proclaimed, and the inspi
ration of the Prophets acknowledged, and faith in the Gospels con
fined, and the Apostles' tradition secured ; and the Church rejoices
in her grace ; wherefore if you grieve not that grace, you shall be
taught the truths which the Word communicates by those whom He
chooses in His own good time. For those things which we have
been moved to declare by the will of the Word commanding us, we
wifl with all diligence communicate to you, because we love the les
sons which have been revealed to us.
Ye then who are admitted to these truths, and accept them with a
ready heart, shall learn what God has prepared for them that truly
love Him, how that they grow into a paradise of pleasure, and lift
within themselves a rich luxuriant tree, adorned with many fruits.
It is in such ground that the tree of knowledge and the tree of life
are planted ; and knowledge is not that which brings death, but diso
bedience in the way of gaining it. For we are taught in plain words,
that God in the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of
Paradise, showing that knowledge is the way to life ; and they who
did not use it aright at first, were robbed by the deceits of the ser
pent. For life cannot be separate from knowledge ; nor can any
knowledge be perfect, unless the true life be with it. For this cause

651
they were planted side by side ; and the Apostle perceiving this in
tent, and condenming all knowledge that is pursued otherwise than
with a view to discovering the conditions of eternal life, says : know
ledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. For he who thinks that he knows
any thing, apart from the true knowledge which is attested by having
the hfe within it, is without knowledge, deceived by the seipent, and
a hater of life. But he who learns with fear, and studies to attain
unto life, plants in hope, and may look for the fruit. Let your heart
be a heart of knowledge, and in life perceive that understanding is
granted, true and simple ; its tree shall rise within you, and of its
fruit you shall be fiUed with those enjoyments which are in the hand
of God : which the serpent never touches, nor does any deceit come
nigh : no Eve betrays them, but she to whom they are committed is
the Virgin Church. Hereby is salvation manifested, and hence the
Apostles find wisdom ; while the Easter-feast of our Lord is solem
nized, and congregations are gathered together in decency and order,
and the Word, by whom the Father is glorified, teaches His saints
with joy. To whom be glory everlasting. Amen.

No. XVI.

Address of St. Clement of Alexandria to the heathen.
The Holy Spirit says, " Despise not thou, my son, the training of
the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." What surpassing
condescension ! How gently does He deal with us ; not as a teacher
with his disciples, nor as a master with his servants, nor as a God
towards His creatures, but as a father instructs his sons ! Moses
confessed that he exceedingly feared and quaked when he heard con
cerning the word of God ; but thou, who hearest that Word Himself,
hast thou no dread, no distress of mind ? no reverence, and earnest
ness withal to learn the truth ? earnestness for salvation, fear of his
wrath, delight in his promises, anxiety for acceptance, to rescue thee
fi-om condemnation ? Come ye, 0 come, my band of young ones !
Young ones, I say, for unless ye be born again as children, regene
rated, as Scripture says, ye wfll not receive Him who is your own
Father, nor wifl ever at any tune gain entirance mto the kingdom of
heaven. To a stranger this is impossible ; but when he has been
enrolled by name, and made a citizen, and submits to a new Father,
then shaU he be in the number of that Father's sons ; then shaU he
be thought worthy of the inheritance. Thus is formed the first be
gotten Church, being made up of many holy children. These are

552
" the first-born, whose names are written in heaven," who hold their
" general assembly" with " an innumerable company of angels."
Such are we, the nurslings of our God, true " friends" by kindred of
the First-Begotten, as being the first of all men, to have discerned
Almighty God, saved ourselves from sin, and abjured the Devfl 
This is his sole work, to save man. Therefore he cries aloud, as
urging us himself, " The kuigdom of heaven is at hand." He con
verts men by means of fear. His apostie, in like manner, exhorting
the Philipians, takes up his holy tidings, and repeats thein. " The
Lord is it hand," he says, " see well that we be not found wanting."
But, alas ! ye are afl so fearless, nay, unbeheving, that ye listen
neither to the Lord, nor to holy Paul, though he prays you in Christ's
stead to taste and see that Christ is God. It is faith that must bring
you in, experience must teach you, and the Scripture must lead you
on in knowledge, according to its word : "-Come, ye children, hear
ken to me ; and I wifl teach you the fear of the Lord." Then it
briefly addresses those who have aheady believed : " What man is
there who lusteth to live, who would fain see good days ?" We make
answer. It is we ; who worship him who is our happiness, and who
copy those who are like him. Hear then, both ye who are afar off, and
ye who are nigh. The word is hid from no one ; it is a light in com
mon ; it lighteth every man ; in it there is no darkness. Lotus hasten
to our salvation, even to our regeneration, so that, many though we
be, we may be brought close together by one love, according to that
oneness which the one God imparts. Let us hasten, as having re
ceived a benefit ; as seeking out our sole happiness. Let us foUow
after unity, till from many voices, loud and scattered to and fi:o, one
divine harmony arises, led by one guide and teacher, the Divine
Word, finding rest and fulness in the truth itself, and saying, Abba
Father. " Ye who thirst, come ye to the water," says the Lord ; " all ye
that have no silver, come and buy, yea, drink without silver." Thus
does he exhort men to the holy bath, to their salvation, to their illumi
nation, almost crying out to them, " Child, I give unto thee earth,
and sea, and heaven ; yea, afl that is therein, I freely grant to thee :
only, 0 my child, thirst for thy Father's presence. God will reveal
himself to thee without price ; truth is not dealt out as by a trader.
He gives thee afl things that fly, and swim, and walk the earth ; all
these things has thy Father framed for thy enjoyment, so take and be
thankful. Those who are but spurious bom are forced to. buy their
possessions with sflver ; sons of perdition, wifling slaves of mammon.
But into thine hand he gives thine own." Thus speaks he to his trae
seed, to him who loves his Father, for whose sake he worketh stifl,
to whom alone he pledges, that the earth shall be given as a lasting
foundation, which is not promised to corruption : " For mine is all
the earth ;" it is thine, if thou receive thy God ; and therefore

553
Scriptiire proclaims as good tidings, to those who have beheved,
" The saints of the Lord shafl inherit the glory of God, and his
power." " Hope in him," it is written, " afl the assembly of the people ;
pour out your heart before him." He speaks to those who have
newly turned from wickedness. He pities and fills them with right
eousness. Trust, O mortal, in him who is both God and man ; who
suffered and is worshipped, even a living God. Ye servants, put
your trust in him who was dead ; yea, all men, trust in him who out
of all men alone is God. Believe and receive salvation as your re
ward ; seek out God, and your soul shall hve  The mOst
sublime philosophers could but guess, and speak darkly about wis
dom, but the disciples of Christ have seen and proclaimed it. Nay,
and Christ in afl portions of him (so to say) is one and the same un
divided ; so that there is neither barbarian, Jew, nor Greek, male, nor
female, but one new man refashioned by the Holy Ghost 
I do but ask you to accept salvation. What does Christ desire, but
freely to give you life ? But who is he ? The Word of truth, the
builder of the inward temple, that God may dwell with men. Sanc
tify that temple ; pleasures and comforts, leave them, as flowers of
the day, to the wind, and to the fire  The Word of God shall
guide thee, and the Holy Spirit settle thee in the peaceful dwelling
of the heavens. There thou shalt enjoy the presence of the Chris
tian's God, and be initiated in his holy mysteries. Come, O heathen
reveller, lean not on thy thyrsus,* bind not on thine ivy. Cast away
thy turban, and thy fawn-skin ; put off folly. I will show to thee
the Word of God, and his mysteries, acconamodating my account to
thine own fashions. Here is the mount, beloved of God, not the
scene, of tragic miseries, as Cithaeron,t but a stage for truth to act
upon, a holy mount, overshadowed with chaste and temperate groves.
No Bacchantes revel here, with crael rites, but the daughters of God
hold festival, the pure, the gracious, divine songstresses of the awful
mysteries of the Word, with their modest band of worshmpers. —
That band are the just ones : the song is a hymn in honor of the Al
mighty King. Virgins are singing it, angels are heralding it, pro
phets are repeating it. They chant sounds abroad ; those vvho are
called hurry to the gatheruig, they hasten on, desiring to regain their
Father. Thou, too, aged one, thou too, must join us, leaving thy
Thebes, abjuring thy sooth-saying ; put out thy hand, and let us lead
thee to the truth. Hasten, 0 Tiresias,t believe. He shafl shme
upon th^ bhnd eyes more cheerily than the sun, through whom the
eyes of the blind see. O mysteries of traest holiness ! O unsuUi-
• A spear, or stafif, surrounded with garlands of ivy and vine leaves, carried by the
heathen revellers.
t A. mountain where the heathen revels were held.
t A heathen prophet.
70

554
ed Light ! The sacred torches go before, whfle I am brought into
the presence of the heavens and God himself ; my initiation places
me among the holy ones. The Lord instracts me in his sacred
rites ; he seals his teachers with his illuminating guidance, and de
livers over such as trast him to his Father, to be preserved for ever.
He is everlasting, Jesus the one Saviour, the Great High Priest
of the one God his Father, who intercedes for men, and who is their
teacher.

No. XVII.
Tertullian' s account of the Rule of Faith.
Tertullian was bom at Carthage, in Africa, a heathen ; but when
he grew up he was converted to Christianity. At length he became
a priest, either of the Church of Carthage, or of Rome ; it is uncer
tain which. That is, it is uncertain whether, as we now speak, he
took orders in Carthage or Rome ; whether he was ordained by the
Bishop of Carthage or of Rome. For at that blessed time the whole
extent of Christendom was as closely united as the different parts of
England are ; so that it was all one from which of the bishops of the
Church Catholic a Christian was ordained for the ministry. Rome
was at that time not more divided from Carthage, or from Corinth,
or from Ephesus, or from Jerusalem, than Winchester from London,
or Durham, or Oxford, or Norwich. , It was natural, indeed, for ma
ny reasons, that a man should receive orders from the Church in
which he lived ; but on fitting reasons a Carthagenian, like Tertullian,
might receive his commission from the Bishop of Rome, just as now
a native of London, for instance, may become a priest of the Church
of Oxford.
This one Christian body, called sometimes Christendom, (which
means the kingdom of Christ,) sometimes the Church Catholic,
(which means the incorporate society of Christians in aU lands, as
descended from the Apostles, and governed by the bishops, their re
presentatives,) consisted in the early times of two great portions,
those who spoke Greek, and those who spoke Latin, which are some
times familiarly called the Greek and the Latin Churches. Not that
they were really divided, more than the Welsh Diocesses are from
the English, but for convenience-sake they were considered as two,
according to their respective languages. 'Writers, from whoSe works
extracts have as yet been made in these Records, all spoke Greek,
or (as it is said) were of the Greek Church ; Ignatius, Polycarp,
Justin, and the rest : as to the Christians of Lyons, &c. they were
Greeks living in France, at that time a barbarous country. But Ter-
tuUian is a writer of the Latin Church ; indeed he is the oldest of

555
those whose works have come down to us, having been born about
A. D. 160, only sixty years after St. John's death.
Tertullian's works, which have come down to us, are partly de
fences of Christianity and of the orthodox faith, and partiy moral
treatises. They are chiefly valuable, as witnesses of the state of
the Church so short a time after the Aposties ; as witnesses of what
the Church then believed, taught, observed ; as witnesses to the
Creed as we hold it at this day, to Episcopacy, the Apostolical Suc
cession, the Ceremonial of Rehgion, &c. His own authority indeed
is small ; for though very powerfiil as a writer, he was not a sound
divine ; was extravagant, nay even heterodox, in some of his opinions,
and at length fell away into one of the heresies of his time. ^But all
this, of course, does not interfere at all with the value of his writings,
as bearing testimony to facts, to the existing condition of the Church.
And, moreover, as he writes ably, he is instructive on particular sub
jects, even though he is not a safe guide on the whole.
The work, from which an extract follows, was written when he
was about forty years old, and may be called in English, " The
Church's Plea (or Demur) against Dissenters." Tertullian's argu
ment is this : " You who dissent from the Church," he says, " are
cdnfuted by the very novelty of your doctrine. The trae doctrine
must be old, and cannot be new ; now the Church and its doctrines,
which you despise, are much older than all your sects and their re
spective doctrines. Nay, the Church is as old as the Apostles ; it
was founded all over the world by the Apostles ; and transmits down,
from age to age, the doctrines which it received from them. But
from whom did you receive your doctrine ? Not from the Church,
for you have gone out of it. Trace it up even for a few years, if
you can ; much less can you trace it up to the Aposties. In trath,
your doctrine began with you, or at least with your immediate teach
ers : where was it before ? Was it hidden from the Church, that
doctrine which Christ commanded should be set up on high among
the faithful, like alight within a house ? Impossible : it plainly began
with you : we can put our finger on the date of its birth ; and there
fore it is false : for Christ and His Apostles "planted" (1 Cor. in.)
the true Gospel, according to the wfll of the Father ; and he says,
' Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shafl be
rooted up.' " Such is the argument of the work from which the fol
lowing passages are extracted ; which obviously contain an instruc
tive lesson for this day.

556

1.

[The Separatists of Tertullian's age urged the words of our Lord, " Seek,
and ye shall find," in proof that they might allovyably strike out their own
views (though novel) from the sacred text ; he says upon this : — ]
" Let us grant it has been said to all, ' Seek and ye shafl find ;'
yet even as to these very words it is convenient to discuss their
meaning with some guide of interpretation. No divine saying is so
vague and extended, that its mere words are to be adhered to, and
their real drift not determined. Now, in the first place, I lay down
this proposition : that doubtless some one certain faith was instituted
by Christ, which the nations ought by all means to believe ; and, in
seeking to find it, to seek with the purpose of believing when they
had found it. The inquiry after one certain definite appointment (of
God) must surely have an end somewhere or other. You are to seek
until you find, and believe when you have found. After this, there
is no more to do, but to keep what you have believed ; this being in
fact one part of your belief, viz. that there is nothing farther to be
believed, nor therefore to be sought ; inasmuch as you have found
and believed that which was appointed by Him, who does not set
you to seek any thing else but what he has appointed. I wfll pre
sently make good, to the satisfaction of all doubters, that we have
that in our possession which was appointed by Christ. In the mean
time, from confidence in the proof, I anticipate so far as to admonish
certain persons that they have nothing to seek beyond what they
have aheady accepted ; that that is what they were bound to seek :
so that they must not interpret without consideration of the import
of the words, ' Seek, and ye shafl find.'
" But the import of this saying is determined by three particu
lars ; the matter, the time, the manner : by the matter, that you
should consider ivhat is to be sought ; by the time, when it is to be
sought ; by the manner, how far. Now that is to be sought, which
Christ instituted ; then, of course, when do you not find it, so long,
of course, until you find it. But you have found it, when you have
attained to belief, for you would not have believed, if you had not
found ; as neither would you have sought, unless that you might
find. For where shafl inquiry come to an end ? where faith take her
stand ? where discovery gain her discharge ? With Marcion ? nay,
Valentinus also sets up ' seek, and ye shafl find.' With Valentinus ?
nay, Apefles too wfll beset me with the same declaration : and He-
bion, and Simon, and afl, one after another, have nothing else but
this same text, by which to insinuate themselves into my ap
probation, to bind me to their cause. I shafl therefore come

657
to no result, while I meet on every side, ' seek, and ye shafl
find.' [To understand the above argument, it must be borne in mind that at bap
tism the Creed was committed to and accepted by the new Christians. Thus
the time of belief was a certain definite date, to which Tertullian refers. It
must be observed also, that the persons he speaks to were Separatists, who
had been baptised in the Church, not regular hereditary Dissenters.]

" Although we were to be for ever inquiring, yet where ought we
to seek ? Among heretics, where aU is extraneous and adverse to
the trath we hold, whom we are forbidden to approach ? What ser
vant expects food from one who is a stranger, not to say an enemy
to his master ? What soldier looks for presents and pay from imal-
hed, not to say hostile princes, unless he be a downright deserter and
rebel ? Even she who sought dfligently, sought her piece of money
in her OTvn house ; he who asks for loaves, knocks at a friend's, not
a stranger's door ; and the widow interceded with a hard judge, but
not an enemy. Let us then seek at home, and from those who are
our own, and of that which is our own ; and inquire respecting that
only which may be cafled in question without injury to the Rule of
Faith." " But the Rule of Faith (that we may now profess that we meain
to defend,) is this : — That there is One only God, and no other Crea
tor of the world beside, who brought all things out of nothing by His
own Word sent forth before afl things ; that this Word, called His
Son, appeared in the name of God to the Patriarchs in different ways ;
was always heard in the Prophets ; and at last conveyed by the Spi
rit and power of God the Father into the Virgin Mary, became flesh
in her womb, and lived as her Son Jesus Christ ; afterwards pro
claimed a new law, and a new promise of the kingdom of Heaven,
wrought miracles, was crucified, rose again on the third day, was ¦
taken into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father ; sent
the power of the Holy Spirit in His stead, to guide behevers ; wriU
come with glory to take His saints to the enjoyment of eternal life
and His heavenly promises, and sentence the profane to eternal fire,
bringing to hfe again good and bad, together with the resurrection of
their flesh. This Rule, instituted, as it shafl be proved, by Christ,
has no question raised about it among us, except such as heresies
introduce, and such as constitute men heretics. . . . O novice, it is
better to be ignorant, lest you should learn what you ought not, now
that you know what you ought. ' Thy faith,' he says, ' hath made

658

thee whole ;' not a perverse troubling of the Scriptures. Faith has
for its object the Rule. The law of life is given you ; keep it, and
you are made whole ; but this cross-examining of Scripture springs
from restlessness ; pursue it, and it brings, not salvation, but mere
credit for cleverness. Let restlessness yield to faith ; fame among
men to salvation of the soul."

