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founded with the peculiarities of Calvin what appear to us, and, as he will find, to many excellent persons, as well Arminians as Calvinists, to be the essential peculiarities of the Christian faith. Our difference with him is neither more nor less than this. And in maintaining our own opinions against so powerful an opponent, we cannot but rejoice in calling to our aid those writings of our venerable church, respecting which every bishop, and every priest, and every deacon of that church, has solemnly declared his belief, that they contain "a godly and wholesome doctrine."

Whoever has read our review of the Bishop of Lincoln's book, in our last number, will be at no loss to recollect what the points are on which we conceive that he and the Homilies are at issue. They are those of original sin, or human depravity; the influences of the Holy Spirit; justification; faith and good works. We do not mean to say, that the Bishop denies, in terms, any of these doctrines; but we think that he has so stated them, as to produce, on the whole, a view of their import, and of their practical bearings, very dissimilar to that which is given in the sermons now under review. Our extracts from these sermons, therefore, while they will be directed to the instruction and edification of our readers, will also have an especial reference to the contrariety which we have asserted to exist between the Bishop and the Church of England. As the subject is highly important, our readers will excuse the length of those extracts. Considering, however, the source from which they are taken, they ought to require no apology with any member of the Church of England.

Our first extracts will be on the subject of the sinfulness of man.

"The Scripture shutteth up all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given unto them that believe. St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours, calling us the children of the wrath of God,' when we be born: saying also,

that we cannot think a good thought of ourselves,' much less can we say well, or de well of ourselves." Homily on the Misery of Man, p. 25.

"So doth blessed St. John the evange

list, in the name of himself, and of a other holy men, (be they never so jas, make this open confession: If we sy we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: if we acknowledg our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all u righteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.' Wherefore the wise man, in the book called Ecclesiastes, maketh this trư and general confession, There is not are just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not." Homily on the Misery of Mas, p. 26.

"Our Saviour Christ saith, There is none good but God:' and that we can do nothing that is good without him, nor can 'any man come to the Father but by him. He commandeth us also to say, that we be unprofitable servants, when we have done all that we can do."" Homily on the Misery of Man, p. 26.

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"For of ourselves we be crab trees, that can bring forth no apples. We be of our selves of such earth, as can but bring forth weeds, nettles, brambles, briers, cockle, and darnel. Our fruits be declared in the fifth chapter to the Galatians. We have neither faith, charity, hope, patience, chastity, nor any thing else that good is, but of God; and therefore these virtues be called there the fruits of the Holy Ghost, and not the fruits of man. ledge ourselves before God (as we be indeed) miserable and wretched sinners. And let us earnestly repent, and humble ourselves heartily, and cry to God for mercy. Let us

Let us therefore acknow

all confess with mouth and heart that we be

full of imperfections: let us know our own works, of what imperfection they be, and then we shall not stand foolishly and arro gantly in our own conceits, nor challenge any part of justification by our merits or works." Homily on the Misery of Man, pp. 27, 28.

"Thus we have heard how evil we be of ourselves; how of ourselves, and by ourselves, we have no goodness, help, or salvation, but contrariwise, sin, damnation and death everlasting: which if we deeply weigh and consider, we shall the better understand the great mercy of God, and how our salvation cometh only by Christ. For in our selves (as of ourselves) we find nothing whereby we may be delivered from this

