the Doctor thus thinks?

It is because the Burial Office, contains that beautiful passage from the Revelations,-“ I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, from henceforth blessed are the dead who die in the LORD; even so saith the SPIRIT; for they rest from their labours."

The Doctor, however, soon waxes confident, and begins to talk about doing justice. He says,*

"We shall give another extract even stronger, if possible, than this, in order to do justice to the genuine doctrine of the Episcopal Church, in opposition to the innovations of the high church party within her."

Then comes, to the overwhelming shame and confusion of all wicked, dissembling, innovating high churchmen, the following part of a sentence from the first prayer, in the Burial service.

"Almighty God, with whom DO LIVE the spirits of those who depart hence in the Lord; and WITH WHOM the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, and in joy and felicity, &c."

As the Doctor seems partial to this part of the sentence, having twice cited it; and as we heartily subscribe to every word and syllable, not only of this part, but of the whole sentence, and whole prayer, we will in order to avoid the imputation of witholding what we believe to be its true meaning, give the prayer entire.

"Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of those who depart hence in the Lord; and with whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity; we give thee hearty thanks for the good examples of all those thy servants, who, having finished their course in faith, do now rest from their labors. And we beseech thee, that we, with all those who are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory, through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD."

Why the Doctor did not give his readers the whole of this prayer, a short one of only two sentences; or why he kept back a part of the first sentence, may, perhaps, by those who know his habits, be conjectured. He has, however, now become positive.

"The Episcopal Church is, therefore, decisively and perfectly at one on this point with all her sister churches."*

Take care, dear Doctor, lest here, as with "the ancient and sound fathers," you unwittingly declare another unquestionable truth. Seeming, however, to feel that his assertion, to gain credit, must be often repeated. The Doctor again says,†

"In the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the same doctrine,"-that saints go immediately to heaven, "is taught by implication in the communion service, and directly in the following passage in the Burial of the Dead."

*Chris. Intel. Dec. 21, 1839. No. III. +Chris. Intel. Dec. 14, 1839. No. II.

The passage here alluded to, is that part of the prayer, given above, which "the high churchmen take special care not to quote," and whereby they conceal what they believe to be the real doctrine of the church! Now if any, after all this, presume to doubt whether the Episcopal Church holds the doctrine of immediate translation of saints to heaven, it must be, because they have not entire confidence in the Doctor's word; for he has once thought, and, at least, three times positively declared, that such is her doctrine. And yet, these prayers, with the Rubric respecting "the PLACE of departed spirits," still remain in the Prayer Book; and all high churchmen still maintain the "false position into which they have fallen and floundered," and continue, by their "unique and matchless logic," to defend "the novel doctrine of an intermediate place."

We have brought forward these "monstrous" declarations of the Doctor, not with a thought of attempting to refute them, but merely to show what sort of "justice the Doctor would do to the genuine doctrines of the Episcopal Church," and to exhibit them as so many additional examples of the boldness and confidence with which he can make assertions which he knows to be untrue.

We might here, in perfect accordance with our design, it is supposed, close our examination of the Doctor's Contras to the Catholic Church, having exhibited, it is believed, satisfactory evidence, that he is manifestly and decisively against her.

That it may be seen, however, that the Doctor is, in this matter, not only opposed to the Catholic Church, but is thoroughly Catholic in his opposition, we may as well show that he is alike, and equally adverse to the church of which he is a minister, and to her "sister churches," as to the "Episcopal Church of the good old way." This we will do, on authority, the accuracy and consistency of which, we may be allowed to hope,we dare not even here be confident, the Doctor will respect,that is, his own repeated declarations.

We have already seen the very high regard that the Doctor entertains for the character of Bp. Bull, and the great, but certainly not ill placed confidence, he has in the judgment of that distinguished writer, and of all the "best fathers," his special favorite. And in his laudatory remarks upon the following quotation, copied from Mr. S. we have his entire approbation, and indeed, high admiration of the Bishop's sentiments respecting an intermediate place and state. As the Doctor has made this a somewhat remarkable passage, by copying it correctly and entirely, a degree of respect rendered, we believe, to no other quotation in his whole review; and as it contains the word place, the very word which has given the Doctor so much trouble, and which he cited this passage to disprove, we think

it necessary here to repeat it. And to show that, in using the word place in this passage, the Bishop "does not want unanimous consent with himself in his own writings," it may not be amiss to state that, besides the repeated use of almost all the words in the language denoting locality, he has, in the course of his two Sermons on this subject, actually employed the word place about seventy times. Bishop Bull says,

"I do affirm the consentient and constant doctrine of the primitive Church to be this: that the souls of the faithful, immediately after death, enter into a PLACE and state of bliss, far exceeding all the felicities of this world, though short of that most consummate, perfect beatitude of Heaven, with which they are crowned and rewarded in the resurrection. And so on the contrary, that the souls of all the wicked are presently after death in a state of very great misery; and yet dreading a far greater misery at the day of judgment."

Such are the sentiments-now pretty well understood, of Bp. Bull, in relation to an intermediate place and state. And these are sentiments which, as Mr. S. has satisfactorily proved, are sustained by the Standards of the R. D. Church. With regard to "her sister Churches," he supposes there is more ambiguity and doubt-at any rate, he seems to think the standards of these last, are not quite so clear and decisive, as the Doctor here represents them. He says,*

*

"In consistency with this enlightened declaration, the Presbyterian Churches of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland, who adhere to the Westminister Confession and Catechisms, profess this doctrine, which Bp. Bull pronounces to have been 'the consentient and constant doctrine of the Primitive Church." "

Again, "The Reformed Dutch Church in the United States and in Holand; the Reformed Churches in France, Switzerland, Germany, and in the United States, do utter their voice strongly and decisively on this point."

