but, for the most part, they content themselves with attempts to explain away their obvious meaning by some fanciful interpretation; and hope to counteract their perilous influence by contrasting them with other, and more scriptural portions of the Church service. Thus, when they find anything in the Liturgy not consistent with " sound doctrine," they say it must be understood in another sense, and interpreted by the articles of the Church. They have lately, I should think, seen enough to show them the danger of such a principle; for the opposite party, who are marching in quick time to Rome, have availed themselves, and certainly with equal justice, of the very same subterfuge; they appeal to the Liturgy and the Catechism to explain the Articles. It does seem amazing that sen. sible men should amuse and delude themselves in a manner so preposterously childish! What sort of a Catechism must that be,—a Catechism for children too, that needs to be explained by the Articles? And what sort of Articles are they which are not to be understood except by a Catechism designed for children? A Catechism for such learners, to be of any use, should be so simple that the weakest understanding could not mistake it; and the Articles to define the principles and faith of a church, ought to be so definite as to require no interpretation to fix their meaning. While the one party appeals to the Liturgy to find the meaning of the Articles, and the other refers to the Articles to explain the sense of the Liturgy, is it not manifest that both parties must be wrong,-wrong, at least, so far as to subscribe Articles and make use of a Liturgy, neither of which should be understood in a literal sense? Here churchmen are opposed to churchmen; and that not upon any trivial points, but on the very essentials of gospel-truth. At the very same time that this contention is going forward, they both use the same Prayer-book; and repeat, in solemn acts of religious worship, words and statements which they do not believe in the sense in which they utter them. This, surely, is a very awful state of things; and for which there is evidently approaching, with rapid steps, a day of fearful retribution. The evangelical members of the Church of England, and particularly the evangelical clergy, are in the most fearful circumstances. The Almighty is, in a most extraordinary manner, devoting that Church to the blindness and hardness of heart of its worldly members; and because "they receive not the love of the truth," he is giving them up to "believe a lie;" and if the good men therein do not "come out of her," they will fall back one by one into the same snare, and finally involve themselves in the same condemnation.

Some will ask:-"Should not the good men remain, and do all they can to prevent the impending doom, and rescue as many as possible of the perishing souls that still cling to her?" No doubt her pious ministers are unwilling to leave their several spheres of usefulness; and if by staying they could do great good, without at the same time doing great mischief, I should agree that it was their duty to stay. But this is impossible while obliged to use the Prayer-book. There

are the very principles against which they war; and to attempt arresting the progress of Romanism, with its abominable superstitions, while retaining the very formularies which inculcate its worst errors, is a monstrous absurdity. As well might they hope to neutralize the venom of the poisoned chalice, by the admixture of a little wholesome wine! If they could revise the Book of Common Prayer, and alter its services and Catechism, so as to make them accord with the doctrines of the New Testament, then inIdeed they might remain in the Church, to perform a work for which generations unborn would hold them in grateful remembrance. But this is impossible while the Church is connected with the civil government, and ruled by a bench of bishops, the majority of whom have no idea of spiritual religion, and consequently set themselves against all reforms which have a tendency to promote its advancement. In these circumstances, the voice of truth is calling, in peals of thunder, to every conscientious clergyman, "Come out of her, that you be not consumed with her!"

I was gratified by seeing, in the public prints, that two clergymen who had been driven from the Establishment by the tyranny of the Bishop of Exeter, had opened Free Episcopal Churches, and intended to make a revision of the Prayer-book one of their first public acts. Till that is done, no clergyman can use that book in public worship with a clear conscience. It is vain to say that it contains a great deal of unexceptionable matter. I admit its merits. Many of its prayers are truly evangelical and very beautiful; but they cannot prevent the baneful effects of the fatal errors with which they are mixed up. Just the reverse! The evangelical and beautiful prayers do but render the poisonous draught more palatable, that it may more extensively accomplish the work of destruction. The great mass of people who attend public worship, cannot be expected to discriminate very nicely, so as to separate the wheat from the chaff, the precious from the vile. A book so sanctioned as to be read at every assembling of the congregation, will of course be considered as coming to them with the full attestation of the whole Church to its undoubted truth in all and every part of its contents. If the doctrine of the Church of England, according to the Prayer-book, be-as publicly announced in St. Paul's Cathedral, by the Bishop of London-that the clergy are the only authorized ministers of Christ; that in their hands a Divine efficacy accompanies the sacraments; that in baptism persons are regenerated, justified, adopted children of God;-then, uprightly to follow out these principles, they should at once go over to Rome; for, if they concede these important matters, in resisting which the blood of martyrs has been poured out in torrents, all other differences are but of trifling importance.