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miserable captivity, into the which we are cast, through the envy of the devil, by breaking of God's commandment in our first parent Adam. We are all become unclean;' but we all are not able to cleanse ourselves, nor to make one another clean. We are by nature the children of God's wrath;' but we are not able to make ourselves the children and inheritors of God's glory. We are sheep that run astray: but we cannot of our own power come again to the sheepfold, so great is our imperfection and weakness. In ourselves, therefore, may we not glory, which of ourselves, are nothing but sinful: neither may we rejoice in any works that we do, all which be so imperfect and impure, that they are not able to stand before the righteous judgment-seat of God, as the holy prophet David saith, Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord! for no man that liveth shall be found righteous in thy sight.' To God, therefore, must we flee, or else shall we never find peace, rest, and quietness of conscience in our hearts. For he is the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation.' He is the Lord, with whom is plenteous redemption: he is the God, which of his own mercy saveth us,' and setteth out his charity and exceeding love towards us, in that of his own voluntary goodness, when we were perishing, he saved us, and provided an everlasting kingdom for us. And all these heavenly treasures are given us, not for our own deserts, merits, or good deeds (which of ourselves we have none), but of his mere mercy freely. And for whose sake? Truly for Jesus Christ's sake, that pure and undefiled Lamb of God. He is that dearly beloved Son, for whose sake God is fully pacified, satisfied, and set at one with man. He is the 'Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world'" Homily on the Misery of Man, pp. 28-30.

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"Hitherto we have heard what we are of ourselves; very sinful, wretched, and damnable. Again, we have heard how that of ourselves, and by ourselves, we are not able either to think a good thought, or work a good deed; so that we can find in ourselves no hope of salvation, but rather whatsoever maketh unto our destruction. Again, we have heard the tender kindness and great mercy of God the Father towards us, and how beneficial he is to us for Christ's sake, without our merits or deserts, even of his own mere mercy and tender goodness." homily on the Misery of Man, pp. 30, 31.

"Let us also acknowledge the exceeding mercy of God towards us, and confess, that as of ourselves cometh all evil and damnation; CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 118.

so likewise of him cometh all goodness and salvation, as God himself saith by the prophet Hosea, O Israel, thy destruction cometh of thyself: but in me is thy help and comfort, ' Homily on the Misery of Man, p. 31.

"

"Among all the creatures that God made in the beginning of the world, most excellent and wonderful in their kind, there was none, as the Scripture beareth witness, to be compared almost in any point unto man, who, as well in body as soul, exceeded all other, no less than the sun in brightness and light exceedeth every small and little star in the firmament. He was made according to the image and similitude of God, he was endued with all kind of heavenly gifts, he had no spot of uncleanness in him, he was sound and perfect in all parts, both outwardly and inwardly, his reason was uncorrupt, his understanding was pure and good, his will was obedient and godly: he was made altogether like unto God in righteousness, and holiness, in wisdom, in truth; to be short, in all kind of perfection." Homily on the Nativity, pp. 142, 143.

"But as the common nature of all men is, in time of prosperity and wealth, to forget not only themselves, but God; even so did this first man Adam, who having but one commandment at God's hand, namely, that he should not eat of the fruit of knowledge of good and ill, did notwithstanding, most unmindfully, or rather most wilfully break it, in forgetting the strait charge of his Maker, and giving ear to the crafty suggestion of that wicked serpent, the devil. Whereby it came to pass, that as before he was blessed, so now he was accursed; as before he was loved, so now he was abhorred; as before he was most beautiful and precious, so now he was most vile and wretched in the sight of his Lord and Maker: instead of the image of God, he was now become the image of the devil; instead of the citizen of heaven, he was become the bond-slave of hell, having in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness, but being altogether spotted and defiled; insomuch, that now he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin, and therefore, by the just judgment of God was condemned to everlasting death. This so great and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had been so much the easier, and might the better have been borne. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity and children for ever, so that the whole brood of Adam's flesh should sustain the self-same fall and punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved." -Homily on the Nativity, pp. 143, 144,

40

The next series of extracts shall refer to the subject of Divine influences, on which the Homilies are equally full and explicit.