3.
[Next, he shows the futility of arguing with men who mutifete and alter the
Scriptures; but this topic does not so nearly concern us at this day; though
we cannot tell what is coming upon us. He then proceeds as follows, to show
that there is nothing gained in arguing from Scripture, when God has given us
so clear a guide in the Rule of Faith, i. e. the creed preserved in the Church;
for, though that Rule is also contained in Scripture, and may be proved from it,
yet heretics will say it cannot ; whereas they cannot deny th^ Creed came from
the Apostles.]
" But for that person, if there be such, for whose sake you descend
to a comparison of Scriptures, to confirm him when in doubt, wifl he
incline to trath, or rather to heresies ? Influenced by the very fact,
that he sees you have hitherto gained no ground, and stand even with
your adversary in denying this point and defending that, he wifl un
doubtedly leave this even contest in still greater uncertainty, not
knowing which he is to judge to be heresy. For surely nothing can
hinder them retorting upon us, if they are minded, the charges we
bring against them. Nay, they must, in self defence, say that we
rather introduce corruptions of Scripture, and false expositions, inas
much as they claim truth for themselves. Therefore I do not advise
appeal to the Scriptures : it is a ground in which there can be either
no victory, or a doubtful one, or one as good as doubtful. For although
the comparison of Scripture did not end so as to place either party
on an equality, the order of things requires that this point should be
first advanced, which is now the only question : viz. To ivhom be
longs the faith itself? Whose are the Scriptures ? By whom, and
through whom, and when, and to whom was that system of instrac-
tion committed, by which men are made Christians ? For there,
wherever the trath of Christian instruction and faith shafl be proved
to be, there will be the truth of the Scriptures, and of expositions,
and of all Christian traditions."
[This ground of the truth is of course the Church. Tertullian does not mean
to decry arguing from Scripture; he only says, it will not silence a subtle and
perverse disputant ; whereas the Rule of Faith must silence them, it is so clear.
Again he argues, 'Were not the Scriptures committed to the Church? therefore
the Church is the appointed interpreter of them. Since his time, the Church
has gone wrong ; but what he says is quite true of the primitive Church. And
this is the rule of the Church of England, to interpret Scripture according
the usage of thejirst centuries.]

559
(Ad Scholas.)
No. XVIII.
Tertullian's Account of the Rule of Faith.
(Continued.)

{By the " Rule of Faith" is sometimes meant the canon, or document con
taining the faith, (e. g. Scripture, or ascertained Apostolical tradition,) some
times the collection of articles of faith, as in a confession, or, (as it is some
times called) the Summa Fidei. In the former sense of course the Rule
is the authority, in the latter it is the very doctrine to be proved. Tertulhan
uses the word in both senses in this treatise.]
Christ Jesus our Lord — whatever is- His nature, (so to express
myself) whatever is that God who is His Father, in whatever way
He is God and man, whatever His doctrine, whatever His reward —
certainly declared all this. Himself, during His sojourn on earth.
His present and pre-existent nature. His Father's will which He
was fulfilling. His commands to man ; declared it either openly to
the people, or apart to His disciples, of whom He had especially
selected twelve as His companions, and the destined teachers of
the nations. Accordingly oh His departure to His Father, after His
resurrection. He gave them their commission, (i. e. the eleven, for
one had fallen away,) and bade them. Go teach the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. They then without delay, Aposties as they were called,
or Missionaries, chose a twelfth by lot, according to the diiection of
the prophetic Psalm ; and when they had been visited by the promised
Spirit of miracles and tongues, first preached faith in Jesus Christ,
and founded Churches throughout Judea; next went forward into
the wide world, publishing the same doctrine to the Gentfles, and
establishing Churches in every city. From these in turn the faith
has been, and stifl is, propagated continuafly for the creation of new
Churches, which, as wefl as the first founded, are called Apostohc,
as being the offspring of those which were really such. Every
family must be referred to its first original: therefore [these Churches,
many though they be and flourishing, yet are but one, that one
original which the Aposties estabhshed, and from which they aU
spring. So they are all original, and afl Apostolic, afl being one.
That oneness is evidenced by their loving intercommunion, and the
name of brotherhood, and the interchange of hospitality, ; and these
common rights are secured solely by their unanimous tradition of
one and the same sacred covenant.

560
From this point, therefore, we begin our plea against all who
preach a new doctrine. If the Lord Jesys Christ sent the Apostles
to preach, it follows that no other preachers are to be received, but
those whom Christ appointed, because "no one knoweth the Father
but the Son, and he to whom the Son hath revealed Him."
And it seems that the Son hath revealed Him to no others than the
Apostles, whom He sent to preach that doctrine, of course, which He
revealed to them. But what they preached, that is, what Christ
revealed to therii, I shall here also plead should be proved in no other
way than by means of those same Churches which the Aposties
themselves founded, by preaching to them, as well as by word of
mouth, as afterwards by Epistles. If these things are so, it foflows
immediately that all doctrine that agrees with those Apostolical
Churches, the depositories and sources of faith, is to be reckoned for
truth, preserving, as they doubtless do, what they received from the
Apostles, the Apostles from Christ, Christ from God. But that
every other doctrine is to be presumed false, that savours of contra
diction to the truth of the Churches, and of the Apostles, and of
Christ, and of God.
It only remains then to prove, whether this our doctrine, the rule
of which we have given above, is to be considered of Apostolic tra
dition ; and from this very fact, whether the rest come not of false
hood. Now our very intercommunion with the Apostolical
Churches, which is matter of fact, is an evidence that our doctrine
does not differ from theirs. This is the witness of the truth.

5-
[To get rid of the above plain argument, the Separatists used to urge that the
Apostles had a private doctrine over and above that which they taught in open
Church ; or, again, that they were not fuUy instructed in Christian truth,
alleging, e. g., St. Peter's error in conduct at Antioch, &c. The following
passage is an answer to the former of these suppositions.]
Sometimes they maintain, not that the Apostles were ignorant or
discordant in their preaching, but with a like wildness, that they did
not reveal all things to all : for that they entrusted some truths openly
to all, but some secretly to a few. Now St. Paul uses this expres
sion to Timothy : " 0 Timothy, keep that which is committed to
thee ;" and again, " Keep the good thing committed to thee." What
is this thing committed, so proper to be assigned to some different
doctrine ? Is it of that declaration, of which he says, " This charge
I entrust with thee, son Timothy?" Also of that precept of which
lie says, " I charge tiiee before God, who giveth life to all things,
and Jesus Christ, who witnessed before Pontius Pilate a good con-

561
fession, that thou keep the precept." But what precept, and what
charge ? It wfll be understood from what is written before and after,
that there is not any thing secretly pointed out by this expression
relating to more abstrase doctrine, but that rather a charge is given
concerning not admitting any besides that which he had heard from
himself, and I think openly. He says, " Before many witnesses."
Who these many witnesses were, supposing they do not choose to
understanding CAwrcA, makes no difference ; since nothing can have
been secret that was brought out before many witnesses. As to his
admonishing him to " commit these things to faithful men, who are
fit to teach others also ;" this is not to be interpreted as any proof
of some hidden Gospel. For when he says " these things," he says
it of those of which he was at present writing ; but concerning hid
den things, as concerning things not mentioned, and but tacitly under
stood, he would have said not " these," but " those."
His direction about committing " to faithful men," did not imply
a secrecy, but of course care to choose such men for the commission
as would preach the Gospel with judgment and discrimination ; not
casting pearls to swine, or holy things to dogs, as the Lord speaks.
Our Lord himself spoke forth openly, without the least hint of any
hidden covenant. He himself had ordered that if they had heard
any thing in darkness and in secret, they should proclaim it in the
light, and on the house-top.
If, then, it is incredible that the Aposties either were ignorant of
the fulness of the Gospel message, or abstained from publishing it
to all in its completeness, let us next see whether, though the Apos
tles spoke with plainness and fulness, yet the Churches, by their
own fault, received otherwise than the Aposties declared. You niay
find all such means of exciting scraples put forward by heretics.
They take hold of the correction of the Churches by the Aposties :
"0 foohsh Galatians, who hath bewitched you?" and, "Ye
did well, who hath hindered you ?" and the very beginning, " I
wonder that ye are so soon departed from Him, who called you
into grace, to another Gospel;" of that too written to the Corin
thians, that they were yet carnal, who ought to be fed with milk, and
not yet fit for meat, as they thought they knew something, when as
yet they knew nothing as it ought to be known. But, surely, the
fault found with the Churches, which is their very objection, is a
ground for believing it was corrected. Besides, let them also recol
lect those in whose faith and knowledge and conversation the Apos-
flfe rejoices, and gives thanks to God ; which, be it observed, to this
uay share the rights of the one instituted body with those that were
then blamed. However, grant all have erred ; grant even an Apostie
has been so mistaken as to impart his message only to a few ; grant
that the Holy Spirit has not vouchsafed to lead any -Church into the
truth, though for this cause sent by Christ, and for this cause asked

562
ofthe Father, that He might be a teacher of the truth ; grant that the
steward of God, the vicegerent of Ghrist, has neglected His office,
suffering the Churches meanwhile to tmderstand and to believe
otherwise than He himself declared by the Apostles : — is it hkely
that so many and so large Churches should have run by mistake into
one belief? Different courses have different issues : the teaching of
the Churches must then have varied in their form : but what we find
the same throughout many, is not a mistake, but a tradition. .Let a
man then be bold, and say, that they erred who first delivered it.
But, however the error arose, I suppose it reigned on as long as here
sies were unknown. Truth awaited her release by some Marcion
ites and Valentinians ; meanwhile the Gospel was preached amiss,
men believed amiss, so many thousands were baptised amiss, so many
works of faith were done amiss, so many miracles, so many spiritual
gifts were wrought amiss, somanypriesthoods, so many ministries dis
charged amiss ; finally, so many martyrdoms crowned amiss. Or, if
not altogether amiss, and in vain, what a thing is it, that the cause of
God should be in progress before it was known of what God ? — that
there should have been Christians before Christ was found ? — heresy
before true doctrine ? Nay, but in afl things the trath precedes the
image, the likeness comes after the reality ; but it is absurd enough
to suppose heresy to have come first in that teaching, even because
t is that same teaching which foretold that there should be heresies.
It was written to a Church holding that doctrine ; yea, the doctrine
itself writes to its Church: " And if an angel from heaven preach
another Gospel to you, beside that we have preached, let him be
accursed."

6.
[He next proceeds to show more fiiUy that Apostolicity is the test of truth.]
But if any heresies dare to place themselves in the Apostolic age,
that they may seem therefore to have been delivered by the Apostles,
because they existed under the Apostles ; we may say, Let them
then show the rise of their Churches, let them unroll the line of
their Bishops, so running down by succession from the beginning,
that their first Bishop may have had for his authority and predecessor
some one of the Apostles, or such Apostolic men as continued to
hold with the Apostles. For in this manner the Apostohc Churches
deduce their lines ; as the Church of the Smyrnaeans produces Poly
carp, appointed by John ; as that of the Romans, Clement, in like
manner ordained by Peter ; and as the others, in like manner, point
to those who were appointed as Bishops by the Aposties, to dehver

563
down for them the Apostohc seed. Let the heretics forge any such
records. For what is unlawful for them after blasphemy ? But
though they should have forged them they wifl gain nothing. For
their doctirine itself, compared with that ofthe Aposties, wifl declare
by its own diversity and contrariety, that it has neither any Apostie
nor any Apostolic man for its author : because as the Aposties would
not have taught different things among themselves, so neither would
the Apostohc men have put forth things contradictory to the Apostles,
excepting such men as revolted from the Aposties, and preached
otherwise. This is the challenge they will receive from those
^hurches, which though they can show none of the Aposties, or
Apostolic men, for their authority, as being much later, those even
that are rising every day ; yet conspiring in the same faith, are held
no less Apostohcal on account of their kindred doctrine. Thus let
all heresies, chaUenged by our Churches to either trial, prove them
selves Apostolic in whatever way they think right. However they
are not so, nor can prove themselves what they are not, nor are they
received into peace and communion by Churches in any sense Apos
tohcal : forasmuch as for the difference of their faith, they are in no
wise Apostolic 
Let all heresies, challenged and convicted by us on these terms,
(whether such as are later than, or contemporary with the Aposties,
so that they differ from them ; whether generally or specially marked
by them, so that they have been condemned beforehand by them,)
dare to offer in answer any similar plea against our system. For if
they deny the truth of it, they ought to convict it of heresy, by the
same method by which themselves are convicted ; and to show at
the same time where that truth is to be sought, which is now sufl5-
ciently proved not to be with them. That which we maintain is not
later : nay, it is before all others. This will be the testimony to the
truth, as every where having the precedence in time. What, in fact,
is not condemned, nay, is defended by the Aposties, this carries
proof of its being theirs. For what they do not condemn, who con
demn every alien system, they show to be their own, and, therefore,
even maintain.
Come, now, you that wish to turn this restiessness to profit in the
search after salvation ; run over the Apostolic Churches, in which
the very chairs of the Apostles still hold place of honor, in which.
the very letters they wrote are recited, echoing the voice, and imag
ing tiie person of each of them. Is Achaia nearest to you ? You
have Corinth. If you are not far from Macedonia, you have Phflippi,
you have the Thessalonians. If you can reach Asia, you have
Ephesus. But if you are in the neighborhood of Italy, you have
Rome, whence we also draw our own authority. How happy is that
Church ! where the Aposties poured forth their whole doctrine toge
ther with their blood ; where Peter is likened in suffering to the

564
Lord ; where Paul is crowned with an end like the Baptist's ;
where the Apostie John, having been plunged in heated oil and
suffered nothing, was banished to his island. Let us see what this
Church has learned, what she has taught, what tokens she has sent
of doctrine to the African Churches. She knows One God, the Cre
ator of the universe, and Christ Jesus of the Virgin Mary, the Son
of the Creator, and the resurrection of the flesh ; she unites the Law
and the Prophets with the Evangelical and Apostolical writings, and
thence brings her faith. This she signs with water, clothes with the
Holy Spirit, feeds with the eucharist, encourages by martyrdom, and
therefofe will acknowledge no one who opposes it. This is the
teaching, I say not now which foretold future heresies, but out of
which heresies have arisen, though they ceased to be scions of it
from the time that they opposed it. Even from the kernel of the
mild, rich, and serviceable olive, a harsh wild olive springs ; even
from the seed of the most delicious and sweetest fig, a wayward and
barren wild fig tree arises. Thus, also, heresies are from us, not of
us, degenerate from the stock of truth, and rimning into weeds
of falsehood.

(Ad Populum)
No. XIX.
St. Cyprian on the Unity of the Church.
St. Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage, and was martyred in the
Valerian persecution, a. d. 258. His authority stands very high in
the Church, from his early date, and from the force and magnanimity
of his character. He was originally a teacher of rhetoric, and was
converted to Christianity by one Cascilius, a priest, whose name he
afterwards assumed. From the time he was a Catechumen, (i. e.
a candidate for baptism,) he devoted himself to the stricter form of
Christian obedience, believing that in this way he should best arrive
at the knowledge of divine truth ; according to the text (John vii. 17.)
" If any man will do His will, he shafl know of the doctrine," &c.
Soon after he was baptised he sold his goods to assist the poor. He
was afterwards ordained Priest ; and, on the death of the Bishop of
Carthage, elected in his place. During the Decian persecution, he
was clamorously demanded of the populace at the heathen shows,
to be thrown to the wfld beasts, and in consequence retired from Car
thage to a place of safety, where he remained tifl the fury of the
enemies of Christ abated. Some years afterwards the persecution

565
was renewed under the emperor Valerian, when he was banished, by
the Roman governor, to a city at some distance from Carthage.
Here he remained eleven months, and at the end of this time was
arrested by his persecutors, and beheaded in the neighborhood of his
see, on September 14, a.d.~258.
His treatise on the Unity of the Church is especially valuable, as
showing the clear and complete view taken by Christians at that
eiprly period, of the doctrine of the One Holy Cathohc Church, as
confessed in the Creed, and maintained by the Church of England,
in her Prayer Book and by her great Divines, at this day. It seems
to have been written in consequence of a noted rehgious disturbance
of the day, cafled the Novatian Schism.