Let me now point out the objectionable matters in the Morning and Evening Service. I object, in the first place, to the Absolution. It is denied that the minister presumes to forgive sin. That may be; but it is said"God hath given power and commandment

to his minister to declare and pronounce unto his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins." Now I do not know where, in the Scriptures, ministers have any special authority to pronounce penitent believers pardoned. Any private Christian may tell all, who truly believe the Holy Gospel, that they shall be forgiven; but to restrict this common duty of Christians to a particular order of men, is to change the Christian ministry into an order of priesthood, and to transform the Church of the living God into a worldly sanctuary, with its carnal ordinances; in which the men who "perform at its altars have substituted what they call "Church principles" for Gospel truths,-the commandments and fooleries of men for the word and wisdom of God; and a woman clad in gold, with an infant in her arms, is appealed to for salvation, instead of the bleeding Lamb, "that taketh away the sin of the world." Christ alone is our High Priest; and subordinate priests, like subordinate mediators, have no place in the Church of Christ; being found only in heathen temples, and in corporations having popes and potentates for their acknowledged head. Christian ministers are not priests, but pastors and teachers; whose office it is to "feed the flock" with wisdom and knowledge. And so far are Christians from needing any other than their "great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens," that they are themselves

a holy priesthood." The temple in which they officiate "is the temple" of their own "body," consecrated by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit;-their own heart being the altar, on which they "offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

My next objection is to what is called "The Apostles' Creed;" which, I am sure, was never written by any apostle. The descent of Christ "into hell" is highly improper. I have known great and learned men, in reading the Creed, omit that sentence. It may, indeed, be easily explained to have no injurious meaning; but to have that explanation always present in the minds of a multitude of ignorant people, is a very different thing. It is said "hell," in this place, does not mean the place of torment, but simply the state of disembodied spirits; and stands opposed to the views of such as hold that the soul remains in a state of insensibility from death to the resurrection of the body. There would certainly be no objection to an intelligent expression of that sentiment; but, couched in the language of the Creed, it is not only obscure, but necessarily leads to error. The great body of the people will understand the word in its popular acceptation, and will thus find themselves at variance with Scripture; for the Saviour told the penitent thief, "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." But if "in paradise," how could he have "descended into hell?"

My principal repugnance, however, is to the following:-"I believe in the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins." I object to these expressions because they are equivocal, and are actually employed in different senses by diferent persons; Catholics and Protestants using the same words, but attaching to them a very different meaning. The Protestants, by believing in the Church, mean to say they believe in the existence of the Church of Christ, consisting of sincere believers; by "the communion of saints," they mean that, when men become Christians they do not lose their social habits, but hold fellowship with each other; and by "the forgiveness of sins," they mean that God forgives sins. The Catholics, both Roman and Anglican, give a much more reasonable interpretation of these expressions. They believe "in the Church" as in the divinely constituted depository of the truth, and its ministers the only divinely appointed expositors of that truth. They believe "in the Church," therefore, because all that it teaches is infallibly true, and all it denies is infallibly false. By "the communion of saints," they mean communion of the saints in heaven with the saints on earth; and, by the forgiveness of sins, they understand that the church, that is the priests, have power to forgive sin. That this is the true meaning of the Creed, and was so intended by its composers, I have not the slightest doubt; but however that may be, the mere capability of having such a meaning attached to it, is quite a sufficient reason for its being amended. then "the Absolution" and "the Apostles' Creed," until made to express without equivocation the wholesome words of "sound doctrine," be altogether omitted from the Morning and Evening Service, and there would (I apprehend) be no great objection to its use, if published by itself, or in some form in which it would not be compromised by the other and still greater,-nay, the outrageous abominations of the Prayer Book; particularly the Baptismal Service, the Catechism, Confirmation, Visitation of the Sick, and the Burial Service.

Let

If these things be not speedily effected by the good men still in the Establishment, that magnificent institution is doomed, as surely as the Bible contains the truth of God! And woe to those men who know the truth, and feel its importance and the responsibilities of their office; and yet remain to sanction, by their piety and talents, the upholding of a system so fraught with peril to the souls of men! They may expect that God, before long, will either in mercy drive them out or take them to heaven, or in judgment abandon them to their own ways; and then they will be overtaken and overcome by the spirit of delusion by which so many of the most gifted and most conscientious of their brethren have been, and are daily being, precipitated from the highest stations in the Church, into the lowest depths of a truth-destroying, God-dishonouring, and soul-destroying superstition.