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thew, sitting at the receipt of custom' when of a proud publican he became an humble and lowly evangelist? And who can choose but marvel to consider, that Peter should become of a simple fisher a chief and mighty apostle? Paul of a cruel and bloody persecutor, a faithful disciple of Christ, to the power of teach the Gentiles? Such the Holy Ghost to regenerate men, and a it were to bring them forth anew, so that they shall be nothing like the men that they were before. Neither doth he think it saf ficient inwardly to work the spiritual and new birth of man, unless he do also dwell and abide in him. Know ye not,' saith St. Paul, that ye are the temple of God, and that his Spirit dwelleth in you? Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which is within you? Again he saith, You are not in the flesh, For why? The Spirit of you.' To this agreeth the doctrine of St. John, writing on this wise: The anointing which ye have received (he meaneth the Holy Ghost) dwelleth in you,' And the doctrine of Peter saith the same, who hath these words: The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.' 0 what comfort is this to the heart of a true Christian, to think that the Holy Ghost dwelleth with us,' as the within him! If God

but in the Spirit.
God dwelleth in

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"Where the Holy Ghost worketh, there nothing is impossible, as may further also appearby the inward regeneration and sanctification of mankind. When Christ said to Nicodemus, Unless a man be born anew, of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,' he was greatly amazed in his mind, and began to reason with Christ, demanding how a man might be born which was old? Can he enter, saith he, into his mother's womb again, and so be born anew? Behold a lively pattern of He had little or a fleshly and carnal man. no intelligence of the Holy Ghost, and therefore he goeth bluntly to work, and asketh how this thing were possible to be true: whereas otherwise, if he had known the great power of the Holy Ghost in this behalf, that it is he which inwardly worketh the regeneration and new birth of mankind, he would never have marvelled at Christ's words, but would rather take occasion thereby to praise and glorify God. For as there are three several and sundry persons in the Deity; so have they three several and sundry offices proper unto each of them :-the Father to create, the Son to redeem, the Holy apostle saith, who can be against us?' O but Ghost to sanctify and regenerate. Whereof how shall I know that the Holy Ghost is the last, the more it is hid from our under- within me? some man perchance will say. Forsooth, as the tree is known by his fruit, standing, the more it ought to move all men so is also the Holy Ghost.' The fruits of the to wonder at the secret and mighty working Holy Ghost (according to the mind of St. of God's Holy Spirit, which is within us. For it is the Holy Ghost, and no other thing, Panl) are these: love, joy, peace, long-suf that doth quicken the minds of men, stirring fering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, up good and godly motions in their hearts, meekness, temperance, &c. Contrariwise,

which are agreeable to the will and commandment of God, such as otherwise of their

own crooked and perverse nature they should never have.

the deeds of the flesh are these: adultery, for

nication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulation, wrath,

That which is born of the contention, sedition, heresy, envy, ruurder, flesh,' saith Christ, is flesh, and that which drunkenness, gluttony, and such like."" Ser

is, born of the Spirit is spirit'-As who should say, man of his own nature is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naughty, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds.

mon for Whitsunday, pp. 187-189.

After mentioning some scriptural instances of the power of the Holy Ghost, the Homily thus proceeds:

"Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History

As for the works of the telleth a strange story of a certain learned and

Spirit, the fruits of faith, charitable and

subtile philosopher, who being an extreme

godly motions, if he have any at all in him, adversary to Christ and his doctrine, could they proceed only of the Holy Ghost, who by no kind of learning be converted to the is the only worker of our sanctification, and faith, but was able to withstand all the arg

maketh us new men in Christ Jesus. Did

not God's Holy Spirit miraculously work in

ments that could be brought against him, with little or no labour. At length there

the child David, when of a poor shepherd started up a poor simple man, of small wit and

he became a princely prophet? Did not
God's Holy Spirit miraculously work in Mat-

less

knowledge, one that was reputed among the learned as an ideot; and he in God's

name would needs take in hand to dispute with this proud philosopher. The bishops and other learned men stauding by were marvellously abashed at the matter, thinking that by his doing they should be all confounded and put to open shame. He notwithstanding goeth on, and beginning in the name of the Lord Jesus, brought the philosopher to such point in the end, contrary to all men's expectation, that he could not choose but acknowledge the power of God in his words, and to give place to the truth. Was not this a miraculous work, that one silly soul, of no learning, should do that which many bishops of great knowledge and understanding were never able to bring to pass? So true is the saying of Bede: Where the Holy Ghost doth instruct and teach, there is so delay at all in learning." Sermon for Whitsunday, pp. 190, 191.

