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ticisms on the meaning of a few doubtful
words; nothing is founded on consequences
deduced from the opponent's doctrines, which
he can fairly deny. Whatever is not proved
by a whole body of evidence, rendered strong
and invincible by the harmony and support of
all its parts, and interpreted as it would be by
plain honest men of sound understandings and
sufficient information, shall be considered as
not proved at all. It is therefore especially
desired, that, on one part, and on the other,
regard may be had to no UNSUPPORTED
CHARGE; and that, "with what measure we
mete, it may be measured to us again." (Matt.
vii. 2.)

The Churchmanship of the persons under
vindication being ascertained, a few things are
offered on behalf of the CHURCH, and in defence
of her genuine doctrines. That particular is
fixed upon, and discussed at large, in regard
for which, the chief prejudices against the rest
of these doctrines, and their abettors, are pre-
tended to be entertained; namely, the doctrine
of Good-Works, or Christian Morality. Hence,
it is intended to appear, that the characters in
question, are true Churchmen of a true Church,
and therefore worthy of the Title, in the high-
est sense. And if, in reality, this feeble effort
should contribute to this end; if, through the
blessing of God, it should, in any measure,
cause the true principles of the Establishment
to be more respected; if, in any degree, it
should render it a more creditable thing to
preach the real doctrines of the Church in the
Church, the labour of the writer would be re-
warded abundantly. This, he is confident,
would be productive of proportionable good to
both Church and State. For, without arraign-
ing the principles of those who think other,
wise, as intentionally bad, only in the faithful
promulgation of these doctrines can he see any
effectual opposition to the present alarming
progress of infidelity and profligacy; and only
in the promulgation of them in strict conformi-
ty to the established plan, can he expect any
good effects of the pulpit, that are sober, ge-
neral, and permanent; and that are not coun-
teracted by a nearly proportionable degree of
disorder and mischief. (p. ix-xi.)

The reader will have the authors plan

before him at one view in the following

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAP. I. The main question stated; and a gu-

ed against the Assailants, from their Conduct

in Subscription,—their own Concessions,—and

the Complaints of several Eminent Bishops,

(p. 13)-CHAP II The real sense of the

Articles, and doctrines of our Reformers, in-

vestigated, and appealed to, on the question,

(p. 44.)-SECT. I The true interpretation

sought, from our Different Forms as they il

lustrate and explain each other; the Title and

Preamble annexed to the Articles; the Circum-

stances and Object of our Reformers; their

other Public and Approved Writings; and the

Authorities they respected, (p. 44.)-SECT. II.

The true interpretation of the Articles further

sought from the known Private Sentiments of

bate. And, however trite our subject may be, we are not, it appears, about to contend with a shadow. The Evangelical Teachers, of the description here specified, certainly do pretend to adhere strictly to the Doctrines of the Church, and thus generally is their claim denied, and the opposite one supported.

The QUESTION therefore is, whose pre: tensions, in this matter, are best founded?

WHOSE DOCTRINES ARE REALLY THOSE OF
OUR ARTICLES, HOMILIES, AND LITURGY?
WHO, IN REALITY, TEACH THE DOCTRINES
CONTAINED IN THESE FORMULARIES, AS
THEY WERE FIRST DELIVERED BY OUR
REFORMERS? (p. 17.)

2. "Now," says he, "that the actual opinions and teachings of many in the Church, do not coincide with the express and obvious doctrines of our Articles, appears from their CONDUCT RESPECTING SUBSCRIPTION to these Articles, and the methods they have recourse to, in order to reconcile themselves to this measure."

"By some then, the Articles of our Church are considered as little more than ARTICLES OF PEACE, which are only not to be contradicted in our public ministrations; as mere proscriptions of certain sects and tenets which obtained at our first separation from Rome, and therefore unmeaning and obsolete in proportion as these particular sects and tenets have ceased to be dangerous; as a mere form of admission into the Church;" (British Critic for Dec. 1799, p. 610,) or, denominate them what they please, a something which does not require from the Minister who subscribe them, the actual belief of the doctrines they contain." (p. 18.)

Under this class, Mr. O. quotes Bp. Watson, Dr. Thos. Balguy, and Archdeacon Paley; and he shews that the sentiments of Dr. Paley upon this subject are so understood by Mr. Gisborne, and are applauded by Mr. Polwhele, and the British Critic, while they are severely reprobated by the Anti-Jacobin Reviewers.