All which the Doctor very satisfactorily proves by reference to their Catechisms. He goes on,

"The doctrine which follows this statement, is in precise accordance with the statements of the learned Doct. Bull;-namely, 'At the resurrection of the body, we shall enter upon our perfect happiness and eternal glory in our souls and bodies, in the Church triumphant.'

Bp. Bull then, maintaining the doctrine of an intermediate PLACE, and declaring this to be the consentient and constant doctrine of the primitive Church; and the Presbyterian, Reformed Dutch, and other Reformed Churches, "professing this doctrine," as Doct. Brownlee says they do, "in consistency with this enlightened statement,"-yea, "in precise accordance with the statement of the learned Doct. Bull," it follows, on Doct. Brownlee's own showing, he will again pardon the "profound conclusion," that he, in denying this doctrine of an intermediate place, is not less manifestly against the church of which, he is

*Chris. Intel. Dec. 21, 1839, No. III.

an adoptive, and her sisterly Reformed Churches, than he is against the "Episcopal Church of the good old way."

Nor have we yet seen the most cruel part of the Doctor's opposition. We had supposed that the Theology of his own native Kirk, in her earliest and best days, he would respect; and did hope to leave him at peace, at least, with his spiritual Mother.

But no, the Doctor's adverse propensities will show themselves even here! He does indeed let us know that he has heard of the earliest "Scottish Confession of Faith;" for, out of the XVII. Art. of that Confession, quoted by Mr. S. he has, by dint of variation, alteration and transposition, manufactured about two lines, bearing the mark, of a quotation, and in which, he gives us a part of the truth, but by no means the whole of it. Speaking of some old sect which maintained the sleep of the soul after death, the Doctor says,*

"There were certain speculators at the Reformation, whom the pious divines who drew up the earliest Scottish Confession of Faith, in A. D. 1560, did impressively call 'certain fantastics' (fanatics) who affirm that the departed souls do sleep and come to a certain oblivion.""

The Doctor's two lines of manufactured extract, we have put in italics. How it proves that saints go immediately to heaven, or for what purpose it was made, we leave to others to conjecture.

This XVII. Art. as given by S. is as follows,—

"The elect departed are in peace, and rest from their labours; not that they sleep and come to a certain oblivion as some fantasticks do affirm; but that they are delivered from all fear and torment, and all temptations to which we and all God's elect are subject in this life, and therefore do bear the name of the Church militant; as contrariwise, the reprobate and unfaithful departed have anguish and pain that cannot be expressed. So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleep that they felt not their joy or their torment."

Now this article does unquestionably condemn the error of the soul's insensibility and sleep from death to the resurrection; but while it guards against one extreme, it is careful not to run into the other. The article does not hint the possibility of souls passing, at death, immediately into heaven or hell: On the contrary, its whole language and spirit clearly recognise and declare the real, but not perfect happiness and misery of the intermediate state and place, "The elect departed are at peace, and rest from their labors" and "the unfaithful departed have anguish and pain. So that neither are the one nor the other in such sleep, that they feel not their joy or their sorrow." How now could the Doctor insinuate that this sound article of his once dear Kirk, in her best and purest days, sets forth the Popish notion, that the souls of the righteous pass, at death, immediately into heaven, and to the full fruition of their God?

*Chris. Intel. Dec. 7, 1839, No. I.

Surely, the Doctor has been unmindful of the first commandment with promise. He has indeed forsaken the good old law of his spiritual mother he is manifestly against her. And a man once against his Mother, we are prepared to find him against any thing and every thing.

:

000

Doctor Brownlee vs. The Bible.

As the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth, we are prepared, by a knowledge of the Doctor's opposition to the Church, to find him against that truth, of which it is the pillar and ground. For, we take it for granted that no one, ignorant of the nature, or regardless of the authority of the Church of God, can be a safe interpreter of the word of God.

Now the Doctor, it must be remembered, is not only an ultra Protestant, but in the interpretation of Scripture, an extreme ultraist. He regards lightly the judgment of others; and even for the good old canon," Quod semper, quod ubique, quod omnibus traditum est," he has but little respect.

Spurning from him the guidance and authority of the Catholic Church, and somewhat puffed up with self-sufficiency, he relies upon his own strength, and his own individual opinion he makes his law. Hence, as with the writings of the Fathers, so with the Holy Scriptures, he claims, and exercises the right of making them say what he pleases. He does indeed bluster stoutly for the Bible, but then, it is the Bible only as he understands it. And here, in his over-weening confidence, the Doctor seems to out-Roman even the Roman Church itself; for, although she holds an infallibility, yet, she is not always able to tell exactly where it may be found. Not so, however, with Doctor Brownlee; he has no difficulty of this kind: he is always ready for a decision, and never thinks of doubting the infallibility of his own judgment.

We do not deem it at all necessary to go into an examination of all the various texts of Scripture, to which the Doctor has referred, or which he has quoted and wrested to the support of his Popish notion of sending saints immediately to heaven, ast they have, for the most part, about as much bearing upon the point, as "the 1700 pages folio" of William Penn had upon the opinions of the primitive Fathers. We will barely notice the Doctor's expositions of some three or four texts, and this, principally, for the purpose of exhibiting them as specimens of his skill in hermeneutic Theology.