N. R.

DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN,-If we would hope for the blessing of God upon us, there must be added to a spirit of united prayer a spirit of earnest inquiry into the causes of our declensions, and a hearty desire and endeavour for their removal. When Israel could not go forward, but were smitten by the men of Ai, Joshua and the elders of the people prostrated themselves before the Lord. In this they did well; but this was not sufficient. "Get thee up," said the Lord to his servant; "wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned. Up, sanctify the people, and search for the accursed thing!" This, it is apprehended, is the case with us, as well as it was with Israel; and this must be our employment as well as theirs. With a view to assist you, brethren, and ourselves with you, in this very necessary inquiry, we appropriate the present letter to the pointing out of some of those evils which we apprehend to be causes of that declension of which so many complain, and the means of their removal.

The first thing that we shall request you to make inquiry about is, whether there is not a great degree of contentedness with a mere superficial acquaintance with the Gospel, without entering into its SPIRIT and END; and whether this be not one great cause of the declension complained of?-In the apostles' time, and in all times, grace and peace have ever been multiplied by the knowledge of God; and, in proportion as this has been neglected, those have always declined. If we are sanctified by the word of truth, then, as this word is received or disrelished, the word of sanctification must be supposed to rise or fall. We may give a sort of idle assent to the truths of God, which amounts to little more than taking it for granted that they are true, and thinking no more about them, unless somebody opposes us; but this will not influence the heart and life, and yet it seems to be nearly the whole of what many attain to, or seek after.

It is owing in a great degree to this contentment with a superficial knowledge of things, without entering into the spirit of them, that we so often hear the truths of the Gospel spoken of with a tone of disgust, calling them "dry doctrines!" Whereas Gospel truths, if preached in their native simplicity, and received with understanding and cordiality, are the grand source of all wellgrounded consolation. We know of no consolation worth receiving but what arises from the influence of truth upon the mind. Christ's words are spirit and life to them who hunger and thirst after them, or have a heart to live upon them; and could we but more thoroughly enter into this way of living, we should find the doctrines of the Gospel, instead of being dry, to be what they were in the days of Moses, who declared, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as

the dew; as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass," Deut. xxxii. 2. O brethren, may it be our and your concern not to float upon the surface of Christianity, but to enter into the spirit of it! "For this cause" an apostle bowed his knees "to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," that we might "comprehend the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" of things; and for this cause we also wish to bow our knees, knowing that it is by this, if at all, that we are "filled with all the fulness of God," Eph. iii. 14-19.

Another thing which we apprehend to be a great cause of declension is, a contentedness with present attainments, without aspiring after EMINENCE in grace and holiness.-If we may judge of people's thoughts and aims by the general tenor of their conduct, there seems to be much of a contentment with about so much religion as is thought necessary to constitute them good men, and that will just suffice to carry them to heaven; without aiming by a course of more than ordinary services to glorify God in their day and generation. We profess to do what we do with a view to glorify God, and not to be saved by it; but is it so indeed! Do these things look like it? How is it, too, that the positive institutions of Christ are treated with so little regard? Whence is it that we hear such language as this so often as we do -"Such a duty, and such an ordinance, is not essential to salvation-we may never be baptized in water, or become church members, and yet go to heaven as well as they that are?"

It is to be feared the old puritanical way of devoting ourselves wholly to be the Lord's, resigning up our bodies, souls, gifts, time, property, with all we have and are to serve him, and frequently renewing these_covenants before him, is now awfully neglected. This was to make a business of religion, a life's work, and not merely an accidental affair, occurring but now and then, and what must be attended to only when we can spare time from other engagements. Few seem to aim, pray, and strive after eminent love to God and one another. Many appear to be contented if they can but remember the time when they had such love in exercise, and then, tacking to it the notion of perseverance without the thing, they go on and on, satisfied, it seems, if they do but make shift just to get to heaven at last, without much caring how. If we were in a proper spirit, the question with us would not so much be, What must I do for God? as, What can I do for God? A servant that heartily loves his master counts it a privilege to be employed by him, yea, an honour to be intrusted with any of his concerns.

If it is inquired, What, then, is to be done? wherein in particular can we glorify God more than we have done? we answer by

asking, Is there no room for amendment? Have we been sufficiently earnest and constant in private prayer? Are there none of us that have opportunities to set apart particular times to pray for the effusion of the Holy Spirit? Can we do no more than we have done in instructing our families? Are there none of our dependents, workmen, or neighbours that we might speak to, at least so far as to ask them to go and hear the gospel? Can we rectify nothing in our tempers and behaviour in the world, so as better to recommend religion? Cannot we watch more? Cannot we save a little more of our substance to give to the poor? In a word, is there no room or possibility left for our being more meek, loving, and resembling the blessed Jesus than we have been?

