a lofty building. But I hardly think he can have this, who denies that that infection of nature' which doth remain in them that are regenerated' (Art. ix. Church of England) hath in it the nature of sin. That, when duly resisted, so as not to grow into volition, it brings no condemnation to the conscience, is agreed on all hands. But I am ready to think, that a feeling of its being sin in esse, though not in actu, is essential to that very resistance. We are curious machines, whose weights and springs depend on laws that we cannot alter. If the weight be deficient, the wheels will not move as they ought; nor can the error be removed but by removing the cause, i. e. by correcting the deficiency. We will not, therefore, I conceive, flee from every appearance of evil, except we cordially hate and dread it, root as well as branch. Accordingly, if we deem the first movements of concupiscence to have nothing sinful in them—nothing offensive to the nature of the all-perfect God, we shall not so abhor them, as to escape wholly their contaminating influence."

*

"I will not ask whether I have made myself intelligible; because I trust to your power of finding me out. But I wish you to consider how essential an ingredient such a thorough radical sense of depravity as I have mentioned is to every stage of true Christianity. Indeed, if I were to state what I take to be the truest mark of difference between a genuine Christian and a mere moralist, pharisaical or philosophical, I would say that the latter found his ease in being insensible to his secret faults,' while the former is then easiest when he is most tenderly sensible of them. The moralist naturally wishes to discover no more than he has the means of conquering. The Christian, on the contrary, is solicitous to detect every, the minutest, as well as the deepest evils, because he knows that the omnipotent Saviour is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him; and that what he said to St. Paul, he said to all his faithful followers, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' The Christian, therefore, says unfeignedly with the same apostle, When I am weak, then I am strong;' knowing well, that nothing can prevent the success of the process but his own insensibility to the need of it.

66

I even sometimes fear that my own favourite latitudinarians were not as much alive to this depth of depravity as might be wished."

Here is the most important doctrine of human depravity laid down with a boldness and a clearness which leaves no doubt of the writer's sentiments. We could wish that this had ever been kept in mind; and whilst he now expresses his fear that his favourite latitudinarian divines were not as alive to it as might be wished, we should be very glad indeed, if we thought we had reason to say, that he himself and his correspondent always continued to keep it in mind, in the same clearness and in the same strength; but again we have reason to say that their early days appear to have been their best days. We believe there will not be found, in the subsequent parts of the two large volumes, so

N. S. VOL. III.

3 H

clear and explicit an avowal of the deep depravity of human

nature.

We have gone more at length in this early part of the correspondence, because we find in it more that we can commend, less that we are obliged to censure. We must hurry with a lighter step over the remaining parts.

(To be continued.)

THE LITURGY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

SIR-Your correspondent W. F. M. has hazarded the assertion that "there is no prayer in our Liturgy, addressed especially to the Third Person of the Trinity." I have always, in my simplicity, considered the following clause in the Litany, as a prayer in our Liturgy, especially addressed to the Third Person of the blessed Trinity:

"O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners."

If I am mistaken, perhaps you, or your correspondent, would do me the favour of setting me right.

Does your correspondent allow that the hymn "Veni Creator," "Come, Holy Ghost, Creator come," &c. &c., forms a part of the Liturgy of the Church of England? I have always considered it myself as such, and am, moreover, inclined to think that it forms another exception to his ill-considered assertion.

Yours,

A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

THE HOME MISSION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

SIR-Cordially attached to the Church of England, I am anxious to see her as effective as possible; and that in Ireland, and in every country where, under Providence, she has been planted, her influence should be extended to every class of persons. Were the whole population of a country brought to embrace the Church of England, and every parish to have its own church and its own pastor, I conceive that the discipline of the Church should be adhered to, and all its formularies and canons strictly observed; but where this is not the case, and the majority of the population do not embrace our faith, (as is the case in India and in Ireland,) I conceive a different plan of acting is called for.

Whoever looks at the conduct of our Church in India, both in the present and last century, must be sensible of this, and feel that practices which would in England be considered irregular, have in India been considered, by the heads of our Church, absolutely necessary to carry on the work. Were our clergy in India to confine their ministry merely to members of our Church, and to make no effort to convert the heathen, they evidently would not do their part as ministers of Christ. The same reasoning, I feel, applies to our own country. If the clergy attend merely to the Protestants, and do not use all means in their power for the conversion of the Roman Catholics, they do not act in conformity with their calling as ministers of Christ, and with their duty as clergymen of an established church; for it should never be forgotten that the object of an Establishment is to provide spiritual instruction for every class of persons. This feeling seems strongly impressed on the mind of the present Bishop of Down, whose "Primary Charge to the Clergy of Killaloe" I have now before me. After stating that

"A large majority of our collective population is in a state of alienation from our branch of the Catholic and Apostolical Church of Christ, and in the communion and under the authority of the Church of Rome," his lordship thus addressed the clergy: "You will not, I am sure, my reverend brethren, regard it as an idle or gratuitous assumption, that the removal of the errors of the Romish Church from the minds of our parishioners, and the substitution of that reformed code of Christian truth which we of the united Church of England and Ireland profess, is a task which, as far as we have power and opportunity, it is our duty to perform.

