well as among dissenting preachers, and Rationalism is always acceptable to the worldly-minded part of every congregation. But the Articles which the clergyman had subscribed, and the Ritual in which it was his duty to lead, operated as a continual check or antidote to all such inclinations; and the guilty individual either suppressed his own views or fancies in silence, or, more honestly, withdrew from a communion in which he could no longer with comfort continue. In either case the injury to the church was only temporary; and instead of giving, in a single county, eleven congregations to Socinianism within twenty years, these safeguards have proved effectual in preventing even the loss of a single church during three centuries.

Thus much on the advantages derived from standards of faith and doctrine. With respect to the intrinsic worth and scriptural character of those of the Church of England we need say nothing, since few, if any, among our dissenting brethren, hesitate to admit these points. Let us therefore proceed to the next subject, namely, the Ritual of the Church, and the objections urged against it.

It is one of the very few points in which modern dissenters agree with their forefathers,-it is one of the isolated questions on which those who shelter themselves under the names of Owen, and Goodwin, and Charnock, and Howe, concur, while they abjure all their leading views on Church government,-it is, we repeat, one of these very few points of remaining agreement, that they object to the use of any ritual or liturgy in the worship of God. But, in our view, the merits of the question lie in so narrow a compass, and its leading point is so easily resolved, that we shall waste but a few sentences upon it.

First, then, we remark, that dissenters themselves do not repudiate this custom so decidedly in their

practice, as they do in their controversial writings. They themselves are constantly using forms, both of prayer and praise, when they use Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns.

Their reply is, that they cannot sing extempore hymns, and that the use of verse-forms is therefore a matter of necessity, although prose-forms are altogether unlawful and objectionable.

But this plea is by no means valid. The use of hymns of prayer is altogether a voluntary thing on their part. It is no where enjoined on them in Scripture, to sing hymns, more especially such as, like Dr. Watts's, are generally petitions and intercessions in verse. The Scripture speaks of singing psalms, indeed, and the practice of the primitive church warrants the use of both psalms and hymns, but the language in which the latter are described, seems to denote that they were hymns of praise. As to the psalms, they might be sung or chanted in their present translation, or, if measured cadences are desirable, a close translation into verse might be used.

We, however, object not to their customary practice: we hold it to be lawful and good, although it is not distinctly inculcated in Scripture. But it does appear to be quite illogical and inconsistent in those who secede from a church, because she makes use of forms of prayer in prose, to construct and adopt a large volume of prayers in verse, for their own worship, not from any necessity, but voluntarily and of choice, the means of praising God being already otherwise provided.

1

But secondly, on the lawfulness of forms of prayer, a few brief observations may suffice.

That it is lawful for one man to throw the petitions of his heart into the words and phrases which another man may use in his hearing, we suppose will be admitted;

otherwise there is an end of all public, social, or family prayer. But, then, if I may come into the presence of God, not with my own petitions in my own language, but in the language of another man, why should I prefer the basty, faulty, and ill-expressed phraseology of the minister of the day, to the thoughts that breathe, and words that burn,' which have been handed down through centuries as models and examples of fervent prayer? Why, if not my own words but the words of another are to flow from my lips, should I prefer the hesitated tautologies of some Mr. John Simpkins from Hoxton Academy, to the beautifully simple and yet comprehensive petitions of the Fathers and Reformers of the best ages of the church?

Supposing, however, it were admitted that the use of forms perpetually repeated, has a tendency to produce weariness and inattention amongst those joining in the worship; this of itself would not conclude the argument. The existence of imperfection on one side does not necessarily decide the question in favour of the other; for imperfection may exist there also. If forms have their objectionable points, so also have extempore prayers. On this point Mr. James himself bears the most decided testimony. His own words are, 66 unfortunately for the interests of our prayer meetings, the brethren who lead our devotions, are so outrageously long and dull." "We are often prayed into a good frame, and then prayed out of it again." He also complains of many of their ministers, as preaching sermons which are poverty itself, or a mere repetition of the same sentiments in the same language," and it will be very obvious that their prayers cannot be expected to be of a better description than their sermons.