To glorify God, and recommend by our example the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus, are the chief ends for which it is worth while to live; but do we sufficiently pursue these ends? Even these chief ends of our existence, are they in any good degree so much as kept in view? Ah, what have we done for God in the towns, villages, and families where we reside? Christians are said to be the light of the world, and the salt of the earth-do we answer these characters? Is the world enlightened by us? Does a savour of Christ accompany our spirit and conversation? Our business, as Christians, is practically to be holding forth the word of life. Have we, by our earnestness, sufficiently held forth its importance? or, by our chaste conversation, coupled with fear, its holy tendency? Have we all along, by a becoming firmness of spirit, made it evident that religion is no low, mean, or dastardly business? Have we by a cheerful complacency in God's service, Gospel, and providence, sufficiently held forth the excellency of his government and the happy tendency of his holy religion? Doubtless, the most holy and upright Chris. tians in these matters will find great cause for reflection, and room for amendment; but are there not many who scarcely ever think about them, or, if they do, it only amounts to this, to sigh, and go backward, resting satisfied with a few lifeless complaints, without any real and abiding efforts to have things otherwise?

Another cause of declension, we apprehend, is making the religion of others our standard, instead of the word of God.-The word of God is the only safe rule we have to go by, either in judging what is real religion, or what exertions and services for God are incumbent upon us. As it is unsafe to conclude ourselves real Christians because we may have such feelings as we have heard spoken of by some whom we account good men, so it is unjust to conclude that we have religion enough because we may suppose ourselves to be equal to the generality of those that now bear that character. What if they be good men? they are not our standardand what if their conversation in general be such as gives them a reputation in the religious world? Christ did not say, Learn of them, but, Learn of me. Or if in a measure we are allowed to follow them who through faith and patience inherit the promises, still

it is with this restriction, as far as they are followers of Christ.

Alas, how much is the professing part of mankind governed by ill example! If the question turns upon religious diligence, as, How often shall I attend at the house of God -once or twice on the Lord's day? or How frequently shall I give my company at church meetings, opportunities for prayer, and such like? is not the answer commonly governed by what others do in these cases, rather than by what is right in itself? So, if it turns on liberality, the question is not, What am I able to spare in this case, consistent with all other obligations? but, What does Mr. such a one give? I shall do the same as he does. Something of this kind may not be wrong, as a degree of proportion among his friends is desirable; but if carried to too great lengths, we must beware lest our attention to precedent should so far exclude principle in the affair as to render even what we do unacceptable in the sight of God. So if the question turns on any particular piece of conduct, whether it be defensible or not, instead of searching the Bible, and praying to be led in the narrow way of truth and righteousness, how common is it to hear such language as this-Such and such good men do so; surely, therefore, there can be no great harm in it! In short, great numbers appear to be quite satisfied if they are but about as strict and as holy as other people with whom they are connected.

Many ill effects appear evidently to arise from this quarter. Hence it is that, for the want of bringing our religion and religious life to the test of God's holy word, we are in general so wretchedly deficient in a sense of our vast and constant defects, have no spirit to press forward, but go on and on, without repentance for them, or so much as a thought of doing otherwise. Hence also there is so much vanity and spiritual pride among us. While we content ourselves with barely keeping pace with one another, we may all become wretched idlers, and loose walkers; and yet, as one is about as good as another, each may think highly of himself; whereas, bring him and his companions with him to the glass of God's holy word, and if they have any sensibility left, they must see their odious picture, abhor themselves, and feel their former conduct as but too much resembling that of a company of evil conspirators who kept each other in countenance. Finally, To this it may be ascribed in part that so many are constantly waxing worse and worse, more and more loose and careless in their spirit and conduct. For those who are contented not to do better than other people, generally allow themselves to do a little worse. An imitator is scarcely ever known to equal an original in the good, but generally exceeds him in the bad; not only in imitating his failings, but adding others to their number. If we would resemble any great and good man, we must do as he does, and that is, keep our eye upon the mark, and follow Christ as our model. It is by this means that he has attained to be what he is. Here we shall be in no danger of learning anything amiss; and truly we have failings enow of our own, in not conforming to the

model, without deriving any more from the imperfections of the model itself.