"It is our duty, indeed, abstractedly, as ministers of the Gospel of Christ, from which the members of that Church have been removed, that they may be made professors of another Gospel; but it is more especially our duty, by virtue of that solemn pledge by which we bind ourselves on our admission to her higher ministries."

His lordship then proceeds to show, from the ordination office, that the clergy are bound to "banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God's Word;" and then shows, from unquestionable authority, that by erroneous and strange doctrines, our reformers must have meant the errors of the Church of Rome.

From the statement of this respectable prelate, and from the authority of our church, it is evident our clergy ought to do all in their power to convert to the true faith of Christ the Roman Catholics of our country, who compose the large majority of our population. But how is this to be done, as the Roman Catholics do not come to our churches, and as we have some parishes without churches for them to enter?

To this important question I would answer, let our clergy go wherever the Roman Catholics are willing to hear them-let those who have leisure follow the excellent plan of our Church Home Mission.

Should it be objected that it is irregular to preach in Courthouses, and School-houses-to this objection I would reply by referring to the example of the venerable Archbishop Ussher, (while Bishop of Meath,) of whom it is recorded that he preached constantly, not only in the church, but in the Sessionshouse, because the Papists felt less difficulty in attending his ministry there than in the church.--To those who object to the Home Mission, because the clergy sometimes preach in Schoolhouses, &c., I would propose the authority of Archbishop Ussher; and to all ministers who would be pure from the blood of their Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen, "who are perishing for lack of knowledge," I would urge the authority of the Great Head of the Church, "Go and preach the Gospel to every creature."

CLERICUS.

OBITUARY.

DEATH OF S. T. COLERIDGE, ESQ.

Ir is with feelings of deep sorrow that we announce the departure of this eminent poet, philosopher, and Christian, which took place July 25, 1834, after a long period of suffering at the house of his friend Mr. Gillam, of Highgate, near London. We are often called to announce the death of dear friends, or of those occupying useful stations in God's service, but rarely have our feelings been so acute as on the present occasion, for very seldom has the loss been so great. To his friends and he had firm ones the blank will never be filled up; and to those who, from the reverence they bore him, and the instruction they derived from his labours, might be called his disciples, his death is nearly as irreparable. Though unknown to him—and such was our own case-they have learned to venerate the mind which, achieving the proudest triumphs of intellectual power, cast all at the feet of the Saviourprofessing, as he did, that if all the labours of his life served but to enlighten the path of one Bible student, he should be amply repaid. They have taken counsel with him in difficulties-striven with him against obstacles-followed the path he so ably pioneered; and if, by God's blessing, his word and doctrine has become clearer to their understanding, more accordant with their reason, and more elevating and binding upon their hearts, shall they not mourn when such a light is removed? May they not weep even whilst acknowledging the righteousness and goodness of God in calling his servant to the enjoyment of all the light, and holiness, and love, which he has prepared for the blessed? It is not our intention to give more than a very brief sketch of his life; our only materials are those furnished by himself, in his Biographia Literaria, an exceedingly interesting history of the progress of his mind, and which, together with his other works, we beg to recommend to the attention of our readers. In common with that of most literary men, his course was undisturbed by great events. He possessed no thirst for riches or this world's greatness. His mind was busied in the investigation of truth by severe and abstract study; and his relaxation was in the exercise of his poetical talent, and in the society of cultivated friends.

He was born at Bristol; and, in due time, sent to Christ's Hospital, London. Under the guidance of Rev. James Bower, head-master, he laid the foundation of that profound acquaintance with the ancient philosophers by which he was subsequently distinguished. At the termination of his studies in London he entered at Jesus College, Cambridge, and his residence there appears to have been a period of great enjoyment. The quiet and diligent routine course of study was very congenial to a mind unusually penetrating, and which already felt dissatisfied with the superficial (super-facies) character of modern philosophizing. At a subsequent period he was appointed secretary to Sir Alexander Ball, Governor of Malta, whose character he has embalmed in one of the volumes of "The Friend." It is truly an exquisite sketch, whether we view it as a tribute of personal affection to the memory of a great man, or merely as a biographical composition. During all this time his mind appears to have been in a state of incessant investigation-finding no resting place in past acquirements-insatiably pursuing any fresh source of knowledge which held out a prospect of attaining the truth of which he was in search. At one time he held Unitarian principles, and wandered amongst the errors of Spinozism; but whilst his intellect was thus astray, his heart, as he says, "was with Paul and John." No man, earnestly desiring light, was ever left finally in darkness; and Coleridge gradually advanced through a laborious and intricate mental process into a clearer understanding of the truth. His progress was deeply interesting and instructive; and God