1.
Heresy and Schism are snares of the Devil.
" Forasmuch as our Lord has given us these words of admonition,
' Ye are the salt of the earth,' and commands us not only to maintain
an innocent simplicity of character, but to be prudent as wefl as sim
ple ; ought we not, therefore, my beloved brethren, to keep ourselves
ever on the watch, and by anxious and active vigilance to detect and
disarm the treachery of our spiritual foe ? Let not us, who in Christ
have been clothed with wisdom from God the Father, yet prove our
selves to lack wisdom for the protection of our eternal interests. The
servants of God have other species of hostihiy to fear, besides that
which would overthrow them by direct opposition, and undisguised
assaults. It is easy to be cautious if the danger is before our
eyes ; for when the foe declares himself, the mind is forearmed for
the battie. But fear and caution become more needful, when the
enemy steals upon us in a lurking way, and deceives by pretence
of amity : an enemy that moves towards his ends by gestures of so
subtie a description as to have acquired therefrom the name of Ser
pent. Such ever have been the arts of that being; such the dark
and insidious plots, by which he makes man his victim ; by such,
in the beginning of the world, he wrought his deceptions, and de
ceived, with the blandishment of lying flatteries, the incautious cre
dulity of simple souls. And so too he tried to tempt the Lord Him
self, approaching Him by stealth, as if, for the second time, he would
gain his end by evading suspicion : he was, however, detected and
overpowered, his repulse resulting from his detection. Here, then,^
we have a lesson before us, of avoiding the way of ' the old man,'
and treading in the footsteps of our victorious Saviour ; lest we faU
back, from incaution, into the snares of death, and fail, through our

566
neglect of prospective dangers, to possess the immortality which has
been gained for us. And how can that immortality be ours, unless
we keep those commandments of Christ whereby death is driven out
and subdued ? For Christ Himself has warned us in these words,
' If thou wflt enter into life, keep the commandments.' And again ;
' If ye do the things I command you, henceforth I call you not ser
vants, but friends.' In fine, it is to those who act thus, that he
applies the distinction of strength and consistency ; and speaks of
them as founded in massive solidity upon a rock, rearing themselves
amidst all the storms and blasts of this world, in tranquil and motion
less stability. ' Whosoever,' He saith, ' heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them, I will hken him unto a wise man which bmlt
his house upon a rock : the rain descended, the floods came, the
winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was
founded upon a rock.' We ought then to repose upon His mandates :
all that He has taught and done we ought to learn and to do. Yet
how can any man say that he believes in Christ, when he does not
those things which Christ has commanded him to do ? How shall
the reward of faith belong to the man who keeps no faith with the
commandment ? Such an one is surely tottering, and will fall away,
wafted about by the blasts of error, like dust in a whirlwind ; for
he who walks not in the way of trath, can make no advance towards
salvation. " We must, therefore, my beloved brethren, regard with suspicion,
not only those dangers which are open and manifest, but those still
more, which steal treacherously upon us. And in these times, when
light is come unto the nations, and the beams of salvation brealc forth
to restore and save, when the deaf hear the voice of spiritual grace,
the blind open their eyes upon their God, the sick grow strong unto
etemal health, the lame hasten unto the Christian communion, and
the dumb break out in the expressive accents of prayer, can
there be any stronger instance of treachery and stratagem than for
this enemy, when he sees the idols left alone, and shrines and tem
ples deserted by the nations of them that believe, to devise the novel
artifice of deceiving the credulity even of those who bear the name
and title of Christians ? Heresy and schism axe his invention, for
the subversion of faith, the corruption of truth, the division of unity.
Those whom he can retain no longer in the blindness of the former
way, he circumvents by betraying them into deviation from their
new progress. He tears men away from the Church ; and while
they imagine themselves to have come unto the light, and to have
escaped the night of this world, he secretly infuses.a second acces
sion of darkness ; so that they continue to call themselves Christians
whfle they stand not by the Gospel of Christ, and never heed or obey
Him. They walk in darkness, and think they have light ; whfle the
enemy flatters and deceives them, transforming himself, as the Apos-

667

tie says, into an angel of light, and dressing out his emissaries as
the ministers of righteousness. These are the maintainers of night
for day, of death for salvation, of despair for proffered hope, of per
fidy pretending honor, and anti-Christ instead of Christ. They invest
falsehood in probabflities, and employ stratagem for the frastration
oftrutii."

The Unity of the Church-system is represented in symbol by our
Lord's words to St. Peter.
" These results, my beloved brethren, will continue to operate, so
J as men neglect the source whence truth came, by never looking
back to the Head over all, or keeping up the form of doctrine, which
was delivered to us by our Heavenly Teacher. With those who
will weigh the subject in their thoughts, and search it out, it wfll not
be necessary to employ any protracted considerations or arguments.
It is easy to argue with a faithful mind, because truth in that case
may be stated with brevity. The Lord saith unto Peter, ' I say unto
thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I wifl give
unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shafl be loosed in heaven.' And again he
says to him, one and the same, after his resurrection, ' Feed my
sheep.' He builds his Church on one. And though He gives an
equal power to afl the Aposties, saying, ' As my Father hath sent
me, even so send I you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whoseso
ever sins ye remit, they shafl be remitted to him ; whosesoever sins
ye retain, they shall be retained :' — yet in order to indicate the prin
ciple of unity, he has by his own act estabhshed the origin of that
unity in the person of one individual. There was no distinction be
tween St. Peter and the other Aposties, but afl participated together
in honor and power ; yet the selection of one individual is the first
act in the Church, that the Church may be flself shown to be one ;
and this one Church the Holy Spirit hath in the Song of Songs de
signated and declared, ' My dove, my spotiess one, is but one ; she
is the only one of her mother, elect of her that bare her.' "

568

Episcopacy is a witness for Unity.
" He who holds not this unity of the Church, does he think that
he holds the faith ? When a inan struggles against the Church, and
resists it, does he suppose that he continues to belong to it ? For
surely the blessed Apostie St. Paul teaches the same thing, and in
dicates the sacredness of unity in these words : ' There is one body,
and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calhng;
one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God.' This unity it is our
duty to hold and vindicate with firmness, especiafly we bishops who
preside in the Church, that we may approve our Episcopal authority
to be founded in one indivisible principle. Let no man injure
the brotherhood by deception ; let no man corrupt the trath of our
faith by faithless concessions. Episcopal authority is founded in
one principle ; and the tenure of this authority, however distributed,
is associated with a recognition of its indivisible principle. The
Church, too, is one, though multiplied far and wide by its naturally
prolific tendency : in like manner as the sun has rays many, yet one
hght ; and the tree has many boughs, yet their strength, from the
root upwards, is a single property ; and when many streams flow
from one head, a character of multiplicity may be developed in the
copiousness of their discharge, and yet the unity of their nature must
be recognised, in the fountain they proceed from. Divide the ray
from the sun, and the principle of unity will negative their separa
tion ; lop the bough from the tree, it will want strength to blossom ;
cut the stream from its fountain, the remnant will be dried up. Thus
the Church, invested with light from the Lord, sends out her irays
over the whole earth ; and yet the light is one, disseminated every
where, with no separation of the original body : she stretches forth
the rich luxuriance of her branches over afl the world, and pours out
her onward streams, and spreads into the distance ; yet there is
one head, one source, one mother, in all the instances of her eventful
fecundity."

4.
The Church is ordained by Christ as the fountain of spiritual life.
" It is from her we receive our birth : her milk is our nourish
ment ; her breath, our life. The spouse of Christ is a spotiess
spouse ; she is incorraptible, and pure ; she recognises but one home.

569
and secures by her purity the sanctity of but one alliance. She keeps
us as the property of God, and vindicates to His sons their royal in
heritance. Whosoever separates from the Church declares himself
an alien, and cuts himself off from the inheritance which the Church
promises. He cannot obtain the reward which Christ gives, who
leaves the Church which Christ has established : he is an alien : he
is impure : he is an enemy. God is no more our Father when we
cease to be children of the Church. If any one of those escaped
who were without the ark of Noah, then wifl he escape, who tres
passes beyond the pale of the Church. The Lord hath given us
these words of warning, ' He who is not with me is against me ; and
he who gathereth not with me scattereth.' He who breaks the
peace and concord of Christ, sets himself against Christ. He who
gathereth elsewhere but in the Church, scattereth the Church of
Christ."

5.
One God and Saviour, one Church.
"The Lord saith, 'I and the Father are one;' and again, of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, it is written, 'and these Three
are One.' And does any man believe that this unity, resting in
strength from above, and formed by the consecration of Heaven, can
be cut asunder in the Church, and separated by the opposition of
clashing opinions ? He who holds not this unity, holds not the law
of God, holds not the faith of Father and Son, holds not the truth
unto salvation. This consecration of unity, this bond of union in
separably coherent, is exhibited in the place in the Gospel, where
the coat of our Lord Jesus Christ is left entire by persons casting
lots for it : so that the garment, instead of being parted, becomes a
single possession, and is delivered over complete and perfect. Holy
Scripture has these words: 'But for the coat, because it was not
sewed, but woven from the top throughout, they said one to another,
Let us not rend it, but cast lots whose it shafl be." Here unity de
scended from the top, to denote that it proceeds from heaven and
from the Father. And it was out ofthe question for the receiver or
possessor of it to rend it, but he took possession of the whole piece,
as a complete and imited substance. He wears not Christ's garment,
who cuts and sunders Christ's Church. Now, on the other hand,
when, on Solomon's death, his kingdom and people were divided,
Ahijah the prophet, meeting Jeroboam the king in the field, divided
his garment into twelve parts, saying. Take unto thee ten pieces : for
thus saith the Lord, Behold, I rend the kingdom out of the hand of
72

570

Solomon, and wifl give ten tribes to thee, and two tribes shafl belong
to him, for my servant David's sake, and for Jerasalem, the city
which I have chosen, to place my name there. When the twelve
tribes of Israel were divided, the prophet Ahijah rent his garment.
But because Christ's people cannot be rent, his coat bemg woven
and conjoined throughout, was not divided by its owners. United, con
joined, co-entwined, it shows the inseparable concord of us, the peo
ple who put on Christ : so that, in this holy instance of his garment,
he manifests the unity of the Church."

(Ad Populum.)
No. XX.
St. Cyprian on the Unity of the Church, (continued.)

6.
The one Church Catholic, and one only, in every place.
Who then is the criminal and the traitor, who so mad and reck
less a schismatic, as either to credit the practicability, or venture on
the attempt of putting asunder what God has made one ; this gar
ment of the Lord, the Church of Christ ? He teaches. He warns
us, in His Gospel, " There shall be one fold and one shepherd."
And does any suppose that there can be, in one place, either many
shepherds or many folds ? So too the Apostle, suggesting the same
imity, implores and exhorts us ; "I beseech you, brethren, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye aU speak the same thing,
and that there be no schisms among you ; but that ye be joined
together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." And again
he says, " bearing one another's burthens in love, doing afl to pre
serve the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace." Thinlc you that
any can stand and live, who retires from the Church, and forms for
himself other habitations and a different home ? whereas, it was said
to Rahab, in whom was prefigured the Church, " Thy father, and thy
mother, and thy brethren, and all the house of thy father, thou shalt
gather unto thee into thine house, and it shall come to pass, whoso
ever shafl go abroad beyond the door of thine house, his blood shafl

571
be on his own head." So the Paschal sacrifice contains this simple
mandate in the law of Exodus, that the lamb which is slain, as pre-
figurative of Christ, must be eat in one house. " In one house shaU
ye eat it, saith the Lord : ye shafl not send fls flesh abroad from the
house." The flesh of Christ, the Lord's Sacrament, cannot be sent
out of doors : and behevers have no other home, but the Church only.
This home, this hostehy of love, the Holy Spirit designates and ex
presses in the Psalms, saying, " God who maketh men to dwefl with
one mind in an house." In the house of God, in the Church of
Christ, men live together with one mind, in concord and simpficity
continuing. Therefore, likewise the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a
dove : a simple and joyous animal, not mischievous in its nature, nor
dangerous from the use either of its beak or talons ; recognising in
its affections one single home ; each pair nurturing together their
common offspring ; consorting in their flight when they wander
abroad, passing their lives in mutual intercourse ; indicating by the
gesture of their bills the peacefulness of their union, and every way
fiilfilling the law of love. The same singleness of mind ought to be
seen in the Church, and the same intercourse of affection be main
tained ; our love of the brotherhood ought to have its pattern in the
doves ; our mildness and gentleness to be copied from lambs and
sheep. Has the spirit of a Christian aught to do with the fierceness
of the wolf, or the rage of the dog, the deadly poison of serpents,
and the untamed ferocity of wild beasts ? We should rejoice that
such foes are shut out from the Church, lest they waste the doves
and the sheep of Christ, by their cruel and poisonous contagion.
There can be no amalgamation, no co-union of bitter with sweet, of
darkness with hght, of fair weather with foul, of war with peace, of
plenty with dearth, of drought with fountains, of calm with storm.

7.
Schism an evidence of presumption and perverseness.
Let it not be thought, that those are good men who withdraw from
the Church. The wind never carries away the wheat, nor do storms
overthrow the tree which has a solid root to rest on. It is the empty
straw that the tempest tosses, it is the sapless tree that the blast of
wind overthrows. It is men like these, that the Apostie John points
out with a reproach, " they went forth from us, but they were not of
us ; for if they had been of us, surely they would have remained with
us." Hence, often have heresies arisen, and hence do rise, while the
per\'erse spirit puts a period to peace, and perfidy and discord exclude

572
unity. But the Lord permits and suffers these thmgs to be done,
maintaining the continuance of individual free-will, that while the
heart and spirit are weighed in the balance of truth, the perfect faith
of them that are approved may be distinguished and ascertained.
The Holy Spirit forewarns us by the Apostle, and says, " it is need
ful also, that heresies should be, that they which are approved may
be made manifest among you." Thus are the faithful approved, and
thus the faithless detected : so that even before the day of judgment
the souls of the righteous are separated from the unrighteous, the
wheat distinguished from the chaff.
These are they who take upon them, God not wiUing, to preside
over their rash companions, establish themselves in authority without
any lawful ordination, and assume the name of Bishop, when no man
gives them a Bishopric. These the Holy Spirit marks out in the
Psalms, as sitting in the seat of the noxious ; a plague and infection
of the faith, deceiving with the serpent's mouth, wise to corrupt
truth, breathing out poison unto death with pestilential tongues ;
whose words eat like a canker, whose writings pour a deadly
poison into every breast and heart. Against these the Lord
cries out, and reins back and recalls His wandering people,
saying, " Hearken not unto the words of the prophets which
prophesy falsely, for the vision of their heart maketh them vain.
They speak, but not from the mouth of the Lord ; they say to those
who cast away the word of God, there shall be peace unto you ; and
to afl that walk in their own pleasures, every one who walketh in the
error of his own heart, evfl shafl not come upon him. I have not spo
ken unto them, and they have of their own selves prophesied ; if they
had stood in me, and had heard my words, and had taught my people,
I would have converted them from their evil thoughts." These same
persons the Lord again designates and denotes, saying, " They have
deserted Me, the fountain of living water, and have made for them
selves broken cisterns, which cannot hold water." There can be but
one true Baptism ; and yet they think they can baptise. They desert
the fountain of life, yet hold out the gift of a living and health-giving
water. Men are not cleansed by them, but rather are made filthy :
their sins are not wiped away, but verily are heaped up. They are
born, not the sons of God, but sons of Satan : they are gendered of
perfidy, they have lost the gift of faith, they cannot arrive unto the
reward of peace, for they have destroyed the peace of the Lord by
discord and fury.