"Let us (as we are most bound) give hearty thanks to God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, for sending down his Comforter into the world, humbly beseeching him so to work in our hearts by the power of this Holy Spirit, that we being regenerate and newly born again in all goodness, righteousness, sobriety, and truth, may in the end be made partakers of everlasting life in his heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour." Sermon for Whitsunday, p. 191.

The following Homily invokes all the glorified saints in heaven, as witnesses to the power and efficacy of the Divine influence.

"If these were asked, who should be thanked for their regeneration, for their justification, and for their salvation? whether their deserts, or God's goodness only? although in this point every one confess sufficiently the fruth of this matter in his own person; yet let David answer by the mouth of them all at this time, who cannot choose but say, 'Not to us, O Lord; not to us, but to thy name give all the thanks, for thy loving mercy, and for thy truth sake. If we should ask again, from whence came their glorious works and deeds, which they wrought in their lives, wherewith God was so highly pleased and worshipped by them? let some other witness be brought in, to testify this matter, that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be known. Verily, that holy prophet Isaiah beareth record, and saith, O Lord, it is thou of thy goodness that hast wrought all our works in us, not we ourselves.' And to uphold the truth of this inatter, against all justiciaries and hypocrites, which rob Almighty God of his honour, and ascribe it to themselves, St. Paul bringeth in his

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belief: We be not,' saith he, sufficient of
ourselves, as of ourselves, once to think any
but all our ableness is of God's good-
For he it is, in whom we have all our
being, our living, and moving.' If ye will
know furthermore, where they had their
gifts and sacrifices, which they offered con-
tinually in their lives to Almighty God, they
cannot but agree with David, where he
saith, Of thy liberal hand, O Lord, we
have received that we gave unto thee.' If
this holy company therefore confess so con
stantly, that all the goods and graces, where-
with they were erdued in soul, came of the
goodness of God only; what more can be
said to prove that all that is good cometh
from Almighty God? Is it meet to think
that all spiritual goodness cometh from God
above only; and that other good things,
either of nature or of fortune (as we call them)
come of any other cause? Doth God of his
goodness adorn the soul with all the powers
thereof as it is; and come the gifts of the
body, wherewith it is endued, from any
other? If he doth the more, cannot he do
the less? To justify a sinner, to new
create him from a wicked person to a righte
ous man, is a greater act,' saith St. Augus-
tine, than to make such a new heaven and
earth as is already made.' We must needs
agree, that whatsoever good thing is in us,
of grace, of nature, or of fortune, is of

God only, as the only author and worker,”
Lomily for Rogation Week, pp. 203--205.
Again:

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I promised to you to declare that all
spiritual gifts and graces come especially from
God. Let us consider the truth of this mat-
ter, and hear what is testified first of the
gift of faith, the first entry into a Chris-
tian life, without the which no man can
please God. For St. Paul confesseth it
plainly to be God's gift, saying, 'faith is
the gift of God.' And again, St. Peter saith,
it is of God's power
that ye
be kept
through faith to salvation.' It is of the
goodness of God that we falter not in our
hope unto him. It is verily God's work in
us, the charity wherewith we love our bre
thren. If after our fail, we rep:nt, it is
by him that we repent, which reach-
eth forth his mercitul hand to raise us
up. If we have any will to rise, it is he that
preventeth our will and disposeth us there-
to. If after contrition, we feel our consci-
ences at peace with God, through remission
of our sin, and so be reconciled again to his
favour, and hope to be his children, and in-
heritors of everlasting life, who worketh
these great miracles in us? our worthiness,
our deservings, and endeavours, our wits,

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The next series of extracts shall refer to the subject of Divine influences, on which the Homilies are equally full and explicit.

