my forefather, and Benjamin as the head of my tribe, and boast myself in the name of Israel. And well has he added the which he foreknew, that is, those that are worthy of the divine knowledge, having welcomed the light of faith; for so he presently after shows, Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel (1 Kings xix. 14). 3. Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life? 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him? (v. 13,) I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. And at that time also, says he, were there many of Israel, and all were called Israel, and yet the God of all things designated Himself the God of seven thousand (only), and all the rest He rejected; for I have left unto Myself, said He, seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal; and this indeed the prophet knew not, but imagined that in himself alone was preserved what remained of true piety. No new nor inconceivable thing then is it, if you also know not those among you who have fixed their faith in the Saviour, whom the God of all things acknowledges as His people.* And most opportunely does he bring forward the great Elias making this accusation against them, that not only had they slain the prophets, but even overthrown the altars from their foundations; for granting, says he, that they were evilly-disposed towards the prophets, as denouncing bitter things against them, what had they to allege against the divine altars? Rather then by such daring impieties did they manifest that their hatred was against the God thereof. And here the holy apostle, leaving these scripture testimonies, resumes the thread of his own discourse, and says, 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. As at that time, says he, among countless myriads, seven thousand only were left who were free from impiety, even so now also have the greater number disbelieved, and the smaller are they who have believed and enjoyed the divine grace, for it is not the polity of the law that has justified them, which is what is here meant by of works, but the grace of God has saved them; wherefore also salvation itself is called grace, because it proceeds from the divine loving-kindness; and this also he said in speaking concerning the patriarch Abraham, (ch. iv. 4,) "but to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." 7. What then? Here we must place a stop, for it is put interrogatively, that is, what shall we say to this? and then the rest as the reply, Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were hardened. By the election he signifies those that had believed; and what he means is this, Israel by his adherence to the law has failed of the mark, for now contrary to the (spirit of the) law, he still observes the law, and reaps no righteousness, but such among them as have believed have obtained it, but the rest were hardened, that is, their infidelity has yet more hardened their heart; and he shows that this also was foretold from of old; 8. As it is written, (Isa. vi. 10, xxix. 10,) “God hath

* Οὓς λαὸν ὁ τῶν ὅλων προσαγορεύει Θεός.

given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear unto this day." Gave them, as "gave them up," (i. 24,) that is, permitted them (to fall into), for God did not incline them to disbelief, for how were it possible for Him to have inflicted infidelity on them, and Himself demanded vengeance for the same? And this the prophet has yet more clearly shown, (ch. vi. 10, LXX., as also so cited Matt. xiii. 15, Acts xxviii. 27,) "for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed." Not another then has blinded them, but themselves have closed their eyes, and have not chosen to see the light. And by the spirit of slumber, he means a fixed and obdurate mind; that as he who enjoys a sound and healthy sleep is open to no change for the worse, so he who has surrendered himself up entirely to evil, admits no alteration for the better. 9. And David saith, (Ps. lxviii. 22,) Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompense unto them; 10. Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. By the word table he speaks of their luxurious living, which he prophesied would be exchanged for the reverse. 11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid, but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. For to them first, such as believed among them brought the saving gospel, and when they set themselves against it, and refused to receive their teaching, then to the Gentiles did they offer the divine gospel; but they that believed obtained salvation. And this was suited to prick in heart the gainsayers among the Jews, and excite them to emulation, and so gain for them a participation in that salvation, for those that have been last they see made first.

(To be continued.)

THE DISSENTERS OUR BRETHREN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER.

SIR,-I should not have deemed it worth while to trouble you with any remarks upon the former part of "Presbyter Anglicanus'" letter of the 2d ultimo; but there is an expression in the second paragraph which must not be allowed to pass unnoticed. He calls me 66 a dissenter," because I speak, in one of my letters, of "our dissenting brethren."

Now as this is a somewhat serious charge to one who might write himself Presbyter Anglicanus as well as his antagonist, I purpose to disprove his words.

The dissenters are our brethren,-his brethren, though perchance he may disclaim the relationship,-and this upon the principles laid down in the records of the Evangelists and the letters of the Apostles. God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of

+ Τὴν ἐπαινουμένην ἔχων κατάνυξιν.

the earth," (chap: v.) therefore they have the common brotherhood of humanity with us. St. Paul addresses his 1st Epistle to Corinthians not only to the Corinthians themselves, but to " all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord;" and hence we may conclude that a christian brotherhood may exist, even though a Church communion (which Presbyter Anglicanus confounds with brotherhood, a sense in which evidently it was not used in my letter,) be not perfected among them.

It

It is not, however, upon one or two texts that I would rest the great principle of christian brotherhood among christian men. is true that the apostolic overseers of a visible church have only visible signs to judge by, in discerning who are and who are not to be admitted to communion with them; but if we look to the disorders existing among the Corinthian Christians, to whom St. Paul addressed his Epistles as to "the Church of God which was at Corinth, to them that were sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints," we shall find, I apprehend, much that would have urged Presbyter Anglicanus, had he been their bishop, to excommunicate vast numbers of them. But what was the apostle's conduct? How many did he excommunicate? and for what errors? One only did he "deliver over to Satan," and that not for laxity of doctrine or irregularity of discipline, but for a gross offence against the moral law,-the infraction of the 5th, 10th, and 7th Commandments.

