"If, in compliance with the depraved habits of thinking, the indolence, the foppery, and fuperficial information of an age of infidelity, the doctrines of the Church are to be either treacherously compromised, openly surrendered, or fecretly difavowed; if, to the fpecious names of liberality of fentiment, the right of private judgment, and freedom of inquiry, the faith of Chrift is to be facrificed, how little does it import, whether the Epifcopal, the Prefbyterian, or the Independent regimen be the medium of fuch a furrender?" A proper attention to the "outfide," in respect to Church matters, is therefore a poor apology for neglecting that which is "within." "These things ought they to have done, and not to leave the other undone." But, if we have been at all fuccessful in another part of our Work, very weighty reafons for teaching the real doctrines of our Articles have appeared, befides our having fubfcribed them.These Articles, it has been shown, carry upon the face of them ftrong marks of caution, moderation, knowledge of the Scriptures, and of the Fathers, and of Mankind: The objections preferred against them are unfounded, or frivolous: The difficulties attending thein are fuch as neceffarily arife from the nature of the subject, and from which in reality no fyftem of religion is more free: They difplay the very highest wisdom on these deep points, about which ferious Chriftians have often been divided; And in fhort, ftanding only on the ground of their own internal excellence, they shrink not from the strictest fcrutiny; they challenge a comparifon with any body of doctrine whatever. They have, moreover, a high claim to our respect in confideration of the circumstances under which they were prepared, the mode of their formation, the characters who compiled them, and the extraordinary degree of intellect, learning, labour, and unquestionable 1 (k) Jan. 1796, p. 71. (m) Above, p. 347-388. (1) Mat. xxiii. 23—27. integrity that were united and exerted upon them". Till therefore any contrary doctrines can fhow as high an origin, they have no right to equal veneration. Till fome new fyftem comes recommended by as high an Authority, it is moft rational to adhere to the old one, and to conclude that it is better. But thefe Articles are alfo fupported by the fair and legitimate interpretation of Scripture. This has efpecially appeared, from observing how those who evade the plain doctrines of the Articles, evade alfo the plain meaning of Revelation, and from a reference to the most eminent Commentators. This then is an appeal to the highest authority. The Word of God is an Umpire before which all parties will bow. And, what affords a strong argument that we rightly uuderstand the decifion of Scripture, it has further been fhown that the true doctrines of our Church are moft efficacious in blessing and mending mankind P. The oppofers of these doctrines, as understood by us, may rest perfectly easy about the interests of morality. Or rather, they may confefs uniformly, what they do occafionally, and what there is undoubted evidence for believing, that it is the frictness of our moral fyftem which difgufts them 9. For, by a very full and minute examination, it has been proved, that we hold equally the neceffity of fanctification as of justification, and that whether regard is had to the Rule of morality, or to its Sanctions, or to its efential Neceffity in Christianity; our fyftem is much stricter than theirs. And, by a very large appeal to experience, the adduction of many particular inftances, and their own conceffions, it has also been proved, that these are the doctrines which have always been moft happily efficacious in producing a real change for the better among men. (n) P. 357-368. (q) P. 328–331. Note (p) (p) P. 306–328. (s) See (0) P. 368-382. 2. Such then, are the doctrines of the Church of England ; and fuch are the ftanding obligations of her Ministers to adhere to thefe doctrines. And never, furely, were they more imperionfly called upon to "take heed both unto themfelves and unto their doctrinet," than in the present awful circumftances of religion, and of Europe. The eighteenth Century has brought forth" a regularly digefted plan" for the extirpation of the Chriftian religion, and the propagation of Anarchy. The attempt has fucceeded to a degree aftonishing in its extent, and tremendous in its confequences. Exiled therefore, deferted, or abufed by every other nation, Chriftianity, with order, harmony, and other of her attendants, has fought her chief, her last afylum here. We ftand in the momentous fituation of guardians of the religion and morals of the world. Our Governors have nobly acted their part in protecting the external form of Chrift's religion, but it is ours to protect her purity, and display her internal excellencies; and