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"Where the Holy Ghost worketh, there nothing is impossible, as may further also ap pearby the inward regeneration and sanctification of mankind. When Christ said to Nicodemus, Unless a man be born anew, of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,' he was greatly amazed in his mind, and began to reason with Christ, demanding how a man might be born which was old? Can he enter, saith he, into his mother's womb again, and so be born anew?' Behold a lively pattern of a fleshly and carnal man. He had little or no intelligence of the Holy Ghost, and therefore he goeth bluntly to work, and asketh how this thing were possible to be true: whereas otherwise, if he had known the great power of the Holy Ghost in this behalf, that it is he which inwardly worketh the regeneration and new birth of mankind, he would never have marvelled at Christ's words, but would rather take occasion thereby to praise and glorify God. For as there are three several and sundry persons in the Deity; so have they three several and sundry offices proper unto each of them :-the Father to create, the Son to redeem, the Holy Ghost to sanctify and regenerate. Whereof the last, the more it is hid from our understanding, the more it ought to move all men to wonder at the secret and mighty working of God's Holy Spirit, which is within us. For it is the Holy Ghost, and no other thing, that doth quicken the minds of men, stirring up good and godly motions in their hearts, which are agreeable to the will and commandment of God, such as otherwise of their own crooked and perverse nature they should never have. That which is born of the flesh,' saith Christ, is flesh, and that which is, born of the Spirit is spirit'-As who should say, man of his own nature is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naughty, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds. As for the works of the Spirit, the fruits of faith, charitable and godly motions, if he have any at all in him, they proceed only of the Holy Ghost, who is the only worker of our sanctification, and maketh us new men in Christ Jesus. Did not God's Holy Spirit miraculously work in the child David. when of a poor shepherd he became a princely prophet? Did not God's Holy Spirit miraculously work in Mat

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thew, sitting at the receipt of custom' when
of a proud publican he became an hum-
ble and lowly evangelist? And who can
choose but marvel to consider, that Peter
should become of a simple fisher a chief and
mighty apostle? Paul of a cruel and bloody
persecutor, a faithful disciple of Christ, to
teach the Gentiles? Such is the power of
the Holy Ghost to regenerate men, and as
it were to bring them forth anew, so that
they shall be nothing like the men that they
were before. Neither doth he think it saf-
ficient inwardly to work the spiritual and
new birth of man, unless he do also dwell
and abide in him. Know ye not,' saith St.
Paul, that ye are the temple of God, and
that his Spirit dwelleth in you? Know ye
not that your bodies are the temples of
the Holy Ghost, which is within you?
Again he saith, You are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. For why? The Spirit of
God dwelleth in you.' To this agreeth the
doctrine of St. John, writing on this wise:
The anointing which ye have received (be
meaneth the Holy Ghost) dwelleth in you.'
And the doctrine of Peter saith the same,
who hath these words: The Spirit of glory
and of God resteth upon you.' O what
comfort is this to the heart of a true Chris-
tian, to think that the Holy Ghost dwelleth
within him! If God be with us,' as the
apostle saith, who can be against us?' O but
how shall I know that the Holy Ghost is
within me? some man perchance will say.
Forsooth, as the tree is known by his fruit,
so is also the Holy Ghost.' The fruits of the
Holy Ghost (according to the mind of St.
Paul) are these: love, joy, peace, long-suf-
fering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness,
meekness, temperance, &c. Contrariwise,
the deeds of the flesh are these: adultery, for-
nication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulation, wrath,
contention, sedition, heresy, envy, murder,
drunkenness, gluttony, and such like.”” Ser-
mon for Whitsunday, pp. 187—189.

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After mentioning some scriptural instances of the power of the Holy Ghost, the Homily thus proceeds:

"Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History telleth a strange story of a certain learned and subtile philosopher, who being an extreme adversary to Christ and his doctrine, could by no kind of learning be converted to the faith, but was able to withstand all the arguments that could be brought against him, with little or no labour. At length there started up a poor simple man, of small wit and less knowledge, one that was reputed among the learned as an ideot; and he in God's

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