Once more,-The want of considering THE

CONSEQUENCES OF OUR OWN GOOD AND EVIL

CONDUCT is, we apprehend, another great cause of declension in many people.-It is common for people on many occasions to think within themselves in some such manner as this "What signify my faults, or my efforts? They can weigh but little for or against the public good. What will my prayers avail? and what great loss will be sustained by an individual occasionally omitting the duty of prayer, or attendance on a church meeting, or it may be the public worship and ordinances of God? And what consequences will follow if one be a little now and then off one's watch-nobody is perfect," etc. etc. This, and a great deal more such horrid atheism, it is to be feared, if a thorough search were made, would be found to lie at the bottom of our common departures from God.

If, when an army goes forth to engage the enemy, every soldier were to reason with himself thus-Of what great consequence will my services be? it is but little execution that I can do; it will make but very little difference, therefore, if I desert or stand neuter there are enow to fight without me," what would be the consequence? Would such reasoning be admitted? Was it admitted in the case of the Reubenites, who cowardly abode by their sheep-folds while their brethren jeoparded their lives upon the high places in the field? Was not Meroz cursed with a bitter curse because its inhabitants came not forth to the help of the Lord in the day of the mighty? Judg. v. 15, 16, 23. If an army would hope to obtain the victory, every man should act as if the whole issue of the battle depended upon his conduct: so, if ever things go well in a religious view, it will be when every one is concerned to act as if he were the only one that remained on God's side.

We may think the efforts of an individual to be trifling; but, dear brethren, let not this atheistical spirit prevail over us. It is the same spawn with that cast forth in the days of Job, when they asked concerning the Almighty, "What profit shall we have if we pray unto him?" At this rate Abraham might have forborne interceding for Sodom, and Daniel for his brethren of the captivity. James also must be mistaken in saying that the prayer of a single individual righteous man availeth much. Ah, brethren, this spirit is not from above, but cometh of an evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God! Have done with that bastard humility that teaches you such a sort of thinking low of your own prayers and exertions for God as to make you decline' them, or at least to be slack or indifferent in them! Great things frequently rise from small beginnings. Some of the greatest good that has ever been done in the world has been set a going by the efforts of an individual. Witness the Christianizing of a great part of the heathen world by the labours of a Paul, and the glorious reformation from Popery begun by the struggles of a Luther.

It is impossible to tell what good may re

sult from one earnest wrestling with God, from one hearty exertion in his cause, or from one instance of a meek and lowly spirit overcoming evil with good. Though there is nothing in our doings from which we could look for such great things, yet God is pleased frequently to crown our poor services with infinite reward. Such conduct may be, and often has been, the means of the conversion and eternal salvation of souls; and who that has any Christianity in him would not reckon this reward enough? A realizing sense of these things would stir us all up; ministers to preach the Gospel to every creature, private Christians, situated in this or that dark town or village, to use all means to have it preached, and both to recommend it to all around by a meek and unblemished conversation.

Again: We may think the faults of an individual to be trifling, but they are not so. For the crime of Achan the army of Israel suffered a defeat, and the whole camp could not go forward. Let us tremble at the thought of being a dead weight to the society of which we are members! Besides, the awful tendency of such conduct is seen in its contagious influence. If people continue to be governed by example, as they certainly will in a great degree, then there is no knowing what the consequences will be, nor where they will end. A single defect or slip, of which we may think but little at the time, may be copied by our children, servants, neighbours, or friends, over and over again; yea, it may be transmitted to posterity, and pleaded as a precedent for evil when we are no more! Thus it may kindle a fire which, if we ourselves are saved from it, may nevertheless burn to the lowest hell, and aggravate the everlasting misery of many around us, who are "flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone!"

These, brethren, we apprehend, are some of the causes, among many others, which have produced those declensions which you and we lament. But what do we say? Do we indeed lament them? If we do, it will be natural for us to inquire, What shall we do? What means can be used towards their removal, and a happy revival? If this be now indeed the object of our inquiry, we cannot do better than to attend to the advice of the great Head of the Church to a backsliding people" Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works;" "Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die;" member how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent!" Rev. ii. 5; iii. 2, 3. Particularly,

"Re

First, Let us recollect the best periods of the Christian Church, and compare them with the present; and the best parts of our own life, if we know when they were, and compare them with what we now are. A recollection of the disinterested zeal and godly simplicity of the primitive Christians, and their successors in after ages, millions of whom, in Christ's cause, loved not their lives unto death, would surely make us loathe ourselves for our detestable lukewarmness! As Protestants let us think of the fervent zeal and holy piety of our Reformers-think what objects