573

8.
Conventicles have no claim to Christ's promised favors.
Let no man deceive himself by a mistaken interpretation of the
Lord's words, " wheresoever two or three are gathered together in
My name, I am with them." Those who corrapt and falsely inter-
fiiet the Scriptures, state the latter part of the passage, and omit the
ormer : they attend to one part, and the other they artfully suppress.
As themselves are separated from the Church, so do they sunder the
purport of a passage which should be undivided. For the Lord, in
urging His disciples to maintain unanimity and peace, saith, " I say
imto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, touching any thing
which ye shafl ask, it shall be given you by my Father which is in
heaven. For wheresoever two or three shafl be gathered together in
My name, I am with them." Showing that a value is put, not on the
number of those who pray, but on their unanimity ; " If," He saith,
" two of you on earth shall agree together." Unanimity is put first :
a peaceful agreement is the previous promise ; He faithfully and firm
ly teaches, that we must agree together. Yet how can any individual
be said to agree with another, when he does not agree with the great
body and general brotherhood of the Church ? How can two or three
be gathered together in Christ's name, when they are beyond ques
tion separated from Christ, and from His Gospel ? We do not leave
them, but they leave us ; and inasmuch as heresies and schisms are
naturally gendered of persons forming for themselves separate places
of meeting, they are therefore deserters from the source and origin of
truth. But the Lord speaks of His Church, and says, in reference to
those who are in the Church, that if they be of one mind, if, in the
words of His mandate and lesson, but two or three of them gather
together and offer up the prayer of one heart, two or three though
they be, they wifl be enabled to receive from the Divine Majesty
whatever they pray for. "'Wherever two or three are gathered to
gether in My name, I," saith He, " am with them,"— that ^is, with
the single-hearted and peaceful, those who fear God, and keep His
commandments. With them. He says that He is, though they be
but two or three. So was He, with the three children in the burmng
fiery furnace : and because they had a single heart for God, and stood
in concord together. He poured breezy dews over them, enveloped as
they were by the surrounding flames. So also with the two Apos
tles who were shut in prison, because they were of one mmd and
one spirit. He was present : and drawing back the bolts of their cell,
led them again into the market-place of the city, that they might
make known to the multitude that word which they faithfully

574
preached. When, therefore. He lays it down in His commandment,
and says, " when two or three are gathered together in My name, I
am with them," He divides not men from the Church, Himself its
Author and Maker, but reproaching the faithless with their dis
cord, and in expressive terms commending peace to the faithful,
jlie shows that He is more present with two or three that pray
v,'ith one heart than with many persons not agreeing together :
and that more may be gained by the united request of a few, than
from the prayers of many where discord is among them. It is
hence that when He gave rules for prayer He added, " when ye
stand and pray, forgive whatever ye have against another, that your
Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your sins." And
any who comes with a quarrel to the sacrifice. He cafls back from
the altar, and tells him first to agree with his brother, and then
return in peace, and present his oblation to God ; for neither had
God respect unto Cain's sacrifice ; for he could not have God at
peace with him, who through envy and discord was not at peace
with his brother.

Schism is not expatiated by Martyrdom.
What prospect then of peace have they, who are foes to the breth
ren ? What sacrifice do they think they celebrate, when they
become rivals of the priesthood ? When gathered together beyond
the pale of the Church, do they stfll believe that Christ is in the
midst of them ? Though men like these were kflled in the profes
sion of their faith, not even by their blood would their spot be washed
out. The offence of discord is a weighty offence ; it inchides no
expiation, and is absolved by no sufferings. He cannot be a Martyr,
who is not in the Church ; he cannot attain unto the kingdom who
leaveth her to whom the kingdom shall be given. Christ gave us
peace. He told us to be of one heart and one mind. He directed that
the alliance of affection and endearment should be preserved un
broken and inviolate ; so that those who do not maintain the love of
brethren can lay no claims to the honors of martyrdom. The Apostle
Paul supports this position by the language he has used : " and
though I have faith so that I can remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing ; and though I give afl my goods to feed the
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity,
it profiteth me nothing. Charity is of lofty spirit, charity is kind,
charity envieth not, charity acteth not amiss, is not puffed up, is not
angered, thinketh no evil, is content with afl things, beheveth all

575

things, hopeth afl things, endureth afl things ; charity never faileth."
" Charity, he saith, " never fafleth." For it will continue to reign
for ever, presenting an etemal centre of union to the brotherhood
that curcles around it Into the kingdom of Heaven discord can never
enter. It meets with no reward from that Saviour who said " This
is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved
you." He cannot belong to Christ, who violates the love of Christ
by faithless dissensions. He who liveth not in charity hveth not in
God. It is the word of John, the blessed Apostie : " God," saith he
"is love : and he who dwefleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God
in him." They cannot remain with God, who wifl not remam with
one heart in God's Church. Though they be cast to the flame and to
the fire to be burnt, or lay down their lives by being a prey to wild
beasts, they wifl gain, not the crown of faith, but the penalty of per
fidy ; — their end, not the glorious consummation of rehgious excel
lence, but the death-blow of despair. Such men may attam unto
death, but never can attain unto the crown.

(ad Populum)
No. XXI.
St. Cyprian on-the Unity of the Churchy (concluded.)

10,
False prophets have been foretold.
They profess themselves Christians after the manner in which the
Devfl puts on Christ : as the Lord himself forewarns us, and says,
" Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ." As he is
not Christ, though he deceives men with His name, so neither can
that man be called a Christian, who does not stand in the trath of
Christ's Gospel and in faith. To prophesy, to cast out devils, to
show great signs on earth, is a high and wonderful thing ; yet the
man that does these things possesses not the kingdom of heaven,
unleas he walk in the observance of the strait and right way. The
Lord hath uttered this denunciation. " Many shafl say to Me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy
name cast out Devfls, and in Thy name done great wonders? and
then wifl I say imto them, I never knew you : Depart fiom Me, ye that

576
work iniquity." Righteousness is the thing needful, before we can
gain the favor of God our Judge. We must obey His commands and
warnings, that we may be found meet for our reward. When the
Lord in the Gospel would point out with a compendious brevity the
\aih of our hope and faith. He says, " the Lord thy God is one ;
-id thou shalt love the Lord thy God with afl thy heart, and with all
•y soul, and with afl thy strength : this is the first commandment ;
and the second is hke unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Pro
phets." He teaches, according to His office, unity and love. In
two commandments he includes all the law and the prophets. But
what unity does he keep, what love does he maintain, or have a
thought for, who in the mad heat of discord smiders the Church, pufls
down its faith, confounds its peace, scatters its love, and profanes its
sacraments ?

II.
Apostacy in the last times.
Long ago, my beloved brethren, this calamity arose ; but the odious
pestilence has now advanced in magnitude, and the poisonous mor
tality of heretical perverseness and schism has begun to stretch up
ward, and put out its luxuriance. Thus it was to be in the latter
days of the world, for the Holy Spirit so prophesied and forewarned
us by the Apostle. " In the last days," saith He, " troublous days
shall come, and men shafl be lovers of their ownselves, proud, boast
ers, covetous, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious,
without natural affection, trucebreakers, traitors, heady, swollen with
stupidity, loving pleasures more than God, having the form of godli
ness, but denying its power. Of this sort are they which creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with
divers lusts ; ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth. Now as Jamnes and Mambres resisted Moses, so do
these also resist the truth ; men of corrapt minds, reprobate con
cerning faith, yet shafl they not much prevail ; for their folly shafl be
manifest unto afl men, as their's also was." AU that was predicted
is fulfifled ; and now that the last days are arrived, the trial of our
faith, in respect both of men and times, is come upon us. As the
fury of our adversary increases, error deceives, ignorance exalts, envy
inflames, cupidity bhnds, impiety depraves, pride inflates, discord
exasperates, and anger hurries men along. Let not, however, this
gross and unexpected unbelief of the many move or disturb us :
rather let our faith be conflrraed through tlie confidence created by

577
itg being announced beforehand. In the same way as some have
begun to be of this character, because it was before predicted, so let
the other brethren be on their guard against these men ; for this too
is predicted, the Lord having prepared us by saying, " but be ye on
your guard : behold I have told you all before it come to pass." I
entreat you to avoid such men, and drive off their pernicious con
verse from beside you, and from your hearing, as though it were a
mortal pestflence. As it is written, " hedge thine ears with thorns,
and be unwilhng to hear a wicked tongue." And again, " evfl com
munications corrupt good manners." The Lord teaches and admon
ishes us to retire from such men. He speaks of the blind leading
the blind ; if the blind lead the bhnd, both shafl fafl into the ditch.
That man ought to be avoided and exiled from our society, who is
separated from the Church. Such a man is perverse, and a sinner,
and condemns himself. Does the man think himself with Christ,
who strives against the Christian priesthood, and separates himself
from the converse of Christ's clergy and people ? He is bearmg
arms against the Church ; he is ^ghting against God's ordinances,
a foe to the altar, a rebel against Christ's sacrifice, for honor faith
less, for religion sacrflegious, a servant without obedience, a son
without piety, a brother without love, setting at nought the Bishops,
and despising the priests of his God, he audaciously builds another
altar, offers up the unhallowed accents of a separate prayer, and pro
fanes with false sacrifices the truth of the Dominical victim. He is
not permitted to be wiser since he who strives against the ordinances
of God is punished for his temerity and daring by divine reprehension.

12.
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are a warning to us.
Thus Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who endeaVored to assume to
themselves a license to sacrifice in opposition to Moses, and Aaron
the priest, forthwith paid the penalties of their attempts. The earth
burst its fastenings, and opened the depth of its bosom, and whfle
they stood erect and alive, they were swallowed up by the parting
gulf And not only were the leaders smitten with the anger of an
indignant God, but two hundred and fifty besides, who were partak
ers and associates in the same mad undertaking, and had gathered
together with these in the same daring spirit, were with speedy ven
geance consumed by the fire that went forth from the Lord : warning
men, and proving to them, that whatsoever bad men, by human will,
attempt for the overthrow of God's ordinances, is done contrary to
God's will. Thus also Azias the king when he took the censer,
73

578
and violently took upon him to sacrifice, in opposition to the law .of
God, and on Azarias the priest resisting, refused to be obedient and
give way, confounded by the Divine anger, was marked by the spot
of leprosy on his forehead ; on that part of his body marked by his
offended Lord, on which they are marked who have found favor in
His sight. The sons also of Aaron, who placed strange fire on the
altar, which the Lord had not commanded, were at once consumed
by an avenging God. Now all these have their sect and foflowers
in them, who despise the tradition of God, and follow after strange
doctrines, clothing themselves with the institutions of man's device ;
these the Lord reproaches and upbraids in His Gospel, saying, " Ye
reject the commandment of God, that ye may estabhsh your own
tradition."

13.
Schismatising is more heinous than lapsing, and nullifies
confessorship.
This crime is worse than that which backsliders appear to com
mit ; and these indeed, when they revert to a state of penitence, de
precate God's wrath by the necessary course. In their case the
Church is considered and appealed to ; in the other it is opposed.
In the former instance there may have been a force introduced ; in
the latter free-will forms a proportion of the sin in question. The
backslider injures only himself ; but whoever attempts the commis
sion of heresy and schism, betrays many by drawing them after him.
In the one case one soul is brought to fall ; in the other very many
are in jeopardy. The backslider is undoubtedly aware of his trans
gression, and laments and mourns it ; the other, inflated, though
guilty, and finding complacency in his sins, separates sons from their
mother, entices the sheep from their shepherd, and disturbs the sac
raments of God. Moreover the sin of the backslider is single, while
the heretic's is reiterated day by day ; and lastly the backslider, if
he afterward attain tmto martyrdom, may receive the promises of
the kingdom ; but the other, if put to death beyond the limits of the
Church, has no title to the rewards which to the Church belong.
And let no man wonder, my beloved brethren, that certain confes
sors also adventure thus far, and thereby draw others into enormities,
so unspeakably great. For neither does martyrdom involve a secu
rity from the crafts of the Devfl, or offer a perpetual immunity to
men, whfle yet they remain in this world, against the worid's temp
tations, dangers, assaults, and attacks. "Were it so, we should never
witness in confessors those instances of fraud, fornication, and adul-

579
tery, over which we now groan and grieve. Be a confessor who he
may, he is neither a greater or a better man than Solomon, nor one
more dear to God. As long as Solomon walked in the ways of the
Lord, so long he retained that grace which God had given him :
when he deserted the way of the Lord, he lost also the grace of God,
according to that which is written, " and the Lord raised up Satan
against Solomon." Therefore also it is written, " keep what thou
hast, lest another receive thy crown." Surely God had not threat
ened that the crown of righteousness should be taken away, unless,
when righteousness ceases, the crown must cease also. Confession
opens an access to glory, but in itself merits not the crown. It does
not perfect praise, but opens the way to a good degree. And since
it is written, " whosoever perseveres unto the end, he shafl be saved,"
all that occurs before the end, is the step whereby we mount to the
height of salvation, not the end of the course, at which the summit
of the pinnacle is attained. Is any a confessor ? His danger after
a confession is greater, because the adversary is more provoked.
Is he a confessor ? He ought for that very reason to stand by the
Gospel of the Lord, having through the Gospel attained unto the
Lord's glory. For the Lord says, " to whom much is given, of him
shall much be required," the proportion of obedience required is
measured by the degree of dignity conceded. May none ever perish
through the example of a confessor ! May no man leam injustice,
insolence, or perfidy of a confessor's conduct ! Is any a confessor ?
Let him be humble and peaceful : let him be modest and disciplined
in all he does. As one who is entitled a confessor of Christ, let him
imitate that Christ whom he confesses. For whereas He saith,
" he who exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he who humbleth
himself shall be exalted ;" and whereas He was himself exalted by
the Father, because on earth He humbled himself, as the Word, the
Power, the Wisdom of God the Father, how can He show favor to
exaltation, who has at once recommended us in His commandment
to be humble, and has received from the Father, in recompence of
His humiliation, a name that is above every name ? Is any a con
fessor of Christ ? it is only if the majesty and dignity of Christ be
not evfl spoken of through him. Let not the tongue that confesses
Christ speak evfl : let it not be found turbulent, or allow the language
of reproach and discord to be heard from it. Let it not, after rightly
speaking, hurl poison of the serpent against the brethren and priests
of God. But if a man afterwards become guflty and hateful, if he
betrays his profession by evil conversation, and dishonors his life by
baseness and profligacy ; if lastiy, after being a confessor he becomes
a deserter from the Church, sunders the concord of unity, and ex
changes what was faith before for unbelief afterwards, he cannot
flatter himself that by confession he is elected to the reward of glory,
since from this very cause have penalties more condign ensued ; for

580
the Lord elected Judas among His Aposties, and yet Judas after
wards betrayed his Lord.
The faith and firmness of the Aposties did not fafl in consequence
of the secession from their society of Judas the betrayer ; nor is the
sanctity and dignity of the confessors necessarily impaired, because
certain of them break the faith. The blessed Apostle in his Epistie
thus speaks : " For what if certain of them fell from the faith, does
their faithlessness bring to nought the faithfulness of God ? God
forbid." God is " true though every man be a liar." The greater
and better portion of the confessors stand firm in the strength of its
faith, and in the law and teaching of the Lord. Those who feel that
God has in the Church thought them worthy to find grace, do not re
tire from the peace of the Church : but from this very cause the
title of their faith becomes more illustrious, because withdrawing
from the perfidy of those who had been associated in the fellowship
of their profession, they have come out from the contagion of guflt,
and being illumined by the triie light of the Gospel, and irradiated
with pure and spotiess lustre from the Lord, their glory is as great
in preserving the peace of Christ, as had been their triumph when
they fought against Satan.

14.
The duty of ivithdrawing from Schismatics.
It is my desire, most beloved brethren, and likewise I advise and
exhort you, that if it be possible, no brother perish, and that our joyful
mother may embrace in her bosom the undivided assemblage of her
consenting congregation. But if wholesome counsel is unable to recal
to the way of salvation certain leaders of schism and authors of
dissension, who stand fast in blind and reckless madness, yet let
those others among you, who are either betrayed by simpleness or
seduced by error, or deceived by the artifices of some treacherous
deception, withdraw from the snares of falsehood, free your wander
ing steps from error, and recognise the strait path which leads to
heaven. These are the words of the Apostle's exhortation ; " We
command you," saith he, " by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to withdraw from all brethren that walk inordinately, and not accord
ing to that tradition which they have received from us." And again
he says, " let no man deceive you by vain words ; for because of
these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobe
dience. Be ye not partakers with them." We must remove our
selves from them that walk aside ; in any event we must avoid them,
lest while joining them who walk wrongly, and treading in the paths

581
of error and guilt, any man go aside from the way of truth, and
become entangled in their guilt. There is one God, there is one
Christ, one Church which is His, one faith, one people, conjoined
by the bond of concord in the solid unity of one body. The unity
cannot be sundered, the individual body cannot be separated by the
dissolution of its joints, or be torn in pieces by the rending of its
scattered elements. Whatsoever cometh forth from the womb can
not live and breathe in separate portions ; it loses the source of
existence. The Holy Spirit warns us and, says, "What man is
there who wishes to live, and would fain see good days ? Refrain
thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that tiiey speak no gufle. Eschew
evil and do good ; seek peace and ensue it." The son of peace
ought to seek and to pursue peace ; and to refrain his tongue from the
calamity of dissension ; if he has felt and loves the bond of charity.
Among His divine mandates and salutary lessons, our Lord when
nigh to His passion, added this one : " Peace I leave with you ;
my peace I give unto you." This inheritance Christ to us hath
given. All the gifts He outholds and the rewards He promises are
involved in the preservation of peace. If we are heirs of Christ,
let us continue in Christ's peace. If we are the sons of God, we
ought to be peaceable. " Blessed," saith He, " are the peaceable,
for they shall be called the sons of God." Need is that the sons of
God should be peaceable, mild in heart, simple in language, united
in affection, faithfully attached each to the other by the bonds of
unanimity. This unanimity once existed under the Apostles: so
that the new assemblage of believers kept the Lord's commandment
and maintained its charity. Holy Scripture saith in proof, " the
multitude of them that believed acted with one heart and soul." And
again, " and they afl continued with one heart in communion with
the women, and with Mary the mother of Christ, and with His
brethren." And therefore they prayed effectuafly, and were with
confidence enabled to obtain whatsoever they required of their Lord's
mercy.