66

Here, then, is an evil to be

* James' Church Member's Guide, p. 66

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guarded against on the other side. Even if it were conceded that the extempore prayers of a Henry or a Payson, poured out in all their freshness and adaptation, Sunday by Sunday, were to be preferred to the repetition of any form, however beautiful,-still, this is not the point which we are now called upon to decide. It is only occasionally that men of such a spirit and of such gifts are sent among us. We cannot therefore adopt as a rule, that which occurs only as an exception. real question is, whether taking the usual average of ministers, many of whom can afford to their people nothing better than " poverty itself, or the mere repetition of the same sentiments in the same words,' and who are consequently just as likely to "pray their hearers out of a good frume," as into it,-the question, we repeat, is, whether a Liturgy, even though presenting nothing new on each succeeding Sunday, is not on the whole to be preferred to this average supply of extempore prayers, which, if sometimes appearing more profitable, at others must be a hindrance rather than an aid. And when that Liturgy possesses such excellence as to claim from the most eloquent of all modern dissenters, Robert Hall, the admission that it stood "in the very first rank of uninspired compositions,"-the question certainly seems to present itself in such a form as to renove all grounds of hesitation. It was, probably, from this view of the whole question, as a balance of imperfection, and as requiring a weighing, not of good liturgical forms against good extempore prayers, but of good liturgical forms against the average of extempore prayers, that the great legislator of the Genevan church, Calvin, declared most strongly in favour of a liturgy. "I'strongly recommend," says he, " that there should be a fixed form of prayer and ecclesiastical rites, from which it

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should not be lawful for the pastors, in the discharge of their office, to depart. There ought to be an established catechism, an established mode of administering the sacraments, and also a public form of prayer." "Such was the deliberate judgment of this great man ; doubtless concluding it more likely that extempore effusions should fall below, than that they should rise above, the tone and excellence of a good and well-selected liturgy.

We must now, however, pass on to the consideration of the positive charges brought by dissenters against our liturgical forms, as containing in them several things absolutely erroneous and mischievous. These charges are put forward in their usual number and order, by Mr. James, differing, of course, in no respect, from the various statements of a similar kind which have been put forth on all fitting occasions for the last century and a half. They concern certain expressions in the Burial Service, some in the office of Baptism, some in the Visitation of the Sick, and some in the Ordination Service.

We class them all together; for the same fault, if fault it be, pervades the whole of these offices. And that fault is, the elevation of their tone and standard. They are formed for saints, and not for the worldly-minded or the reprobate. They are Offices of the Church, and are meant for members of the church only, and not for the careless and profane.

Considered in this point of view, the very language which is so vehe. mently exclaimed against, constitutes one of their chief beauties. They speak of Christians, and for Christians, and they speak in the language of faith and assurance. In the Office of Baptism, for instance, which is one of the principal stumbling-blocks with dissenters, the parents are first besought to call

* Calvini. Epist. Protect. Angliæ, 1548.

upon God, "that of his bounteous mercy he will grant unto this child that thing which by nature he cannot have, that he may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, &c." They are next exhorted, "Doubt ye not, therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will favourably receive this infant;" and then they are led to pray, in this earnest faith, "Give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that he may be born again, &c."

And, then it is, that after all this, the church, not admitting the idea that the prayer of faith can be offered up in vain, or that the promise of the Lord, "I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring," can be invoked without effect,-assumes the spiritual birth of the child, and addresses the parents with the encouraging words, Seeing now, dearly beloved, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's church."

And in all this, the fault and the blame, if fault there be, lies, not with the church which dispenses, but with the unworthy recipients of the sacrament. If prayer is made with the mouth only, if faith be professed without being exercised, then, indeed, no benefit can be expected from the ordinance. But how can the church provide for this state of things? How can she prepare a fit and proper form of prayer for those who come merely to imitate prayer? How can she provide an appropriate ordinance for those who are destitute of that faith, without which all ordinances are alike vain and unprofitable.

The same view may be taken of the Office for the Sick; and of that for the Burial of the Dead; and of that for Ordination. The absolute necessity of faith and repentance is ever put in the most clear and prominent light. To the sick person declaring his faith and penitence, pardon is pronounced in

the strongest terms, but not in stronger terms than those of scripture. In the Ordination Service, after the candidate has declared himself to be moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon himself the office of a minister, then does the Bishop lay his hands upon him with prayer; and not believing the office to be a mere empty form, he declares the impartation, in that ordinance, of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, in a more especial and plenary manner. As to the usual

objection to the Burial Service, it must not be forgotten that the original phrase "Hope of resurrection," was altered into the more general one, of "Hope of the Hope of the resurrection," in order to obviate that very criticism in which dissenters still persist. In fact, when do dissenters themselves, over the graves of their own members, omit to express at least a general hope, whatever the character of the deceased may have been? And if they cherish a hope at all, to what can that hope have reference, but to the resurrection?

