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Bishops of London, Lincoln, St. David's, &c. &c. that Drs. Rennel, Paley, &c. &c. that Messrs. Ludlam, Pearson, Clapham, &c. &c. and every other orthodox writer will, without delay, sanction the undertaking; and that we shall constantly see a list of all the religious books that have any circulation: for the advertisements will be, I trust, in proportion to the sale: if the circulation be extensive, the author or bookseller can better afford, and will find it his interest, to repeat his advertisements. I doubt not, Mr. Editor, your wish to accommodate the clergy. I beg you, therefore, to leave nothing on your part undone towards establishing the excellent plan of the respectable clergyman who suggested it. There is not, I am persuaded, one of your readers who has not blessed him for the happy thought a thought which, if carried into execution, will be the means of introducing the most useful of all the monthly publications, not only to all the clergy, but to the serious part of the laity too. I am, Mr. Editor,

Very faithfully your's,

Feb. 11, 1805.

ALPHA

DEVOTIONAL REFLECTIONS ON SELECT PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the Day of Redemption. Eph. iv. 30,

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F all the miseries of life, there is none like that which a man incurs by his own vices. The misfor tunes and casualties we meet with in our pilgrimage through this short and troublesome world, are nothing in comparison of a "wounded spirit" on the bed of sick ness, and at the awful hour of death, When we have grieved the holy Spirit of God" from day to day by the "corrupt communications which have proceeded out of our mouth," and by adopting and following the example of wicked persons, how are we to expect the forgiveness of that Almighty Being who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity" with approbation? O God!

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O God! teach me a different line of conduct, and seal my salvation, unto the day of my redemption! Let me continue in the practice of piety and holiness, and be a sincere and humble christian unto my life's end.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.-1 Cor. ii. 14.

Every good and unbiassed Christian is no doubt ready to confess, that without the "Spirit of God," all his endeavours after holiness of heart and life, and all his pretensions to religion are of no more use to him than it would be to go out " to see a reed shaken by the wind." We cannot be truly pious if we have not the " spirit of God dwelling in us." Men may laugh at the conduct of those who profess that they cannot be good of themselves; but in doing so they only evince their own consummate ignorance in "spiritual things," and a shameful want of a better informied understanding. Those persons who are usually denominated Methodists, are apt to censure the conduct and writings of the clergy of the church of England (than whom, generally speaking, there is hardly any where to be found a more learned, devout, and respectable body of men) because, as they say, they have not the spirit of God-that they do not preach in the spirit-and, what is still more extraordinary, because they do not comprehend even what the spirit of God signifies;-but even these arbitrary, and I fear, often mistaken zealots, are more learned in point of what may be regarded as the first and most important part of education, than those who condemn every thing which does not immediately accord with their own way of thinking, and who so readily stigmatize and ridicule whatever bears the name of truth and christianity. Alas! it is truly lamentable that there should be any one amongst us whose cavilling disposition exhibits so wide a contrast to that which is regulated by the precepts of humility, and the mild and conciliating dictates of christian charity. O that I may never be led away by the "enticing words of man's wisdom;" but always governed by what the "Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Let "my faith," O God!"not stand in the wisdom of men; but in thy power and might." My wish or aim is not to be an enthusiast; I only want to be truly and unaffectedly

affectedly good. Grant me this, O Father of Heaven; for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.-1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5, 6, 7.

To be truly charitable in our dispositions is to speak and think of others, as we wish others to speak and think of us. It is not so much to give alms to the poor, and clothing to the naked, though highly commendable, and even compatible with the duties of religion, as it is to breathe, in one continued way of thinking, the most ardent love and good will to all our fellow-creatures, and the most generous feelings of complacency and benevolence to such unfortunate persons as stand most in need of our help and instruction. A christian can "suffer long and be kind, notwithstanding his friends and acquaintance may do every thing in their power to rob him of his estimable and amiable qualities, and turn him from the paths of piety and peace. Virtue, however meritorious and desirable, however conducive to our happiness, and honourable to our character, is still, most unfortunately, despised and rejected by a large majority of mankind; and sin, with all its false and tinselled attractions, is eagerly embraced and pursued. Charity, however, "doth not behave itself unseemly, and is not puffed up" by an imitation of such chimerical and destructive pleasures; it is content with an unaffected display of all that is truly excellent in the scale of christian perfection. Nor is it "easily provoked" by the frowns and sarcasms of those who profess to laugh at things serious and divine, nor by the ill-humour and vexation of those whose passions are restless and ungovernable, and whose tempers are ruffled by every slight and trivial accident.