15.
Suddenness of Christ's coming.
Among us, however, there is as great a defect of unanimity as there
is a falling off in the work^ of charity. Men m those days gave
houses and lands for sale, and laying up for themselves treasure m
heaven, presented the price to the Aposties, for distribution among
the necessitous. But now we do not even give tithes of our estates,
and whfle the Lord saith " sefl," we rather buy and gather up. 1 hus

582
is it that the power of faith languishes, and the believer's strength
sinks : and therefore the Lord, in respect of this our age, saith in
His Gospel, " When the Son of Man cometh, think you that He
wfll find faith on the earth ?" We see that done which He predicted.
In the fear of God, in the law of righteousness, in love, in works,
faith is not. No man, in fear of the future, takes thought for the day
of the Lord and the anger of God ; and no man contemplates the
punishment which is to come on unbelievers, and the etemal torments
decreed to the faithless. That which our conscience would fear if
it believed, because it beheves not, it does not fear ; if it believed,
it would become cautious ; if made cautious, it would escape. Let
us awake, my beloved brethren, as far as we can ; let us break
through the slumbers of our former sloth, and rise up to observe and
perform the commandments of our Lord. Let us be such as He
bade us to be ; " let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning,
and be ye like unto men who await their Lord, when he cometh
from the marriage, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may
open unto Him : blessed are those servants, whom their Lord when
he cometh shafl find watching." We must gird ourselves up, lest
when the day of haste cometh. He find us hindered and impe'ded.
Let our light shine in good works, let it so beam, as to lead us on
from the night of this world to the splendors of etemal glory.
Let us be always anxiously and cautiously on the wait for the sudden
coming of our Lord, that when he knocketh, our faith may be found
watching, and may receive the reward of vigilance from the Lord.
If these commandments are kept, and these warnings and lessons
maintained, it wifl not be for us to slumber, and so be subdued by
the wiles of Satan, but we shall reign in the kingdom of Christ, as
servants that have been found watching.

ST. CYPRIAN'S ACCOUNT OF HIS BAPTISM.
From his Treatise on the Grace of God, addressed to Donatus.
For me, while I yet lay in darkness and bewildering night, and
was tossed to and fro on the billows of this troublesome world, igno
rant of my true life, an outcast from light and truth, I used to think
that second birth, which Divine Mercy promised for my salvation, a
hard saying according to the life I then led ; as if a man could be so
quickened to a new life in the laver of healing water, as to put off
his natural self, and keep his former tabernacle, yet be changed in
heart and soul ! How is it possible, said I, for so great a conver
sion to be accomplished, so that both the obstinate defUement of our

583
natural substance, and old and ingrained habits should suddenly and
rapidly be put off, — ^ils, whose roots are deeply seated, within ?
Such were my frequent musings ; — for whereas I was encumber
ed with the many sins of my past life, which it seemed impossible
to be rid of, so I had used myself to give way to my clinging infirmi
ties, and from despair of better things, to humor the evfls of my
heart as slaves born in my house and my proper offspring. But, af
ter that hfe-giving water succored me, washing away the stain of
former years, and pouring into my cleansed andhaflowed breast the
hght which comes from heaven, -after that I drank in the Heavenly
Spirit, and was created into a new man by a second birth, — then
marvellously, what before was doubtful forthwith became plain to me,
— what was hidden was revealed, — what was dark began to shine, —
what was before difficult now had a way and means, what had seem
ed impossible now could be achieved, — ^what was in me of the guil
ty flesh now confessed that it was earthy, — what was quickened in
me by the Holy Ghost now had a growth according to God. Thou
knowest, 0 my friend, thou knowest, thou canst recollect as well as
I, what was then taken from me, and what was given by that death
of sin, that quickening power of holiness !

No. XXII.
Tertullian on Baptism.

The tract, of which the following are extracts, was written in opposition to a
sect of early heretics, of the Gnostic stock,called Caiani, or Cainites, from the
honor they paid to Cain ; or, rather, against one Quintilla, a female preacher,
who had belonged to this sect, and had added to its impieties the special er
ror of denying the use of baptism, on th? pretence that faith was sufficient
for salvation without it. Tertullian's treatise was written about a. d. 202.
Blessed is the Sacrament of Water, in which, when cleansed,
we are released from the sins of our original blindness, unto eternal
life ! ; . . How great is the power of stubbornness, to unsettle the
Faith, or even to reject it altogether, when we find it impugns it, on
account of the very articles it contains. Nothing so hardens men s
minds, as that simplicity of divine works which is seen m the doing
of them, contrasted with the greatness which is promised as the ef
fect of them. For instance, in the case before us ; since the candi
date for Baptism is plunged into water in so simple a way, 'Without
many ceremonies, without any novel ado, without cost, and is bathed
with a few words said over him, and then rises not much or not at all

584
cleaner to look at, therefore it is considered incredible that he can
have gained thereby an eternal gift. . . . Wretched incredulity ! to
deny to God his own characteristics, simplicity and power. 'What,
then ? is it not wonderful that even a bath should wash away death ?
surely ; but let us even be the more ready to believe, if its marvel-
lousness, forsooth, is made a reason for unbelief. For what should
be the character of divine works, but surpassing marvellousness ? —
We ourselves, marvel also, but because we do believe. Incredulity
marvels without believing ; at what is siinple, as being contemptible ;
at what is great, as being impossible. , Be it so : yet the divine an
nouncement has gone before, and is sufficient to establish both what
seems contemptible, and what seems impossible. " God hath cho
sen the foolish things of the world, to confound its wisdom ; and
what is of surpassing difficulty with men, is easy with Him." ....
Mindful of this announcement, as a principle to guide us, let us con
sider the so-called foolishness and impossibility of the doctrine, that
we are new made by water. . . .
It is said, " in the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.
And the earth w^as without form and void, and darkness was upon the
face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the wa
ters." My first reason, then, 0 man, for reverencing water, is its anti
quity; next, the honor put upon it, inasmuch as it was the abode ofthe
Divine Spirit, and thus had more of grace in it than the other elements
then existing. For as yet the darkness was unrelieved by the em
bellishment of the stars ; there was the dreary abyss, the unfashion-
ed earth, the untempered heavens ; only water, a substance ever per
fect, bright, uncompounded, pure in itself, a worthy receptacle ofthe
presence of God. Moreover, when the world was to be brought in
to form, it was by means of water, as the harmonizing principle, that
God effected it. He suspended the firmament of the heavens, by
dividing the waters ; and the firm land by separating them ; and next,
when the world was duly shaped, and inhabitants were to be given
it, it was first commanded the waters, to bring forth living things,
water was the first substance to give out the breath of life ; no won
der, then, that in baptism it has the gift of quickening 
The angel came in the midst, and moved the pool of Bethesda ;
those who felt their sickliness, waited for his coming. . . That figure
of bodily healing intimated the healing of the soul, in the way in
which visible things go first, as the symbol of things spiritual ; so,
when the grace of God was accorded to men, more came to them
than mere water and an angel. Man receives that Spirit of God
which he had once received from His breathing on him, but after
wards had lost by transgression. Not that we obtain the Holy Spi
rit in the water ; but, by being cleansed in the water from sin and
guflt, vve are prepared by the angel for the Holy Spirit  Next,
on coming out of the water, we are anointed over with the consecra-

585
ted ointment according to the ancient usage, by which oil was used
as an introduction into the priesthood  Afterwards hands are
laid on us invoking and caUing down the Holy Spirit, by the form of
benediction. . . . And then that Holiest Spirfl wiflingly descends from
the Father upon the body thus cleansed 'and blessed ; setties upon
the baptismal waters, as acknowledging its ancient dwelling-place,
as once He lighted on the Lord in the figure of a dove, to show His
nature by its simplicity and innocence. For as, after the waters of
the flood, which washed away the old iniquity, after the baptism (as
I may say') of the world, the dove, sent out of the ark, and returning
with the olive branch, became the herald of God's anger appeased,
and has made the olive a sign of peace among the nations, according
to a like appointment, the spiritual influence, the dove of the Holy
Spirit flies to the earth (that is, our flesh) when emerging from the
waters after its old transgressions, bringing the reconciliation of God
sent from heaven, where the Church is, the antitype of the ark. But
the earth sins yet again . . . and so is destined to the fire : as man
also, who renews his sins after baptism ; so that here, too, we may
take the history as a warning. . . .
John's baptism afforded our Lord the subject of a question propos
ed to the Pharisees, viz. whether it was from heaven or from earth ?
They could return no sound answer, as not understanding, because
they did not believe. . . . John supplied no heavenly work, but minis
tered beforehand towards things heavenly, viz. as being the master of
repentance, which is in man's power. . . If, then, repentance is a hu
man work, the baptism of repentance is human ; it had supplied the
Holy Ghost and remission of sins, if it had been heavenly. God
alone remits sins, and vouchsafes the Spirit. . . That was not hea
venly which manifested nothing of a heavenly nature. Even the
spirit of prophecy, which for a season had been a heavenly gift pos
sessed by John, afterwards, when the fulness of the Spirit was trans
ferred to the Lord, so utteriy failed him, that he sent to ask whether
He were really the Christ, whom he had before foretold, and singled
out on His coming 
These miserable men say, " Baptism is not necessary, because
faith is sufficient for the Christian ; for Abraham pleased God by
faith, without any sacrament of water." But in afl tinngs, what
comes last is the conclusive, and supersedes what went before.—
Though salvation came by mere faith, before the Lords passion and
resurrection, yet when faith is enlarged by the doctrines of the Nativ
ity, Passion, and Resurrection, the covenant receives an enlargement
also, viz. the seal of baptism, as though a sort of garment for faith,
which before w^as naked, but now is sanctioned by its peculiar ap
pointments. For the appointment of dipping is given, and a form of
words prescribed. . • • 74

586
We have but one Baptism, whether in Gospels or Episties ; there
is one God, one Baptism, one Church in the heavens. . . . Once only
we enter the sacred water, once we wash away our sins, because to
repeat them is not a Christian's part. Israel, according to the law,
uses daily washings, as being daily defiled. To hinder this practice
in us, the doctrine of the one baptism has been set forth. Blessed is
the water which cleanses once for all, which sinners cannot make
light of, which receives no stain from the recurrence of defilement,
so as to pollute those whom it washes 
Easter is the most solemn time for baptism ; when the passion of
the Lord, into which we are baptized, was accomplished. We may
suitably apply our Lord's words, when he sent his disciples to pre
pare for his last passover. " Ye shafl find a man," he said, " bear
ing a pitcher of water." .... Next, the season of Penticost. Bless
ed are ye for whom the grace of God is waiting, what time ye as
cend out of that holiest bath of your new birth, and first spread out
your hands in your mother's presence with your brethren ; ask of
the Father, ask of the Lord who imparts his many gifts, and says,
" Ask and ye shall find." For ye have already sought, and ye have
found ; ye have knocked, and it has been opened to you. Only I
pray, that when you ask, you would also remember me, Tertulhan a
sinner.

(Ad Populum.)
No. XXlll.
From the Acts ofthe African Martyrs.
" This is the account ofthe Martyrdom of the Holy Fehx, Bishop
of Tubyza'*, who for God's Law, was beheaded on the 18th ofthe
Calends of Februaryt." [ccciv.]
In those days Diocletian and Maximian, (both surnamed Augustus,)
being Consuls, the former for the eighth time, the latter for the
seventh time, there went out a decree from these same Caesars or
Emperors over the whole face of the earth, and it was set forth
* Tuhyza does not appear in the maps. In a list of persons present at a con
ference held at Carthage, in the time of Honorius, (June, 411,) appears
" Maurentius Tuburzicensis."
t xv'm. KalendasFebr.i. e. the 15thof January. There must, however, be some
mistake, if the Programma was set forth on the Nones of January, (i e. the
5th) as there were at least thirty-five days between that day and the day of
Felix's Martyrdom at Nola.

587
through all the colonies and cities to the princes and magistrates, to
each one in his place, "that they should seize the sacred* books of
the Christians out ofthe hands ofthe Bishops and Presbyters."
Whereupon this proclamation was published in the city of Tuby
za, on the day ofthe nones of January, [Jan. 5th.] Then Magnilian,
the mayor t of that city, ordered the Presbyters to be brought before
him, (because Felix, their Bishop, was gone to Carthage,) he order
ed, I say, Januarius, the Presbyter, and Fortunatus and Septimius,
the readers, to be brought before him.
To whom Magnflian, the mayor, said — " Have you a Bishop ?"
Januarius, the Presbyter, answered — " We have."
Magnilian. — " Where is he ?"
Januarius. — " I know not."
Magnilian. — " Have you any sacred books ?"
Januarius. — "We have."
Magnilian. — " Give them up, that they may be bumt."
Januarius, Fortunatus, and Septimius.. — " Our Bishop has them
at his own house," [or, " with him."]
Magnilictn. — " Well, then, you must remain in custody tifl you ap
pear before Anulinus, the Proconsul, to answer for your conduct."
But the next day Felix, the Bishop, came from Carthage to Tuby
za. And when Magiiflian had notice of his arrival, immediately he
ordered him to be taken into custody, and brought before him. Ac-
coidingly, he came with all possible speed, and as soon as he was
come, Magnilian said to him — " Art thou Felix, the Bishop of this
city?" Felix answered — " I am."
Magnilian. — " Deliver up to me all books or parchments of what
kind soever which may be in thy possession."
Felix. — " I have some in rny possession. But I shafl not dehver
up the law of my adored Lord and Master."
Magnilian. — " What, then, is your God greater than our gods ?"
Felix. — " Our God is great, and greatly to be feared. He it is who
made heaven and earth, the sea, and afl things that are therein.
Whereas your gods are of stone, the work of men's hands ; of whom
it is written, ' They have eyes, and see not. They have ears, and
hear not. They have mouths, and speak not. They that make them
are like unto them, and all who trust in them.' "
Magnilian. — "The Emperors' command is the chief thing to be
attended to, and what thou talkest of is afl nothing. So give up all
the books which thou hast, that they may be burnt with fire, accord
ing to the decree."
* Libros deificos.—HerivXl. Apol. §• II. " Deum deificum." Cypr. Ep.
hviii, & De Zelo, " deifica disciplina." Ep.lxxv. " spiritalis et deiflca sanc-
titas- Crescensa Cirta,inConcil.Carthag. "testimonia ex scripturis deificis
descendentia." , 0.1 •.«•
t Curator, a High-Bailiflf or Mayor, or perhaps Sherifl.

588
Felix. — " It were better that I should give up my body to the fire,
than that the Lord's Scriptures should seem to be burntby my means.
For it is good to obey God, the immortal, everlasting King, rather
than an Emperor of the world, when he commands that which is
wicked to be done."
Magnilian. — " I have already told thee, that the Emperors' com
mand is the chief thing to be regarded, and not what you talk of"
Felix. — " The chief thing is to keep the commandments of God,
rather than obey men."
Magnilian. — " I allow thee a space of three days wherein to re
collect thyself. For if here, in thy own city, thou refuse to fulfil the
decree, thou must go to the Proconsul, and plead before his court the
things which thou hast now been saying."
After three days Magnilian, the mayor, commanded the holy
Bishop, Felix, to be brought into his presence. And when he was
brought in, Magnilian said, " Hast thou deliberated with thyself, and
come to any better determination ?"
Felix. — " My word is one and the same ; where it began, there
also by God's grace it shall finish. For the things which I said at
first, the same I now also say, and before the. Proconsul, I shall not
utter any thing else whatever."
Magnilian. — " Well, then, thou shalt go straight to the Proconsul,
and there give an account for thyself, as he shafl examine thee."
Then he thus spoke to his men. " Inasmuch as Felix the Bishop
is in no respect wifling to act according to the decrees of the Empe
rors, which they had graciously communicated to us, let him be taken
to Carthage, and do you accompany him thither."
To which Felix answered, — " God be praised."
Then one Vincentius, a Senator*, of the city of Tubyza, was ap
pointed to have the charge of him, and so Felix set out for Carthage.
When he was arrived there, he presented himself before the Lieu
tenant ofthe Proconsul. And this Lieutenant said to him, " What
is thy reason for not giving up these foolish writings (Scriptures) ?"
The Bishop answered, — " I confess I have them in my possession,
but I wifl not part with them. The Scriptures which we have are
not foolish, nor can they on any account be given up by us."
Upon this the Lieutenant ordered him to be put into the dungeon.
Into which when the Bishop was entered, he offered this prayer to
the Lord his God, saying,
" O Lord God I Creator and Governor of afl things ! O Lord
Jesus Christ I I beseech Thee, do not forsake me, seeing that for
Thee and Thy Testament I suffer these things. Have pity on
me, O Lord ! and receive my spirit ; let my mortal body perish in
this world, that according to Thy gracious promise I may be counted
* Decurio, a Senator in the Colonies.