And while the forms of the church, -which, though constructed for saints, are yet often invoked by the careless and unbelieving,-may be, and doubtless often are, abused to the self-deceiving of those who thus invoke them; this is an evil not so much attaching to them as to human nature. Men will always

cling for refuge to forms, whether in the church or out of it. And in one respect there is greater harm and danger in the practice of dissenters, than in that of the church. Nothing contained in a public and general form of prayer can be taken to be especially applied to an individual case. Whereas the extempore prayers of dissenters have a natural and necessary reference to particular persons and events. And how often, among dissenters, has an unsatisfactory and even an awful death-bed been misrepresented and softened down by the false tenderness or undue bias of the officiating minister at a funeral, to the deep and lasting injury of the friends and survivors. This is a temptation which is perpetually recurring, and which is especially attendant on the use of extempore ministrations.

But while we thus attempt to hold an even balance in this matter, we are willing and ready to admit, that some desirable alterations might be suggested in the services of the church, which might both remove scruples from some conscientious minds, and prevent evils which may occasionally result from misapprehension of the real meaning of the services. But on these points we shall enlarge more fully, when we come to advert to our concluding topic, which must be that of Church Reform.

L. A.

Or Archbishop Leighton it was said by Bishop Burnet, that during a strict intimacy of many years, he never saw him for one moment in any other temper than that in which he should wish to live and die.' Ah, what a lovely picture of sanctifying grace; how important for each reader to examine, if grace hath wrought any thing like it, in his or her experience. Alas! how seldom comparatively, do we see the influence of divine grace exhibited in the temper of its professors: how easily are those ruffled by trifles, who have avowed to bear all things for Christ's sake: how soon is anger permitted to rule that heart which has been publicly given to the Lord. How seldom do we see, when opinions differ, that "forbearance of each other in love," which the Bible enjoins and religion demands from its partak

ers.

Let the force of the divine example be daily and hourly set before us and if we admire the character whose subdued temper and passions called forth these reflections, let us remember that the same grace is quite as free for us as it was for him; that God is quite as willing to bestow it on us, as he was on him; and that divine grace is still as able to subdue our evil tempers and unholy feelings as ever: what then, shall we any longer venture to live as strangers to the grace of God? Shall we be content to have our profession spoken of lightly, through our unholy and unsanctified passions? Shall we so forget the great and blessed example of him" we call master and Lord ?" Oh no, let us all be concerned for his glory, and then we shall watch that our conduct is agreeable, our spirits obedient, our tempers comforted thereby. And then we may expect that others will adore the grace they see such fruits of in us-then will the un

godly say that religion is influential, that it transforms the lion to a lamb, and makes unholy rebellious tempers give place to the meekness and gentleness of Christ: "when he was reviled he reviled not again, he endured the contradiction of sinners, even against himself; when he suffered, he threatened not."

'Oh, if we love the Saviour's name,
Let his divine example move.'

It is perhaps worth a thought in the present day, when revivals are so much talked of as desirable, whether there is not much within us that is quite at variance with such a blessed prospect. Surely it cannot recommend religion to the world, if what we say and do in our every day concerns is unlike the gospel: our ungodly neighbours will watch our tempers, remember our hasty words, scrutinize our actions, and carefully compare them with our profession of love to their souls, and the name we bear; and if, after they have thus weighed us in their balances, we are found wanting in the graces of meekness, patience, or consistency, we must not be surprised if our efforts towards them fail of winning them to the Saviour. By some these hints may be thought superfluous, and the regular ministry of the word may be deemed sufficient for information and exhortation on this point. But those Christians who have much to do with their fellow-men, and who watch with anxiety for the effects of their example in their neighbourhoods, manufactories, and workshops, will enter into the views of the writer, and see the need of " precept upon precept," on this behalf. It was lately remarked by a respectable, yet not decided person, such a neighbour is a member of your church; she very often comes into my house to talk with me, but I am so tired of