"By another class of these Divines, it is acknowledged, or all but acknowledged, that the established Confessions have actually experienced what they Call, a TACIT REFORMATION. These persons represent our formularies of doctrine as having "a new and acquired sense;" and maintain, that in this sense they are conscientiously subscribed, however different it may be

from their literal and primitive meaning." (p. 22.)

The leading patrons of this scheme are the late Archdeacon Powel, and Dr. Hey, formerly Norrisian Professor; after extracts from whose writings, the author adds:

While the rule of duty is preserved entire, many degrees of deviation from it are compa tible with hopes of a return, but who will adhere to its original strictness after the standard of conduct is depressed? after they have a free license to depart from it?—And what is all this but saying, in effect, We do not even pretend to follow the interpretation of the Reformers; we do not acknowledge ourselves at all bound by their sentiments; we have a new sense of our own; the opinions of "those we account learned and judicious men" of the present day, is our standard? p. 26, 27.)

"A third class of Subscribers may be mentioned, who wholly disapprove of this UNLIMITED LATITUDE of interpretation; but who nevertheless plead for liberty upon, what they call, the "mysterious and difficult doctrines ;" talk of retrenchment and alteration, and by other means discover, that there are some things in the Articles to which they do not cordially subscribe." (p. 27.)

"The Divines already noticed," Mr. O. remarks, "are unanimous in thus far expressing their dissatisfaction with the Established Creed," and supports this by quotations from Dr. Balguy, Dr. Hey, Dr. Ridley, and Bishop Warburton; to the writings of which prelate we are referred by Mr. Ludlam, Mr. Polwhele, Mr. Clapham, Dr. Croft, &c., for correction and instruction in orthodoxy; and Dr. Croft himself expressly declares, that some of the Articles lean to the side of enthusiasm, and this is said, too, of the fundamental Articles on Grace, Faith, and Good Works.

The writer thus concludes this part of the chapter:

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On whatever grounds then these various modes of treating the established confessions are built; such a procedure certainly does not resemble the conduct of those who adhere

to the express and obvious doctrines of these formularies. Will they pretend to believe and teach the doctrines contained in the Articles, who do not consider them as propositions to be believed, but articles only not to be publicly Anabaptists, and Puritans? Can they be supcontradicted; mere proscriptions of Papists, posed to preach according to the primitive

signification of these Articles, who tell us expressly that they have a new and acquired sense, in which they may be honestly subscribed? Is it credible that they should "teach them as they were first delivered by our Reformers," who lament, that in consequence of the errors of those times, the Articles contain so many things which are objectionable, and which want reforming? These are all methods of viewing and representing the subject which they find no sort of occasion for, who really adhere to the plain and natural meaning of the Articles, as they are illustrated by the known sentiments, and other writings of the Reformers, (p. 30.)

3. Mr. Overton proceeds to state various CONCESSIONS of the British Critic, of Dr. Hey, of Bishop Warburton, of Bishop Shipley, of Arch". Paley, of Dr. Croft, and of the Anti-Jacobin Reviewers; in all which it is declared or implied, that a defection from the primitive doctrines of the Church has taken place among many of her Minis

ters.

He, therefore, proceeds :

"re

Surely then, all these Gentlemen forget themselves, when they so indignantly probate" and "spurn" the mention of this circumstance by others. (See Croft's Strictures on Paley, &c. p. 145; Clapham's Ser. at Boroughbridge, p. 28; Daubeny's Appendix, p. 622; &c.) If there is not a foundation for the charge, why are they thus guilty of slandering their brethren? Why, in all these ways, do they contribute towards the support and propagation of such an idea? If there is a foundation for it, and if this conduct is, as they here say, "JUSTLY THOUGHT TO BE A GREAT AND CRYING ABUSE," why do they on other occasions so vehemently deny it? And why may not others, who view the matter in this light, openly lament it as well as themselves? What constitutes that conduct weakness, and enthusiasm, and reviling, in some ministers in the church, which is not such in others? And if, in reality, they do not perceive a nearer resemblance between our doctrines and those of the church, why do they thus characterise them by the same epithet ? And why do they say, "that the Articles lean to our side of the question?"

Nor can our conclusion be evaded by saying, that their observations are confined within much narrower limits. Some of our writers, doubtless, may have expressed themselves in too general terms.