589
worthy to be clothed with immortahty with Thee. For ever living in
Thee, 0 Lord, death shallhave no power against me."
But sixteen days afterwards, at the fourth hour ofthe night, the Bi
shop was brought forth from the prison, and at once introduced into
the presence of A.nulinu3, the Proconsul.
And Anulinus said to him, — " What is thy name ?"
Felix. — " I am a Christian."
Anulinus. — " I did not inquire concerning thy profession, — but I
asked by what name thou art called."
Felw. — " As I said before, so now I say to thee again, I am a
Christian and a Bishop."
Upon this, Anulinus being angry that he had refused, to tefl him his
name, said to him, — " Hast thou any foolish writings ?"
The Bishop answered, — "I have some writings, but they are not
fooHsh, as thou dost assert ; and know thou for certain, that I will on
no account ever give them up."
Upon this the Proconsul ordered that he should be sent off to Rome,
to the Prefect of the Guard.
When Felix the Bishop had come thither, and had presented him
self before the Prefect, he ordered that he should be taken to prison,
and bound with greater chains.
But after twelve days, the Prefect of the Guard ordered him to be
put on ship-board, to sail after the Emperors.
So the Bishop went on board the ship very heavfly laden with
chains, and was in the hold of the ship four days and four nights,
under the horses' feet, having no bread to eat, nor a drop of water to
drink. And in this famishing state he came to Nola.
Then the Chief Judge* of that city, as soon as the Bishop came,
ordered him to be brought into his presence loaded as he was with
very heavy chains.
And the Judge said to him, — " Felix, how camest thou hither ?"
The Bishop answered, — "As it pleased God."
Then said the Judge, — " If in thy own city, or at Carthage, thou
wouldst have given up your divine Scriptures, thou wouldst not have
come all this way to me."
To whom the Bishop rephed,—" I have, I confess, the divme
Scriptures ; but as thou art not ignorant of the answer I have returned
to others ^ho have questioned me, so now to thyself, I make known
with all possible assurance, that I shafl on no account whatever give
them up." J
The Judge answered,—" If thou dost not give up your sacred
Scriptures, thou wifl forfeit thy life."
The Bishop replied,—" I am more ready to forfeit my life than to
give up the Lord's books into sacrflegious hands."
» Cognitor, properly, a Proctor or Attorney,— here a Criminal Judge:

590
Then the Judge bethought himself to have the Emperors' decrees
recited. And when they had been read by Vincentius, the Secretary,
the Judge said : — " Since this man hath remained so long in the
same confession, according to the decree, I give sentence, that this
same Bishop, Felix, shall be beheaded with the sword."
Upon this, the Bishop raised his eyes to Heaven, and said,
" O God, I thank Thee. Thou who hast graciously enabled me to
remain faithful to Thee in this world, during six and fifty years. 0
Lord God of Heaven and Earth, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,for
the sake of Thee and Thy law, and for Thy honour,I suffer this, and
yield my neck to the slaughter. Receive my spirit, 0 Lord, out of
this dying world ; for Thou art the Living God, invincible and eter
nally glorious, world without end. Amen''
Having finished his prayer, he was led away by the soldiers, and
in that same place, namely, in Nola, he was beheaded, on the 18th
ofthe calends of Feb. [January 15, ccciv.]

ACCOUNT OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. LAURENCE, ARCHDEACON OF
ROME, A. D. 258.
(From a sermon of St. Augustine's.)
Laurence was a deacon, ministering to the Apostles, though after
their age. When that persecution, as prophesied in the Gospels
against the Christians, furiously raged at Rome as elsewhere, and
the property ofthe Church was demanded of Laurence as Archdeacon,
he is said to have made answer, " Send with me carriages, in which
to convey to you the treasures of the Church." The appetite of ava
rice was forthwith roused ; but wisdom the while knew what he was
about. The order was given ; as many carriages as he had asked
were sent. He asked for many ; so much the more was the hope
of booty excited. He filled them with the poor of Christ, and so re
turned with them. When asked the meaning of all this, he answered,
" These are the Church's riches." The baffled persecutor gave
command to kindle the fire ; he was not so cold as to be afraid of it.
So a fierce punishment consumed his body, while love ofthe brethren
burnt more keenly in his soul.
In a word, the iron hurdle (or gridiron) was brought, and he was
brofled upon it ; one side at length caught fire, yet he is said so se
renely to have borne his torments, as to fulfil the Gospel precept, " In
your patience possess ye your souls." — Consumed in the flame, yet
serene in his patience, he said ; " The meal is now dressed ; tm-n me,
andeat." Such was his Martyrdom ; suchhis glorious crown. Such
his service to Rome, beyond price. Of him Christ spoke, " He who

591
shafl lose his life for My sake, the same shall find it." He found it
by means of faith, contempt of the world. Martyrdom. What must
his glory be with God, when even among men he had such exceflent
praise !
Let us foflow his steps in faith, in contempt of the world. Not
Martyrdom only, but faith inviolate and perfect charity wifl secure
aU heavenly blessings, for the foflowers of Christ * * * 'What is
more glorious than for a man to sefl his possessions and buy Christ
therewith, to offer up to God the most acceptable of gifts, a poor
mind, an unsuflied devotion ? to attend on Christ, when He shall
come to take vengeance on His enemies, to sit at His side when He
is on the judgment-seat, to be fellow heir with Him, to be made
equal with the Angels, to rejoice with Patriarchs, Apostles, Prophets,
in the possession of the heavenly kingdom ? What persecution,
what tortures, have power to subdue such thoughts ? The mind is
obstinate, brave, and stable, which is trained in religious meditations ;
the heart persists unmoved against all the terrors of Zabulon, and the
threats of the world, when a sure and real faith in things to come
braces it. The eyes are shut in persecution, but heaven is revealed.
Antichrist threatens, but Christ protects. Death is inflicted, but im
mortality follows  How great the honour and the peace, to go
hence into joy, to go through straightness into glory, to shut the eyes
suddenly, by which the world is seen, to open them again forthwith,
and to see Almighty God ! . . . . How great is the speed ! You are
snatched from the earth, you are laid up safely in heavenly mansions/.
Let these be our thoughts and our consolations day and night ; that
when persecution comes on God's soldier, it may find in him a virtue
ready for battie, proof against defeat. Or if he be summoned avyay
first, that faith, which was prepared for martyrdom, wfll find its im
mediate reward, by the merciful judgment of God. The crown is
given in persecution to those who serve gaflantiy in peace, to those
who stand and wait.

592

(Ad Scholas.)
No. XXIT.
Vicentius of Lerins on the Tests of Heresy and Error i
Vincentius was a member ofthe Monastery of Lerins, a small island off the
south coast ofFrance. He is famous for the treatise, parts of which it is here
proposed to translate for the English reader, as a fit companion to the extracts
from Tertullian's account ofthe Ruleof Faith, which formed the xvii. and xviii.
Numbers of the Records. "ViHcentius wrote in the year 434.
1.(0.1,2.)
I HAVE made frequent and earnest inquiries of a great number of holy
and learned men, how I might discriminate, that is, what certain
and universal rule there was for discriminating, between Catholic
truth and heretical pravity : and I have ever received something like
the following answer, that wRether I myself, or any other private
person, wished to detect the corruptions, and avoid the snares of
heretics who were springing up, and to remain sound and whole
in the sound faith, there were two ways, by God's blessing, of
preserving himself, — first, by the authority of Scripture, next by the
teaching ofthe Church Catholic.
Here some one perhaps will demand, why I need make mention
of the Church's understanding of Scripture at all, considering that the
Canon of the Scriptures is perfect and self-sufiicient, nay, more than
sufficient for all things? To which I answer, that the very depth of
Holy Scripture prevents its being taken by all men in one and the
same sense, one man interpreting it in one way, one in another ; so
that it seems almost possible to draw from it as many opinions as
there are readers. Novatian, Photinus, Sabellius, Donatus, Arius,
Eunomius, and Macedonius, Appollinaris, and Priscillian, Jovianus,
Pelagius, and Celestius, lastly Nestorius, each of these heretics has
his own distinct interpretation of it. This is why it is so necessary,
viz., in order to avoid the serious labyrinths of such various errors,
to direct the line of interpretation, both as to Prophets and Apostles,
according to the sense ofthe Church, and Catholic world.
[To apply this to the present day. Supposing a private and unlearned Chris
tian is made anxious, by witnessing the number of persuasions, as they are call
ed, among us. First let him not be alarmed at the difficulty of choosing ; there
were as many such in the early Church. Suppose he falls in with a Socinian,
or (as such a one will call himself) a Unitarian; he will probably find, on talk
ing with him, that such a man does not admit the Scriptures to be divine; rejects
some books or parts of books, speaks disparagingly ofthe Old Testament, per
haps explains away the inspiration ofthe whole Bible. Here then Vincent's
rule at once detects the heretic ; he will not submit to have his opinions tried

593
" by the authority of Scripture," much less " by the teaching ofthe Catholic
Church." Escaping this snare, our inquirer next falls in the way of a Baptist,
or Independent, each of whom professes to go by Scripture,— but adopt his
ownprivate interpretation ofit. Here the second test applies; the man in
question rejects the Church's interpretation of Scripture, for nothing can be
more certain than that infant baptism and the Episcopal succession have been
received from the first all through the Church Catholic. This rule then,pro-
vided by Vincent, greatly simphfies the difficulty of deciding between parties;
indeed it reduces our choice to an alternative between two — the Church estab
lished among us, and to the Latin or Roman Catholic communion. And, when
we attain to this point, we soon see our way quite clear.
If it be asked why should we go by this rule of primitive authority ? it may
be replied, first, that on the very face ofit, it is a very sensible rule; all of us
admit the authority of Scripture; again, all of us know that there are various in
terpretations of scripture, and, if so,whichis so likely to be right as that which
was received, taught, and handed down in the early Church 1 But again St.
Paul expressly -calls the Church " the pillarjand ground of the truth"it was in
tended then to maintainandteach|the truth, and when is it to be listened toifnot
in the time following immediately on the Apostles? And it may be observed,
that Vincentius says he had received the rule from the teachers and religious
men of his time; they not only maintained one certain interpretation of Scripture,
but did not allowthat any other interpretation could be put upon it, — Of course:
for the Divine Word can have but one sense.]

2. (c. 3, 4.)
Again, much attention is to be paid in the Church Cathohc itself,
to maintain what has been beheved everywhere, always, and by
ALL. This is true and genuine Catholicism, as the very word means,
comprehending afl truths every where, and truly : and this will be
ours, if we follow in our inquiries Universality, Antiquity and Con
sent. We shafl foflow Universality, if we confess that to be the
one. true faith, which is held by the Church all over the world ; An
tiquity, if we in no respect recede from the tenets which were in use
among our Holy Elders and Fathers ; and Consent, if, in consulting
antiquity itself, we attach ourselves to such decisions and opinions as
were held by afl, or at least by almost afl, the ancient Bishops and
Doctors. What then wifl the Catholic Christian do, in a case where any
branch of the Church has cut itself off from the communion of the
universal faith ? What can he do but prefer the general body which
is sound, to the diseased and infected member of it ?
[This may be illustrated by the case of the Church of Geneva among oth
ers, which near three centuries since broke oflf from the great Episcopal com
munion, took to it a head of its own, new laws and customs, and m part a new
creed. It is our duty then, according to Vincentms, to keep fast by the old
stock of the Church Catholic, and guard against all mfection of our laith or
discipline from such schismatical members.]
75

594
What if some novel contagion attempt with its plague-spots, not
only a portion, but even the whole Church ? Then he will be careful
to keep close to antiquity, which is secure from the possibflity of be
ing corrupted by new errors.
[This case had been instanced even before Vincentius's time, in the history
of the Arians. In our own day it is fulfilled in the case of the Church of
Rome, which indeed has not erred vitally, as the Arians did, nor has infected
with its errors the whole Church, yet has to answer for very serious corrup
tions, which it has not merely attempted, but managed to establish in a great.
part of the Churches of Christendom. Here then apply Vincentius's test.
Antiquity ; — and the Church of Rome is convicted of unsoundness, as fuUy
as those other sects among us which have already been submitted to the trial.]
What if even in antiquity itself there be two or three men, nay one
community, or even province, discovered in error ? Then he wfll
be careful to prefer to the rashness or ignorance of the few (if so be)
the ancient decrees (i. e. in Council) ofthe Universal Church. What
if a case arises when no such acts of the Church are found ? then
he will do his best to compare and search out the opinions of the an
cients ; of those, that is, who in various times and places, remaining
in the faith and communion of the one Catholic Church, are the most
trustworthy authorities ; and, whatever, not one or two, but all alike,
with one consent, held, wrote, and taught, and that openly and perse-
veringly, that he will understand is to be believed without hesitation.
[Take, for instance, the case of the society of Friends (so called;) they re
ject baptism altogether : so did some heretics of the second century, whom
Tertullian wrote against (vide Records, No. 22 ;) yet that of course is no de-
, fence of them against the general consent of the Doctors of the Church. Or
again, the authority of Jerome, who wrote in the fourth century, is brought by
some Anti-Episcopalians, to justify their rejection of Bishops ; but, were he
ever so clearly for them, (which we by no means allow) yet his authority
would go for nothing against the consent of the ancient teachers.]

3. (c. 12. 14, 15. 29.)
Let us seriously dread to incur the guilt of altering the faith and
violating religious truth, which we are warned against by the judg
ment of Apostohc authority as wefl as by the received rule of the
Church. All know how seriously, how sternly, how forcibly the
blessed Apostle Paul inveighs against certain light-minded men, who
had passed with strange rapidity from him who called them to the
grace of Christ, into another Gospel which was not another, who
had heaped to themselves masters at their own pleasure, turning
away the ear from the truth and converted to fables, having damna
tion, because they had made void their first faith. When, then, such

595
men went about provinces and cities, offering their lying doctrines
for sale, and at length came to the Galatians, and the Galatians seiz-
zed somehow with a nausea of Divine truth, and putting away the
manna of the Apostolic and Catholic doctrine, refreshed themselves
with the filth of heretical novelty, then the authority of an Apostie
was roused in him, and he settied the matter with an unmixed sever
ity. " Though we," he says, " or an angel from heaven, preach
any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be anathema, an accursed thing." What is the mean
ing of his saying, " Though we ?" why not rather, " Though I ?" —
This, viz. though Peter, though Andrew, though John, though in a
word the whole company of the Apostles preached as the Gospel
other doctrines than we have already preached, let him be anathema.
Tremendous ban ! that he may maintain the supremacy of the ori
ginal faith, he spares neither himself nor his fellow-Apostles ; — yet
even this is not all. He adds, " Though an angel from heaven, let
him too be anathema." Not as if the holy and heavenly angels can
sin ; but he says. If that were possible, which is impossible ; who
ever he be, who would tamper with the faith once dehvered, let him
be anathema.
But perhaps it will be said that this injunction was intended for
the particular time when it was given, and is not in force now. If
so, why should his other commandments be in force at this day, such
as, " Walk in the Spirit, and'ye shafl not fulfil the lust of the flesh ?"
But if the latter supposition is at once profane and pernicious, it fol
lows of necessity that, as the command to be spiritual is for all ages,
so the sanction given to the immutabflity of the faith is for afl ages
also. Therefore, to preach any doctrine to Catholic Christians, be
sides what they have received, was never lawful, is no where lawful,
never shafl be lawful ; and to anathematize those who do preach a
doctrine besides that which was once given and received, was never
but a duty, is no where but a duty, never i shafl be but a duty. If
this be so, is there a person to be found so venturesome as to preach,
or so light of mind as to receive, doctrines in addition to those which
the Church has received and the Church preaches ! Let him cry
aloud, let him cry out again and again, to all, and in all times, and m
all places, by means of his Episties, that elect vessel, that teacher
of the Gentiles, that clarion among the Aposties, that herald on the
earth, that guest of the third heaven. If any one bring in any new
doctrine, let him be anathema I And on the other side let them raise
their counter voice, as the frogs or flies of Egypt, or msects of a
day, I mean such as the Pelagians. Let them say. Take us for
your authority, for your guides, for your expositors, m condemning
what you used to hold, in holding what you used to condemn, m re
jecting the ancient faith, your fathers' usages, the trust committed to
you by your ancestors, and in receiving— what ? I tremble to say