ineffectual will be the beft efforts of the Chriftian Magistrate in this glorious caufe, unless they are properly supported by thofe of the Chriftian Minifter. In vain the unparelleled exertions of wisdom in our Statesmen; in vain the prodigies of valour achieved by our Heroes; in vain our vast expense of blood and treasure, must all ultimately prove, for the falvation of our Country, unless, by the exertions of her appointed Watchmen, a general reverence for religion, and her established ordinances, can be preferved in the great mafs of the people. And yet, Here alfo alas! on their present plan of preaching and procedure, the state of the established religion is become deplorable. How painful to every true friend of his church muft it be to learn, from the concurring teftimony of her great Prelates, who cannot be suspected of either prejudice (t) 1 Tim, iv. 16. (v) See Bishop of Lincoln's Ch. 1800, p. 9 9. or exaggeration, that, "even in this country," there is an almost univerfal lukewarmness and indifference in Christians, refpecting the effentials of their religion," and an increafe of "Scepticism and Infidelity ":" that here alfo "the characteristics of the prefent times are, confeffedly, Infidelity, and an unprecedented Indifference to the Religion of Chrift among profeffed believers:" that " on one half of the Lord's day good inclinations carry the more pious part of our parishioners to the Conventicle; and the Devil invites thofe of another caft to the Alehoufe":" that the danger which points moft certainly "to the calamity of this country; and which apparently advances by neither flow nor fecret steps, is, that arifing from a national depravity; a general deterioration in the moral and religious conduct in the body of the Country, collectively viewed; that melancholy abandonment of better habits, which God has in no cafe permitted to go finally unpunished:" and that hence, "it requires neither prophecy, nor the interpretation of prophecy, to decide upon the too probable fate of these kingdoms "." How lamentably convincing are the acknowledgments of thofe who would be most backward in admitting too much, that "Modern Christianity is a dead thing:" that fuch is "the degenerate ftate of things," that "the meaning annexed to the term vital Christianity, is, to the bulk of profeffing Chriftians become unintelligible:" that there has been a "progreffive decline of genuine Christianity," and a "growing progrefs" of wickedness among us: that should the number of Sectarifts" continue to increase with the fame rapidity which has marked their progress of late, the confequences may prove fatal to the establishment a:" that (w) Bishop Barrington's Ch. 1797, p. 2 and 20. Pretyman's Ch. 1800, p. 10. (x) Bishop (n) Bp. Horfley's Ch. 1800, p. 27. (y) Bp. Cleaver's Ch. 1799, p. 6, 7, 11, (z) Mr. Daubeny's Guide, p. 315, 316, 381. (a) Antijac. Review, Sept. 1799, p. 102. from a fingle city, that "of Salisbury alone, there iffues forth on the Sabbath, no lefs a number than between fifty and fixty Diffenting preachers:" that, "in a population of 64,000 Inhabitants, there appear to be 52,000 on a ftate bordering upon indifference to the rights of the Church" that "the Church of England now, compared with what it has been, is like an oak cleft to fhivers with wedges made out of its own body:" and that they cannot "without anxiety look forward "." What friend of virtue and his Country muft not tremble to hear, that fuch is "the increafed prevalence of immoral and vicious habits," and fuch the "woful depravity of public manners," that a "fcene of actions, fit only for a brothel," is" publicly tolerated:" that fuch is "the vaft number and increafed impudence" of wicked perfons, "that unless fome strong and decifive measures be speedily adopted for the more effectual repreffion of vice and immorality, for putting an immediate stop to the flagitious practices that pollute our streets, for enforcing an obfervance of decency and decorum in our places of public refort; that unless, in short, a general reform take place in the morals and manners of every defcription of people, we can fee not the smallest reason to hope for our escape from the fame dreadful fate, which the just vengeance of an offended God has, at different times, inflicted on various nations of the earth, not more degenerate, not more profligate, than our What "a matter of just and fearful alarm," it may well be to every churchman, to find from the Reports of the Bishop and Clergy of one Diocefe, that fo "rapidly the evil of irreligion may and does diffeminate itself through the mass of the people at this moment, that above forty (0) Daubeny's Appendix, p. 500. Woodhouse's Charge, 1800. p. 643. ... (p) See Archdeacon (b) Daubeny's Appendix, (c) Antijacobin Review, June, 1800, p. 205, 206. |