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Charity being the bond of perfectness," and greater than either "faith or hope," no wonder it should" think no evil," and seek the fulfilment of its own purposes and interests to the exclusion of those which belong to others. It rejoices in the truth," and in every thing that may be deemed valuable and important; but it does not, nor will not, rejoice in iniquity." It" beareth"

with the infirmities of human nature; it " believeth all things" connected with the truth and evidences of christianity; it "hopeth all things" in matters of the very last importance to the salvation and happiness of mankind; and " endureth all things" with that sweet composure of mind and body which so eminently ennobles the man, and bespeaks the christian.

Feb. 7, 1805.

ON THE ABSOLUTION.

T. C.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

Jan. 22, 1805.

OST commentators on the Book of Common Prayer have agreed, with the exception of Dr. Bennett, that the Absolution should not be pronounced by a Dea con, but by the Priest alone. But no commentator that I have ever met with mentions any other prayer, which may be used by the Deacon in the room of the Absolu tion. Shepherd, in his excellent Illustration of the Liturgy is of opinion, that no Prayer whatever should be used, but that the Deacon should iinmediately proceed to the Lord's Prayer; but he however observes, that if the Deacon wishes to adopt a Prayer in lieu of the Absolution, he would recommend the "Prayer to be used after any of the former, O God whose nature and property, &c." The prayer generally used by Deacons, is the Prayer "O Lord, we beseech thee, mercifully hear our prayers, &c." taken from the commination, or else the Collect for the 24th Sunday after Trinity.

I wish that some of your numerous correspondents would take the above subject into consideration.

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A KENTISH CURATE.

STATE OF THE CLERKENWELL ELECTION,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

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AGAIN resume my pen for the purpose of giving you a continuation of the history of the proceedings respecting the Clerkenwell Election!

In a former letter I stated that it was the intention of Mr. Lendon and his friends to resort to legal measures, in order to bring the merits of the election to an ultimate issue. Before any steps of this nature were actually taken, though it was well known to Mr. Foster, that preparatory arrangements with a view of instituting legal proceedings were in a state of great forwardness, and though a caveat had been entered on behalf of the parishioners, in the interest of the Church, against granting a licence to Mr. Foster, yet that gentleman did not hesitate to apply to the Consistory Court, to be licenced: On the application being made, Sir William Scott very naturally asked, whether the right to the living was not a contested matter? and he was answered in the affirmative, by Mr. Lendon's counsel, who explained to the Judge, that a Bill in Equity was about to be filed in the Court of Chancery on behalf of Mr. Lendon, and other respectable inhabitants, praying, that the election might be set aside, on the ground of its illegality, or that the scrutiny which the churchwarden had in the first instance granted, but which he had afterwards so unjustifiably refused to proceed upon, might take place, under the authority of the court. The Judge was also informed, that it was meant to pray the chancellor to grant an injunction to restrain the Consistory Court from issuing licence to Mr. Foster; these intentions having been signified to Sir W. Scott, he declined a compliance with Mr. Foster's application; but Mr. Foster still pressed for a licence, his proctor intimating to the judge, that it was revocable and could be done away should it afterwards appear that his client had no right to the living; but this argument was treated by the judge in the mauner it deserved, and Mr. Foster and his train of followers returned home as they came, without the licence. On a subsequent day Sir William Scott was duly apprised by letters missive from the Lord Chancellor, that the bill had been filed and Mr. Foster renewed his application to Sir William, to grant him a licence, but Sir William declared, "that as the question as to the election was litigated and the clerical duties in the mean time regularly supplied, he would do no such thing:" and Mr. Poster and his train of followers again returned home as they came, without the licence! The motion for an injunction was afterwards made in the Court of Chancery, and after council were heard on both sides, the chancellor

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