596
what ; so proud are their words, that to pronounce them, nay even
to refute them, seems to involve some sort of poflution.
But it may be said, why then does Providence so often aUow dis
tinguished persons in the Church to preach novelties to Cathohcs ?
A fair and profitable question, which I shall answer, not by any at
tempted explanation of my own, but by the authority of the Divine
law, and the example of an inspired teacher of the Church. Holy
Moses teaches us, why learned men, men who by reason of their
gift of knowledge are even cafled Prophets by the Apostie, are some
times permitted to preach their new doctrines, or as they are called
in the figurative style of ^he Old Testament, " other gods." " If
there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams," that is, a
teacher constituted in the Church, whom his followers or hearers
consider to speak as from revelation. What then? he continues,
" and he giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder
come to pass." It is plain some great teacher or other is spoken of,
one of surpassing knowledge, so as to seem to his partisans to have
the gift even of foreknowledge, such as is attributed by their disci
ples to Valentinus, Donatus, Photinus, ApoUinaris, and the like. —
What foflows ? " And shafl say to thee. Let us go after other gods,
which thou hast not known, and let us serve them ;" " Other gods,"
that is, errors external to the Church . . . . " serve them," that is,
believe them, foflow them. " Thou shalt not hearken unto the words
of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams." Now, why is it that
God allows to be taught, what He does not allow to be received ? —
Moses continues, "for the Lord your God proveth you, to know
whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul." And doubtless the temptation is great, when he whom
you consider to be a prophet, one of the sons of the prophets, a doc
tor and champion of truth, and hold in highest veneration and love,
when he suddenly and secretly is the author of mischievous errors,
which the strain of teaching he has made familiar to you, incapaci
tates you from quickly detecting, and affection for himself seems lo
make it undutiful in you to condemn.
I say, whoever he be, how holy and learned soever, whether
Bishop, whether Confessor and Martyr, if he teaches aught beyond
or contrary to the doctrine of all the Fathers, let it be set apart from
the common, public, and general doctrine, which has authority, and
numbered among his peculiar, hidden, and private surmises, lest, at
the extreme risk of eternal ruin, we fall into the ways of heretics and
schismatics, giving up the universally received truth, and following
the novel error of an individual.
[Augustine,whowas contemporary with Vincentius, aflFords an instance in il
lustration of the last sentence. His peculiar views of election were beyond,
not to say contrary, to those of the Church ever before him, and called for

597
precautions on the part of Christians, lest by mixing them up with Christiani
ty, they acted like heretics, whose peculiar tenets have always been originally
the innovations of one or two subtle and venturous minds upon or counter to
what has been received.
As to cases of actual error, such as that of the false prophet introduced by
Vincentius, there has been since his time a most deplorable and astounding
instance of this in the corruptions ofthe Latin Church, whether they be called
heresy or not. Considering the high gifts and the strong claims ofthe Church
of Rome and its dependencies on our admiration, reverence, love, and grati
tude, how could we withstand it as we do '! how could we refrain from being
melted into tenderness and rushing into communion with it, but for the words
of Truth itself, which bid us prefer it to the whole world '\ " Pie that loveth
father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ;" How could we learn
to be severe, and execute judgment, but for the warning of Moses against
even a divinely gifted teacher, who should preach new gods ; and the anathe
ma of St. Paul even against Angels and Apostles, who should bring in a new
doctrine ?
And lastly, what a noble comment is here given us upon the prohibition of
Christ to call any one on earth our Master! and how elevating a thought is it
to reflect that the precept so explained has ever been acted upon by the Church
Catholic ! We have no human head in matters of doctrine, we acknowledge
every single Christian, however exalted, to be but an individual, to have no in
trinsic authority, no power, no influence except so far as he is the organ of the
whole body of Christian teachers. In this we differ from heretics and Dis
senters. They follow particular teachers, and call themselves after their
names. We follow Christ only ; even in following the old fathers, we follow
them, not as if they were commissioned expounders, but simply as being wit
nesses of the truth once delivered, and to be followed in matters of necessary
faith simply because and so far as they agree together. Their mutual agree
ment is the test of their being faithful witnesses, which is all we seek after ;
we attribute nothing to them as oracles of the truth, much less to individuals
now-a-days. Let a man be gifted with eloquence, ready talent, deep penetra
tion, vigorous grasp of mind ; let him be amiable, sympathising, winning; let
him bear upon him the evidence of earnestness and disinterested piety; let
him be zealous, active, patient, self-denying; let him have a noble heart, and
a resolute hand, and many followers, yet if he keeps to the ancient truth it is
well. But if he departs from it, that instant Mene and Tekel are written up
on his school. The ground crumbles from under him, his rod of influence is
broken, his glory is departed ; he is no more. He has what he had not while
he was a transmitter of Catholic Verities, a name ; and it is borne after him
by his party as a witness against him and them.]

598
(Ad Scholas.)
No. XXV.
Vincentius of Lerins on the Tests of Heresy and Error.
(Concluded) 4. (c. 25).
It foflows, that he is the real and genuine Cathohc, who loves
God's truth, and the Church, and the body of Christ, who makes all
things second to divine religion and the Catholic faith, whether the
authority of private men, or their amiable qualities, or their talent,
or eloquence, or philosophy : but not regarding any of these, and
remaining fixed and stedfast in the faith, deliberately maintains that,
and that only, which the Church Catholic is known to have held
every where from the beginning ; and considers as a temptation, not
as a religious truth, whatever novelty has been secretly introduced
by some private hand, beside, or even contrary to, the Body of Saints.
And, above afl, as being taught by St. Paul, he receives that heresies
must be, in order that the approved may become manifest among
us, as if this were the reason why heresiarchs are not at once taken
away by Divine Providence ; that the constancy of each of us, and
fidelity, and steady love of Catholic truth may be ascertained. And
in fact, on the bursting forth of each novelty in its turn, then forth
with is discerned the weight of the corn, and the emptiness of the
chaff; and so, without much trouble, the threshing floor is cleared
of whatever rubbish was contained in it. Some fly off at the instant ;
others are driven a certain way, but are afraid of perdition while they
are ashamed to recant ; and so they continue wounded, half dead,
half alive, with just so much of the poison within them as is neither
fatal nor yet is thrown off; neither kills nor suffers to live. Ah,
miserable state of feverish and agitating anxiety ! At one time they
are hurried aside as the wind drives them ; at another they fall back
again like ebbing waves : now with rash presumption they assent to
doctrines which are but doubtful, now again they have a superstitious
dread of what is unquestionable ; uncertain whither to go, whither
to return ; what to seek, to avoid, to maintain, to give up. Surely this
trouble of an unsettled heart is a medicine, if they are wise, sent to
them by divine mercy. They are tossed, and beaten, and almost
overwhelmed by the discordant currents of their own reasonings,
whfle they remain out of the safe haven of tiie Catholic faith, in
order that they may learn to gather in the sails of their pride, which
are filled with the evfl gales of novelty, and to betake themselves again
to the secure station of their serene and loving mother, and to rid

599
themselves of the bitter eirors which they have swaflowed, and so
to drink, in future, the streams of living water. Let them unlearn
worthily what they unworthily learned, mastering the Church's doc
trine as far as it is level to the reason, submitting where it is above it.
[How accurate a description is the above of many amiable persons of the
present day, who instead of a single and noble maintenance of Cathohc truth,
try to unite in their creed things incompatible, and are ever spoiling their own
excellencies by timidity, weabiess or presumption ! Nay, how true a descrip
tion is it of our Church itself, not as it was intended to be but as it actually has
become in these dark and secular days ! Do not we hover about our ancient
home, the home of Cyprian and Athanasius, without the heart to take up our
abode in it, yet afraid to quit the sight ofit ; boasting of our Episcopacy, yet
unwilling to condemn separatism ; claiming a descent from the Apostles, yet,
doubting ofthe gifts attending it ; and trying to extend the limits ofthe Church
for the admission of 'Wesleyans and Presbyterians, while we profess to be ex
clusively primitive ¦? Alas, is not this to witness against ourselves, like coward
sinners who hope to serve the world, without giving up God's service ! ]

5. (c. 27. 33. 34.)
" 0 Timothy," the Apostle says, " guard the deposit, shtmning
profane novelties of words !" . . . Who is Timothy in this day,
but the Church universal, or, in particular, the whole body of its ru
lers, who ought both themselves to have and to teach others the
sound inviolate kn&wledge of religious duty ? What means " guard
the deposit ?" Guard it, he says, because of thieves, of enemies,
lest, while men sleep, they sow tares upon that good seed of wheat,
which the Son of man has sown in his field. " Guard the deposit."
What is the deposit ? That which is committed to thee, not dis
covered by thee ; what thou hast received, not struck out ; a subject
not of talent, but of instruction : not of private judgment, but of pub
lic tradition ; that has come to thee, not from thee ; in which thou
shouldest display not originality, but safe custody ; not as a master,
but as a scholar, not as a leader, but as a foflower. " Guard the de
posit." Preserve the talent of the Catholic faith inviolate, entire. —
As thou hast received it, sb let it remain with thee, so let it pass
from thee. Gold thou hast received, be it gold that thou payest
back. I wifl have no base coin palmed upon me, no shameless lead,
no fraudulent brass, no outward seeming but tiie reality. 0 Timo
thy, priest, exposflor, doctor, if a divine gift has made thee sufficient
for these things in abflity, in practice, in learnmg, be thou the Be-
zaleel of the spiritual tabernacle, pohsh the precious stones of the
divine word, set them with fidelity, embellish them with skill, add
brifliancy, elegance, beauty ; what was before beheved obscurely,
be it iUustrated by thy exposition ; what antiquity but darkly vene-

600
rated, let posterity learn from thee to apprehend, ever remembering
so to teach what thou hast learned, that the teacher be new, not the
teaching. " Shunning profane novelties of words." " Shun," he
says, " as if a viper, or scorpion, or basilisk; whose very sight and
breath— not touch only — may blast thee." Shun in what way ?
"With such a one, no, not to eat." " If any one come to you, and
bringeth not this doctrine ;" — What doctrine, but the Catholic and
universal, that one and the same doctrine remaining age after age by
an incorrupt tradition of the truth, and ever so to remain on into ever
lasting ages ? To proceed : " receive him not into your home, nor
give him greeting ; for he who gives him greeting, shares in his evil
works."' " Profane novelties of words ;" that is, such as have no
thing sacred or religious in them ; such as, are altogether outside the
Church's shrine, which is the temple of God. " Novelties of words;"
that is, of doctrines, subjects, statements, contrary to antiquity. If
these be admitted, the creed of the Sainted Fathers must necessarily
be violated, in whole or part ; afl believers of all ages, all the saints,
afl the religious brethren, and virgin sisters, all the clergy, Levites,
and priests ; so many thousand of Confessors, so many armies of mar
tyrs, so many populous cities and countries, so many islands, pro
vinces, kings, nations, kingdoms, families, nay almost the whole com
pass of the world, incorporated, as it is through the Catholic faith, into
Christ the head, in so long a series of years, must necessaiily be
judged to have been ignorant, to have erred, to have blasphemed.
" Profane novelties ;" such namely, as were never followed or
admitted by Catholics, but by heretics ever. For in good sooth,
when was there ever an heresy, which did not spring up under a cer
tain designation, at a certain place, at a certain time ? Who ever
established a heresy, except he first separated himself from' the ac
cordant voice of Catholic universality and antiquity ? The fact is
clearer than day, as instances show. Who, before the profane Pela
gius, ever claimed such power for the wifl, as to deny that the
grace of God was necessary to aid it in the particular acts of obedi
ence ? Who, before his marvellous disciple Celestius, ever denied
that the whole human race was brought under the guilt of Adam's
sin ? Whojbefore the blasphemer Arius, dared to divide in his creed
the Unity of the Trinity ? Who, before the wretched Sabellius, to
confuse the Trinity ofthe Unity ? Who, before that cruel Novatian
ever taught that cruelty belonged to Him, who willeth not the death
of him /hat dieth, but his turning and living ? . . . Numberless other
instances might be added, did space allow it ; all of which plainly
and clearly prove this one thing, as the peculiar and genuine mark
of heresy, that it is novel, dislikes antiquity, and is wrecked by the
captiousness of a pretended knowledge. On the other hand, it is
almost the distinctive mark of a Catholic, that he keeps the trust and
commission of the Holy Fathers, and condemns profane novelties, in

601
accordance with the Apostie's repeated declarations, " If any one
preach to you, what you have not already received, let him be ana
thema." [There is this difficulty in applying the doctrine of this extract to these
times, that the Church has forfeited in great measure its Catholicity ; that is,
in matter of fact, it was unanimous in its whole creed in Vincent's day, and it
is not now. It now, alas ! has one doctrine in Greece, another in Rome, a
third in England, a fourth in Sweden. Moreover, since all of these cannot
be true, error must have been admitted in some or other of , its branches, an
occurrence which Vincen^ never anticipated. He considers the Church to
possess within it that principle of health and vigour, which expels heresies
out of its system, without its suffering more than a temporary disarrangement
from them. The state of things is altered now in matter of fact ; though the
Church of Rome attempts to deny it, by cutting off from the Catholic Church
such branches as do not agree with itself. But this is arguing in a circle ;
for its members, after having cut off from them all who do not agree with
them, maintain they are Catholic, because they_all speak the same thing.
However, there is a true and sufficient sense in which Vincent's doctrine
has been and ever will be fulfilled. In truth, he does not speak of all doc
trine but of the ^' foundations," (as he terms them, c.41,] of Christian doctrine.
That the Church ever will :each these faithfully, is promised in the Scripture
[Isa. lix. 2. ] and in matter of fact, it has taught them up to this day, has taught
them over the whole world, whatever may be the quarrels and schisms of its
branches. These fundamentals are contained in the creed, and have been
expanded at various times by the Catholic Church acting together; such are
the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the like ;
they have been held from the beginning, and to this day are taught in the east
and west, north and south. Such too are many ordinances and usages ofthe
Church. Accordingly, in spite of our unhappy differences with Greece and
Borne, we may say to the Socinian, after Vincent's manner, " we know when
your doctrine first appeared, and it was protested against on its first appear
ance;" to the Baptist, "We can point to the very date when Infant Baptism
was first denied ;" to the Presbyterian, " 'We can prove the rejection of Epis
copacy to be a novelty ;" to the Zuinglian or Hoadleian, " 'We can trace the
history of the denial of Sacramental grace ; we know its rise, its course, its
outbreaks, and its defeats ;" and so with the rest.
Further, we may apply the argument against the Romanists themselves, un
willing as we are to speak harshly of them. We consider we can give the
history ofthe corruptions in the Church, as well as ofthe heresies which went
out ofit. We can give them the very year when image worship was first es
tabhshed, and show the opposition and protests make against it at the time.
We can assign a date to the doctrine of Transubstantiation Nay, we are wiU-
lins to receive all doctrines which were in possession of the Church in the
sixteenth century, except so far as we can show a time when they were not in
possession.]