I confess, Sir, that I should have wished to have seen more of the holy Paul's spirit, or rather, I should say, of the spirit of Paul's Master, in Presbyter Anglicanus' letter, than is conveyed by the sneer at brotherhood with dissenters, which he thinks it necessary to throw out. Who could be more decided dissenters from the Church of Christ than the Jews of St. Paul's age? Yet let a Christian read his awfully affectionate declaration of interest expressed in the five former verses of the 9th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans; and if he acknowledged them, who had crucified his Lord, and utterly rejected the salvation wrought out by His atonement for sin, as his "brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh," shall I deny the same claim of brotherhood and of kin to my unhappy countrymen who believe in the same God, trust in the same Saviour, hope to be glorified by the same Spirit, as I,-even though they be led away by perverted intellect, or distorted truth, to the belief that the teaching of dissent is purer than that of the Church? God forbid!

Sir, the spirit of the christian religion should lead us to soothe excitement, not to increase it; to win opposing souls to Christ by love, not to call down fire from heaven to exterminate them; to seek out points of agreement, not to cavil upon words to foment disunion. I have done what I believed to be a christian duty in warning Presbyter Anglicanus and his readers of the proved dangerous tendency of some of his expressed opinions. "If he will be ignorant, let him be ignorant:" I can do no more than I have done, nor can I wish that undone. But I cannot think that he has acted an Anglican Presbyter's part in throwing back a "railing accusation" at me, because I have used an expression of brotherly attachment towards those misguided individuals who "have turned away their ears from the truth, and have

turned unto fables." I have yet to learn that schism is a sin for which Christ did not die; and I cannot conceive of any one of his ministers failing to feel a warm interest in those whom his Master died to save. True, I dare not love dissent, nor seek to hide its sinfulness; but though I hate the sin, I may yet love the sinner, and look forward with prayerful interest to the joyful time when all wandering sheep may be induced to enter the one fold of Christ, who came on earth not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

I am, Sir, your faithful servant,

London, 3d February, 1840.

H. M'K.

BATH AND WELLS DIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER.

SIR, The enclosed paper was read at the last meeting of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Board of Education on the 8th January, and was ordered to be printed, and sent to the secretaries of the different Deanery Boards, in order that any persons who agree with those from whom it emanates, on the great questions now in agitation with respect to the cathedrals, may use it as a help in preparing petitions to parliament.

With a view to promote the main object contained in it-the advancement of theological learning, and providing means of instruction for candidates for holy orders, after they have left the university, a subscription has been opened under the sanction of the Bishop, and headed by 100%. a year from his lordship, for the purpose of engaging immediately a gentleman of high theological attainments, who shall reside at Wells, and give lectures in theology. The subscriptions are promised for ten years, it being hoped that a regular provision will, before long, be secured by the annexation of a canonry to the professorship. The state of the subscription list is sufficiently promising to warrant the hope that the stipend will be independent of the contributions of those who will receive instruction, so that those to whom the present course of preparation for the ministry proves a heavy pecuniary burthen, will be put to no extra expense, while a donation of books to the cathedral library, and many other ways which it is needless to specify, are open to those who may wish to give somewhat for the common use, in return for what they have freely received.

It would be a great gratification to those who have promised their assistance to this institution, for the diocese of Bath and Wells, if what they have copied from Chichester should be adopted in the other dioceses of England, and carried out on a scale suitable to its importance, not by one professor alone, but by the occupants of several states to whom the different branches into which divinity naturally divides itself shall be allotted; and thus, while a great opprobrium of our theological system is removed, the cathedrals must necessarily be preserved intact, both in numbers and property.

The Lord Bishop, with whom of course the appointment rests, has been pleased to appoint the Rev. J. H. Pinder to the professorship, who

has accepted the appointment, and will undertake the duties as soon as the proper arrangements can be made.

Thinking that you will have much gratification in making the public acquainted with this undertaking, and that you may perhaps consider the accompanying draft of a petition to parliament not unworthy of insertion in your Magazine,

"That your petitioners are members of the Church of England :and, entertaining a deep, reverential attachment to the ancient, honourable, and useful institutions of the Church, entreat your honourable House to pause before you give your sanction to any measure calculated to diminish the influence, dignity, and efficiency thereof.

"Your petitioners would urgently press upon your consideration, that the endowments of Cathedrals are not only entitled to the protection which the common law of the land affords to all rights of property, but are sanctified by the purposes to which they have been dedicated by their pious founders, and the ends which they have attained in former days.

"Your petitioners would represent that the principle of these endowments was wise and salutary, inasmuch as the object was the honourable encouragement and gradual elevation of the learning and piety of the Church of England; that if this purpose had not been at all times fully answered, the failure must be attributed to the wrong judgment or ill principles of those to whom the patronage has been entrusted. That no nomination of unfit persons to dignities so honourable and important, no perversion of patronage to interested purposes, whether public or private, can be justly held to be any proof of the inutility of the dignities themselves, nor justify the suppression of them, nor compromise in any degree the righteous principle on which they were founded.

"Under this conviction, your petitioners entreat your honourable House to preserve inviolate the ancient endowments of the Cathedral Establishments; and that if, after patient investigation, the interference of the legislature be deemed necessary, that such restrictions and regulations respecting the patronage only be enacted, and such duties. required, as shall most effectually maintain the principle and promote the objects of their original foundation.

"Your petitioners further represent that your honourable House might, in strict accordance with such principles, provide that a certain proportion of the dignities of each Cathedral Church should be filled by persons of eminent theological learning, by whose instruction students might be prepared for the ministry under the eye of the Bishop; and that, under the superintendence of one member of the chapter in particular, a general and uniform system of sound, religious, and moral education might be promoted throughout the diocese, while duties connected with the discipline of the Church, and the management of the societies for promoting Christian knowledge at home and abroad, were assigned to certain others.

"Your petitioners, lastly, represent that, at the present time, increased exertion is necessary to provide religious instruction for a large