It was natural for men under their circumstances, and experiencing their treatment, to do so The persons, how ever, censured in the passages just quoted, are "The Clergy," "our ablest Divines.". "Our Preachers," "the English Divines," &c expressions which extend the conduct in question far beyond what this work undertakes, (p. 35, 36)

4. But, as the opposers of our doctrines would be thought to have great respect for the judgment of our Bish

ops, and wish to charge us with a dereliction of our duty towards these Dignitaries of the Church. (See Anti-Jac. Rev. April 1799. p. 364.)-Let us hear the OPINION of some of our most active and eminent PRELATES on the subject we are discussing." (p. 36.)

On this subject the following important passage is quoted from Archbishop Secker, in one of his Charges to the Clergy :

"To improve the people effectually,-you must be assiduous in teaching the principles not only of virtue and natural religion, but of THE GOSPEL; and of the gospel, not as ALMOST EXPLAINED AWAY by modern refiners, but as the truth is in Jesus;' as it is taught by the Church of which you are members; as you have engaged by your subscriptions and declarations, that you will teach it yourselves.-You must preach to them faith in the ever-blessed Trinity;-you must set forth the original corruption of our nature; our redemption according to God's eternal purpose in Christ, by the sacrifice of the cross; our sanctification by the influences of the Divine Spirit, the insufficiency of good works, and the efficacy of faith to salvation.

"The truth, I fear, is, that MANY IF NOT MOST OF US have dwelt too little on these doctrines in our sermons,-partly from not ha ving studied Theology deeply enough to treat of them ably and beneficially: God grant it may never have been for want of inwardly experiencing their importance.-But whatever be the cause, the effect has been lamentable.Our people have grown less and less mindful, first of the distinguishing Articles of their Creed, then, as will always be the case, of that one which they hold in common with the heathens;-flattering themselves, that what they are pleased to call a moral and harmless life, though far from being either, is the one thing needful.-Reflections have been made upon us-on account of these things, by Deists, Papists, Brethren of our own, &c. (Ch. 1. p. 79, Watson's Tracts, Vol. 6.)"

Quotations from Bishop Horsley, from Bishop Horne, and from the Bishop of Durham, speak clearly and forcibly the conviction of these eminent prelates, that the great doctrines of the Gospel have, with very pernicious consequences resulting therefrom, been too much excluded from many of our pulpits. A quotation from the Bishop of London implies the same conviction in his lordship's mind; and another from the Bishop of Lincoln implies, that the Articles were not always dealt with fairly and honestly, and, at the same time, quashes, at a stroke, all the casuistry employed to evade their plain meaning, and to justify subscription

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And is there after all no ground for this complaint? Do not these distinguished Heads and Champions of the Church, after the most diligent view," understand the subject? Or are they guilty of " gross misrepresentation?" Is this "the raving of enthusiasm ?" Or will the British Critic and Mr. Daubeny call this "the revilings of sectaries?" (Brit. Crit September, 1797, p. 302; Guide to the Church, p. 324, 378.) Men indeed may say what they please, and when they please contradict at one time what they affirm at another. Thus however does it appear,

That one class of these Divines in vindicat ing such a conduct, another in confessing it, and our Bishops in lamenting it, conspire to establish the fact, in opposition to our Assailants, that many of them have not adhered to the obvious doctrines of the Articles; or in other words, do not preach so evangelically as these forms:-And thus, on the other hand, do we profess to adhere to their plain meaning; thus is it confessed that the Articles lean to our side of the question; and thus do these eminent Prelates recommend, with all their energy, the very style of preaching by which we are characterized, for which we are calumniated, and which only we would here vindicate.

The importance of our subject, however, it is presumed, may justify its more full discussion. Let the reader then only exercise a little patience, and he shall be fully satisfied on the question. (p. 42, 43.)

(To be continued.)

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ous state of affairs which existed at the commencement of the present century. He points out our situation, as a nation defended by divine Providence from the calamities which had overspread the greater part of Europe; adverts to the blessings derived from a national establishment of Christianity; a system of laws affording liberty and protection to all; a succession of splendid and important victories; and a monarch "whose virtues have been the palladium of our internal peace and security." (p. 1, 2.) In tracing the origin of the revolutionary spirit, his Lordship regards Popery, considered as a corruption of Christianity, as the pernicious source and spring of those wild opinions, which actuated the framers and agents of the French Revolution; and hence he infers the "necessity of cultivating the pure principles of the Gospel, and of studying the means of promoting, in ourselves and others, a truly spiritual religion." "Spiritual religion," says his Lordship, "is a sincere devotion of the mind to God; an humble resignation to all his dispensations; an universal and unvaried obedience to his will. That this is very far from the religion of the world, very little experience is necessary to discover, and it is certainly no breach of charity to assert. Yet we know that it tian's conduct; that it is the surest ought to be the rule of every Chrissource of every thing most dear and permanent in earthly happiness, and the only security for happiness hereaf ter," (p..3, 4). A religion, thus elevated in its object and holy in its end, differing widely from the dreams of a vain philosophy, and the inadequate or erroneous representations of halftaught moralizers, must necessarily encounter much opposition from the world at large, and from the corrupt heart of the unrenewed man.