6. (c. 35. 37.)
Here perhaps some one may ask, whether the heretics also do not
make use of testimonies from Holy Scriptmre ? Yes, indeed, they

76

602 ,
do use them, and lay great stress on them, for you may see them
ready quoters of each book of God's Sacred Law, — the Books of
Moses, of Kings, the Psalms, the Apostles, the Evangelists, the
Prophets. Whether indeed they are among their own people, or
among strangers, in private or in public, discoursing or writing, at
convivial meetings or in the open ways, they never at all advance
any of their peculiar positions, without attempting to express it in
Scripture language. Look at the treatises of Paul of Samosata, of
PrisciUian, of Eunomius, of Jovinian, and those other scourges of
the Church ; you wfll find an infinite heap of instances, so that
scarcely a page occurs, which is not coloured by some perverted pas
sages of Scripture, the Old or the New. But so much more are
they to be avoided and dreaded, the more they skulk behind the co
ver ofthe Divine Law. For they know that the ill savour of heresy
would scarce commend itself to any one, if exhaled in its own simpli
city : so they sprinkle it with the fragrance of a heavenly voice, that
men who would be quick in rejecting human error may be slow in
despising Divine oracles.
Such were they whom the Apostle has stricken in his second Epis
tle to the Corinthians, saying, " Of this sort or false Apostles, de
ceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the Apostles of
Christ." What is " transforming themselves into the Apostles of
Christ ?" This is meant by it. The Apostles adduced texts from
the Divine Law, so did they ; the Apostles brought authorities from
the Psalms, so did they ; the Apostles appealed to the Prophets, so
did they quite as much. But when, what both parties had agreed
in adducing, they differed in interpreting, then was the distinction
seen between the innocent and the deceitful, the honest and the
counterfeit, the true-hearted and the perverse, in a word, the true
Apostles and the false Apostles. " And no wonder," he continues,
" for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light ; so
tjiat it is not a great thing that his ministers are transformed into
ministers of righteousness." According then to St. Paul's teaching,
as often as false apostles, or false prophets, or false doctors, pervert
texts of Scripture into authorities for their errors, they are evidently
foflowing the crafty device of their father, who we may be sure,
would never adopt it, did he not well know that the pretence of
Scripture texts is the most successful mode of insinuating impious
doctrine. Does any one ask, how we know that the devil is accustomed to
quote Scripture ? let him read the Gospels, in which it is written, —
" Then the devfl took Him up," that is, the Lord and Saviour,
" and placed Him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him,
If Thou art the Son of God, cast Thyself down, for it is writ
ten, He hath given His angels charge of Thee, to keep Thee in
all Thy ways." . . . We must especially heed and remember the
doctrine contained in this passage, that, when we meet with men

603
citing the words of Aposties or Prophets against the Catholic Faith,
we may take it as a Gospel sanction for being quite certain, that the
devfl speaks by their mouth. ... If any one of the heretics be asked,
how he proves that we ought to abandon the universal and ancient
faith of the Church Catholic, he wifl promptly reply," It is written;"
and on the spot is ready with a thousand texts and proofs, some from
the Law, some from the Psalms, some from the Apostles, some from
the Prophets, with the view of precipitating the unhappy soul, by a
new and perverse interpretation of them, from the secure pinnacle of
Catholicism into the gulf of heresy. Moreover, they add promises
which wonderfully deceive incautious men. They dare to engage
and to proclaim that in their Church, that is, in their own meeting,
there is a certain great and special grace of God, belonging to each of
them personally, so that without labour, or endeavour, or pains, with
out seeking, or asking, or knocking, all who belong to their number,
are so divinely ordered, that carried up aloft by the hands of angels,
they can never " strike their foot against a stone," that is, stumble in
their Christian course.
[This warning is especially seasonable to us of this day, who are beset both
with the clamor, that the " Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of Protest
ants," and with a thousand discordant views, all professedly Scriptural, in il
lustration of its unreasonableness. We may simply say, "that interpretation
shall be ours, which the Church has ever taught from the first day until now.
The whole body of saints, speaking unanimously, must be sounder and more
certain in their doctrine, than any of these upstart and self-authorized parties."
If it be objected, that the Church Catholic at this day speaks different things ;
we may plainly deny this as regards the great points of faith, as above stated.
'Whatever be our private differences with the Roman Catholics, we may join
with them in condemning Socinians, Baptists, Independents, Quakers, and
the like. But God forbid, that we should ally ourselves with the offspring of
heresy and schism, in our contest with any branches of the Holy Church,
which maintain the foundation, whatever maybe their incidental corruptions !]

7. (c. 28, 29, 30, 31.)
If it be asked, whether in saying that the Christian doctrine is im
mutable, I maintain that Divine doctrine can make no advance in the
Church, let me answer at once that I maintain just the reverse.—
Who indeed is so niggardly towards mankind, so abandoned by God,
as to try to forbid it ? However, it must be such an advance as is
truly an increase of the faith, not a change. That is, it is the pro
perty of an increase, that each particular part has its ovra develope,
ment ; but of a change, that some part or other becomes what it was
not before. Doubtiess, then, there should be m successive ages an
increase, a great and effective improvement, m the understanding,

604
the knowledge, the wisdom of all Christians, and of each of them,
of the individuals and of the whole Church, but only in the same
form, that is, in the same doctrine, the same meaning, the same ex
pression. The soul should observe the same rule which obtains in the case of
the body, which, in the course of years, unfolds itself into its perfect
proportions, yet remains the same as before. Great as is the difference
between the flower of boyhood and the maturity of old age, yet the
very same individual who was a boy becomes aged, the change in
state and habit of that one and the same being in no respect affecting
the identity of his nature and his person. Children at the breast have
small limbs, youths have large, yet the very same ones. Their num
ber is the same, even though they might before be in part undeveloped.
This then, evidentiy, is the legitimate and right rule of growth, the
natural and beautiful order of advancing, if years bring out into shape
those elements which Creative Wisdom had already implanted. If,
however, a change were made in course of time into some type of a
different species, or the number ofthe hmbs increased or diminished,
the whole body would necessarily fall to pieces, or become monstrous,
or at least be enfeebled. So, in like manner, let the one message of
Christianity foflow the laws of growth ; consolidated indeed by years,
expanded, elucidated, but incorrupt for ever, and inviolate, and full
and perfect in the entireness of its parts, of its members, (as it were,)
and its senses, but with no alteration, no loss of its characteristic
marks, no variety in its definition.
For instance : our ancestors sowed of old in this corn-field of the
Church the seeds of true faith as of wheat. It were very wrong and
unseemly that we their children should choose, instead ofthe genuine
crop, the intrusive deceit of the tares. Rather, it is right and fitting
that the first and the last should not differ from each other, but that
the seed being wheat, the crop should be wheat also , . . God forbid
that, in that Spiritual garden, the shoots of cinnamon and balsam
should suddenly bear nettles or aconite. Whatever, then, divine hus
bandry and ancient faith have sown in-our Church, must be cultivated
and cherished by the diligence of posterity ; must flourish and grow
to ripeness ; must advance and be perfected. It is pious to make
accurate, to refine, to polish those primitive doctrines of heavenly phi
losophy ; it is impious to change them for others. Let them be made
intelligible, luminous, distinct ; but they ought evfer to retain their
completeness, their entireness, their characteristic nature.
For, should this license of impious deceit once be allowed, I shud
der to think ofthe risk, which will foflow, of the excision and destruc
tion of religion. If but one portion of the Catholic doctrine be re
nounced, another, and then another, and then again others will be re
nounced also, as if by right and custom. Moreover, if the separate
parts be repudiated, what is to hinder the whole being at length re-

605
pudiated equafly ? On the other hand, if new and old, foreign and
native, profane and sacred, are once mingled together in any degree,
this evil must necessarfly extend to the whole, till nothing is left in
the Church inviolate, nothing undefiled, the shrine of holy truth be
coming the impure dwelling of impious and base errors. But, may
God's pity avert this curse from the hearts of His people ; rather be
it the recompense of the wicked !
[Alas ! since the Church divided and spoke different things, what part of it
is there which is not, in some respects, justly opened to the description con
tained in these last words ! How miserably contrasted are we with the One
Holy Apostolic Church of old, which " serving with one consent," spoke " a
pure language." And now that Rome has added, and we have omitted, in the
catalogue of sacred doctrines, what is left to us but to turn out eyes sorrow
fully and reverently to those ancient times, and with Bishop Ken, make it our
profession to live and " die in the faith of the Catholic Church before the di
vision of the East and West V]

END OF VOL. I.

CONTENTS.

NO. 1.

7.
8. 9.
10.11.12. 13. 14.15.
16. 17.18.
19.
20.31.
22.23.24.
25,

PAGE
Thoughts on the ministerial Com
mission, . . , . (
The Catholic Church, . . 15
Thoughts respectfully addressed
to the Clergy on alterations in
the Liturgy, ....
Adherence to theApostolical Suc
cession the safest course, .
A short Address to his brethren
on the Nature and Constitution
of the Church of Christ, &c. by
a Layman, ....
The present obligation of Primi
tive Practice,
A Sin ofthe Church,
The Episcopal Church Apostoli
cal, ....
The Gospel, a Law of Liberty,
Church Reform,

16

22

On Shortening the Church Services 49
Sunday Lessons, ... 51
Heads of a Week-day Lecture, 53
The Visible Church, (Letter 1.) 55
(Letter 2.) .... 59
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, 1 63
Sunday Lessons. The Principle
of Selection, ... 74
The Ember Days, ... 83
On the Apostolical Succession in
the English Church, . . 88
Advent, . . ... 97
The Ministerial Commission a
Trust from Christ, etc. . i03
Thoughts on the Benefits of the
System of Fasting enjoined by
Ihe Church, . . .108
On Arguing conoerning the Apos
tolical Succession, . ¦ 131
The Visible Church. Letter III. 134
The mortification of the Flesh,
a Scripture Duty, . . 137
The Athanasian Creed, . . 141
The Faith and obedience of
Churchmen the Strength of the
Church  155
The Scripture View ofthe Apos
tolic Succession, . . • 158
The great Necessity and Advan
tage of Public Prayer, . 166

NO.26.

27.

PAGE.
The Necessity and Advantage of
Frequent Communion, .
The History of Popish Transub
stantiation, by John Cosin, Bish
op of Durham,
The History of the Popish Tran
substantiation, (continued)
Christian Liberty,
The same continued.
The Reformed Church,
The Standing Ordinances of Re
ligion, ....
Primitive Episcopacy,
Rites and Customs of the Church 254
The People's Interest in their
Minister's Commission,
Account of Religious Sects at pre
sent existing in England
Bishop Wilson's Form of Ex
communication, . "
Via Media, No. I.
Bishop Wilson's Form of receiv
ing Penitents, ¦
Baptism, ....
Via Media, No. II. • .
Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No. I. Sun
day, . . . ¦ .
Length of the Public Service,
Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No. II. Mon
day 
The Grounds of our Faith,
Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No.lII. Tues
day, 
The Visible Church, Letter IV.
Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No. IV.
Wednesday, .
The Kingdom of Heaven,
Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No. IV. con
tinued, . . . • .
On Dissent without Reason in
Conscience,
Sermons for Saints' Days and
Holy Days, No. I. St. Matthias'
Day, 

173

. 190
204234233340 243249

360 263367373 288
285 397

306 813

324327

331 333

336 339

348

353

365

608

NO PAGE,
53 Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office, No. V.
Thursday  371
54. Sermons, ect. No. II. For the
Annunciation, . . . 374
55. Bishop Wilson's Meditations on
his Sacred Office. No. V.
Thursday, continued, . . 384
56. Holy Days observed in the En
glish Church, . . .390
57. Sermons for Saints' Days. No.
'III. St. Mark's, . . .395
58. On the Church, as vievjed by
Faith and by the World, . 406
59. Church and State, . . 411
60. Sermons for Saints' Days, No.
IV. St. Philip and St. James, 417

NO. PAOB.
61. The Catholic Church a witness
against Illiberality, . . 425
62. Bishop Wilson's Meditations, No.
V. Thursday, concluded, . 430
63. The Antiquity of the existing Lit
urgies, ..... 436
54. Bishop Bull on the Ancient Lit
urgies, .... 447
65. Bishop Wilson's Meditations,
No. VI. Friday. No. VII. Sat
urday, ..... 450
66. Supplement to Tract XVIII, On
the Benefits of the System of
Fasting prescribed by our
Church, .... 474

RECORDS OF THE CHURCH.

HO. PAGE.
I. Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephe
sians, . . . 487
II. Epistle of Ignatius to the Mag
nesians, , . . . 492
III. The Apostle John and the Rob
ber, (from Eusebius.) Conduct
of St. John towards Cerinthus,
from the same,) . . . 495
IV. Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp, 498
V. Epistle of Ignatius to the Tral
lians, ..... 501
VI. Account of the Martyrs of Lyons
and Vienne, .... 503
VII. Epistle of Ignatius to the Church
of Smyrna, . . 513
VIII\ Epistle of Ignatius to the Ro
mans, .... 517
IX. The Martyrdom of Ignatius at
Rome,  520
X. Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadel
phians, .... 525
XI. Account of the Martyrdom of St.
James the Apostle, . . 528

XII. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 530 ,
XIII. Justin Martyr on Primitive
Christian Worship, . . 539
XIV. Ireeus on the Rule of Faith, 544
XV. The Temporal condition and the
Principle of Christians, from the
Epistle to Diognetus, . . 546
XVI. Address of Clement of Alex
andria to the Heathen, . 551
XVII. Tertullian on the rule of Faith, 554
XVIII. The same continued, ' . 559
XIX. St. Cyprian on the Unity of the
Church, . . . 564
XX. The same continued, . . 570
XXI. The same concluded, . 575
XXII. Tertullian on Baptism, . 583
XXIII. From the Acts ofthe African
Martyrs, . . 586
XXIV. Vincentius of Lerins on the
Tests of Heresy and Error, 592
XXV. The same concluded, . 598

609

TABLE OF THE TRACTS,
SHEWING THEIE
ARRANGEMENT ACCORDING TO SUBJECTS.

LITURGICAL.

3. Thoughts respectfully addressed to
the Clergy on alterations in the Lit
urgy.
9. On Shortening the Church Service.
13. Sunday Lessons — ^The Principle of
Selection.

NO.37. Bishop Wilson's Form of Excommu
nication.
39. Bishop Wilson's Form of receivmg
Penitents.
63. Antiquity of the existing Liturgies.
64. Bishop Bull OH the Ancient Liturgies.

II.
ON ORDINANCES.

14. The Ember Days.
16. Advsnt.
18. Thoughts on the Benefits of the Sys
tem of Fasting, enjoined by our
Church.
21. Mortification of the Flesh a Scripture
' Duty.
25. Bishop Beveridge on the great Ne
cessity and Advantage of Public
Prayer.

36.27. 28.33.34.56.
66.

BishopBeveridge on the Necessity and
Advantage of frequent Communion.
Bishop Cosm on the Doctrine of the
Eucharist.
The same continued.
The standing Ordinances of Religion.
Rites and Customs ofthe Church.
Holy Days observed in the English
Church.
Thoughts on the Benefits of Fasting.

III.

ON THE APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION.

1. Thoughts on the Ministerial Comniis-
sion, respectfully addressed to the
Clergv.
4. Adherence to the Apostolical Succes
sion the safest Course.
7. The Episcopal Church Apostolical.
10. Heads of a Week-day Lecture, deliv
ered to a Country Congregation in
 shire.
17. The Ministerial Commission a Trust
from Christ for the Benefit of his
People.
24. The Scripture View of the Apostolical
Commission.

35. The People's Interest in their Minis
ter's Commission.
42 Bishop Wilson's Meditations on his
Sacred Office. No. 1.— Sunday.
44. Bishop Wilson's Meditations on his
Sacred Office. No. 3.— Monday.
46. Bishop Wilson's Meditations on his
Sacred Office. No. 3.-Tuesday.
52. Sermons for Saints' Days. No. 1.
54. Ditto. No. 3.
57. Ditto. No. 3.
60. Ditto. No. 4. . AT A
48. Bishop Wilson's Meditations,— No. 4.
Wednesday.

610

50. Bishop Wilson's Meditations.' — No.4.
(concluded!)
63. Ditto. No. 5. Thursday.

55. Ditto. No. 5. continued.
62. Ditto. No. 5. concluded.
65. Ditto. No. 6. Friday— No.7. Saturday.

11.
20. 23.

IV.
ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.

The Catholic Church.
A Short Address to his Brethren on
the Nature and Constitution of the
Church of Christ, and of the Branch
ofit established in England. By a
Layman.
The Visible Church. Letters I. and II.
The same, continued. Letter III.
The Faith and Obedience of Church
men, the Strength of the Church.

29.

30.
47. 49. 51.

Christian Liberty ; or. Why should
we belong to the Church of Eng
land 1 By a Layman.
The same, continued.
The Visible Church. Letter IV.
The Kingdom of Heaven.
On Dissent without Reason in Con
science.

•ON THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

15. Ou the Apostolical Succession of the
English Church.
31. The Reformed Church.
36. Account of Religious Sects at pre
sent existing in England.
38. Via Media.— No. I.
41. Via Media.— No. II.

58. On the Church, as viewed by Faith
and by the World.
59. The Position of the Church of Christ
in England relatively to the State
and Nation.
CI. The Catholic Church a Witness
against liberality.

VL
ON THE ARGUMENT FOR THE CHURCH.

6. The Present Obligation of Primitive
Practice.
8. The Gospel a Law of Liberty.

19. On Arguing concerning the Apostoli
cal Succession.
45. The Grounds of our Faith.

VII.
RICHARD NELSON.

12. Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.
33. The Athanasion Creed.

40. Baptism.
43. Length of the Public Service.

VIII.

RECORDS OF THE CHURCH.

I. Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians.
II. Epistle of Ignatius to the Magne
sians.
III. The Apostle St. John and the Rob
ber.
IV. Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp.
V. Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians.
VI. Account of the Martyrs of Lyons
and Vienne.
VII. Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyr
neans.
VIII. Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans.

IX. The Martyrdom of Ignatius at Rome.
X. Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadel
phians.
XI. Account of the Martyrdom of St.
James the Apostle.
XII. The Martyrdom of Polycarp.
XIII. Justin Martyr, on Primitive Chris
tian Worship.
XIV. Irenasus on the Rule of Faith.
XV. The temporal condition and the
Principles of Christians, from the
Epistle to Diognetus.

611

XVI. Address of Clsment of Alexandria
to the Heathen.
XVII. TurtuUian on the Rule of Faith.
XVIII. The same, continued.
XIX. St. Cyprian on the Unity of the
Church.
XX. The same, continued.

NO. XXI. The same, concluded.
XXII. Tertullian on Baptism.
XXIII. The Martyrdom of St. Felix and
of St. Lawrence.
XXIV. St. Vincent of Lerins on the Tests
of Heresy.
XXV. The same concluded.

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