The pious author of the Charge before us, proceeds, accordingly, to lay, before his Clergy some of those impediments, which tend powerfully to obstruct the progress and success of spiritual religion.

As the First of these impediments, his Lordship mentions, "the weakness of the religious principle, which in other and in more scriptural language,

is termed want of faith." "Faith," Durham here reprehends, have precontinues his Lordship, "is the life vailed, and do still prevail, we most sinand spirit of every thing which relates cerely regret; and we regard those to religion. From faith, the Apostles who disunite faith from obedience, derived their power to work miracles. teaching that believers in Christ are To faith, the sick owed their recovery emancipated from all moral obligations, from the disorders of the body; to as the most dangerous corrupters of the faith, we must owe our recovery from Gospel. Yet we cannot forbear exthe more malignant diseases of the pressing a hope, that good people may mind here, and our security from the have sometimes misunderstood one sentence to be denounced against them another, when discussing this subject, hereafter. Without a lively impres- and that the use of phrases ill-defined, sion of faith prayer becomes a mock- and of indeterminate expressions, have ery, and ordinances mere formality." tended to widen the breach, and to an(p. 4, 5.) imate the spirit of controversy.

We quote these animated passages with pleasure, since it has been greatly the practice of unbelievers in general, and of many whose sacred character might have excited the hope of meeting with more correct notions of Christianity, to treat the faith of a Christian, of which such excellent things are spoken in Scripture, as exercised upon mysterious themes, or unimportant speculations. That a true and living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the sole meritorious cause of our acceptance with God, is absolutely necessary to the salvation of those to whom the Gospel is preached, is one of the most prominent doctrines in the Holy Scriptures; and forms an important portion of those invaluable truths, which our venerable Reformers rescued from the corruptions of Popery.

The faith, however, for which the Bishop of Durham contends, is not an inactive, inefficient quality; it is a lively principle, conducting the possessor in a course of obedience to the precepts of our Saviour, and making him "zealous of good works." "If," says his Lordship, "faith does not act as a principle of good works, it is not the true faith." "There cannot be an enemy more hostile to Christ, than the advocate for faith without good works." "It seems-incredible, that any one, who is at all acquainted with the Scriptures, should maintain that we can be saved without good works; but as such a pernicious error has existed, as it may still, and actually does exist, a zealous pastor cannot too diligently inculcate the vanity of all religious professions, without moral goodness." (p. 5, 6.)

That such errors as the Bishop of

We trust that it will not be interpreted into any want of respect for the venerable author of the Charge, if we express a wish, that his Lordship had given a more copious and explicit view of the doctrine of a sinner's justification before God. The Antinomian error, which is opposed in the Charge, prevails chiefly among the Sectaries; but a most important deviation from the language of the Holy Scriptures, and of the Articles and Homilies, is strikingly apparent in the discourses of too many of the Clergy of the Established Church, and well deserves the animadversion of this pious and enlightened prelate.❤

As farther impediments to spiritual religion, his Lordship mentions, "Ignorance of the Scriptures--the fear of singularity a supine acquiescence in the customs of the world-the fear of being thought over religious-prejudice-acquiescence in the customs of others, well reputed in the worldworldly mindedness." (p. 7, 8, 9, 10.) "But," he proceeds, "I should ill discharge what I owe to you, and to my own conscience, if I did not add, that the force of all other impediments may be increased, perhaps in a tenfold degree, by a want of spiritual instruction and conduct in him who should be their guide to truth, and whose example should give activity to their duties, and spirituality to their hopes and views." (p. 11.)

As the principal means of cultivating this spiritual religion, the Bishop exhorts his Clergy to inculcate "the first principles of the Oracles of God.' They should not only be taught that the foundation of all true religion must

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