might become a subtle poifon in peace, equally formidable, but more fatal, because more concealed; working in that darkness, and ufing fuch deceptions which an honeft mind would not fufpect. Beware of the EXAMPLES of our late enemy. There is the more reafon for this caution, because a great barrier is now removed, and a familiar intercourse must be preserved. Beware of this, left an affected liberality, a fuppofed generofity of fentiments, can overlook all that is past, and easily rush into imminent danger, to gratify a childish curiofity, or to difplay a hardihood of vice, which obftinately rejects all caution

and restraint.

If we have always had cause to lament the confequences of our youth travelling into foreign climes, how much more caufe fhall we have to dread it now, when they go into a country, which is exulting in its crimes and its fucceffes where the facred rights of property have been invaded; where the ancient throne of many kings, trampled on by the vulgar; where every principle of humanity has been infulted; every restraint on the paffion looffened; every institution, friendly to virtue, violated; every rite of religion profaned: They go into a country, in which, can they learn obedience to ancient laws, refpect for venerable institutions, or regard for obligation, and fanctity of the marriage vow. The plague is gone forth-a plague worse than all the plagues of Egypt, and fhall we heedlessly rufh into the infected atmosphere; fhall we cherish a beautiful fpotted fnake in our bofoms, because it promises, that now it will not fting us? In vain have we condemned the principles of our enemies, if we are feduced by their examples, and partakers of their crimes. Are we not liable to be easily deceived, to mistake an impofing politenefs for fincere friendship-a levity of manners for rational joy--an effeminacy of manners for delicacy of fentiments-a hardihood of consciousness for fuperiority of mind? Beware, then, of the principles of our ancient foes and more especially, when thofe principles are fupported by fuch great acceffion of power.

Moft fincerely is it to be hoped, that fome legal and strong barrier will be raised against a too familiar intercourse with France. It is wife to prevent evils, rather than to correct them, when confirmed and strengthened. If fuch falutary cautions are not adopted, have we not cause to fear, that France will, from this, be the affylum of the feditious; the nursery of future revolutions-the protector of the turbulent-the vortex of diffipation.

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(To be concluded in the Supplement.)

SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINË. GENTLEMEN,

BEG leave to return my thanks to the "SCOTCH EPISCOPALIAN," for the interesting letter which appears in your laft Magazine; and I join you in the request which you make to that gentleman for the communication of fome further particulars.

I have a copy of "the Book of COMMON PRAYER, and ADMINISTRATION of the SACRAMENTS, and other parts of DIVINE SERVICE for the ufe of the Church of SCOTLAND; printed at Edinburgh 1637" If you think it would be agreeable to your readers, I will readily make a tranfcript of the Communion-Office; in order to facilitate a comparison between it and that of our Church.

The

The Scottish Liturgy, as I read it in my copy, differs in feveral points from the English. Your Scotch correfpondent fays, however, that his "church ufes, in the exercife of public worship, the liturgy of the Church of England in every thing except in the Communion-Office."Of course this is one particular concerning which, I hope, that gentleman will favour us with fome additional information.

Another is this ;-he enumerates but seven bishoprics in Scotland,

1. Edinburgh.

3. Dunkeld.

2. Dumblane and Fife, 4. Brechin.

7. Rofs.

5. Aberdeen.
6. Moray.

Archbishop Spotfwood records the fucceffion of Scottish bishops in the various fees" to the end of the reign of Ja. VI. (i. e. of England I.) who died Mar. 27, 1625. Now befide the fees mentioned by your correfpondent, the archbishop gives us St. Andrews and Glafgow, both archiepifcopal fees, and the bishoprics of Caithness, Galloway, and Argyle; exclufive of Orkney and the Ifles. -So that here are at least five fees more than the Scotch Epifcopalian reckons; and at the fame time it is to be noted, that he counts Edinburgh for a bishopric, which does not occur in Spotswood.

No man holds the venerable Episcopal Church of Scotland in higher efteem than I do. I particularly revere her for the firmness which the manifefted, and the promptitude with which fhe exercised her Divine Right in confecrating the first Protestant bishop which America received, I am, gentlemen, yours truly.

June 7, 1802.

AN ENGLISH EPISCOPALIAN.

PROPER PRESBYTERIANS.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

I CANNOT decide upon the motive which impelled "A North Briton" to compofe the letter I read in your laft Number, p. p. 256-7. Was it a defign to fix the Church of England with all the frightful extremes of calvinistic doctrine? to infinuate that Dr. Mayo was not found in the principles of the church? or to have it believed that I myself have a leaning towards Calvinifm, and think flightingly of Episcopacy?

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It might be a fufficient answer to his letter were I to fay, that in drawing Dr. Mayo's character I have truly expreffed what I have more than once heard him affert.-I endeavoured, in that fentence which the North Briton terms obnoxious, to rebut what was faid in a newspaper, respecting "his liberality towards Diffenters of all denominations." fhewed that he knew how to make just distinctions between the different fpecies of Diffenters.-But fince an explanation is afked for, I am not a man to leave my deceased friend's fentiments to fhift for themselves; nor yet to fhrink from expreffing my own on the matter in question.

My opinion of Epifcopacy might have been eafily afcertained, by any one who wished to know it, from my letter on the "Miffionary Voyage in the thip Duff,” p. p. 26—7—8, of the fame Number of your excellent work in which you were fo obliging as to print my character of the rector of St. George's; but, “none are fo blind as thofe who"-"the proverb's fomething mufty."—I deem Episcopacy a fine qué non in any church. Neither Bishop Horne, nor his venerable biographer, neither Leslie now in heaven, (where aturedly an hierarchy fubfifts,) nor Daubeny who yet adorns

adorns our earth, as we may gather their opinion from their writings, efteem Epifcopacy more certainly of divine inftitution than I do; or more neceffary in a rightly conftituted church. Yet God forbid, and truth forbid, and the spirit of Christian charity forbid, that I should blend and confufe in one mafs "Diffenters of all denominations." Of fome I must needs have compaffion, making (as the brother of James counfels) a difference. The common herd of Diffenters, who have no church-government beyond what caprice and " a voluntary humility" afford; who acknow→ ledge no authority upon earth which may check their vain imaginations; who cannot give an account of their own tenets; who indeed feem influenced by hardly any other diftinguithable principle but an hatred of the church; (which hatred is almoft the only fymbol acknowledged by them all, the only fentiment which binds them together,) are in a wretched ftate of ignorance, the mere victims of organized anarchy. Their zeal, undirected by knowledge, impels them continually to abufe the Church of England, continually to " fpeak evil of fuch things as they know not." Miferable men! even you have my prayers. Always fhall I feek to requite good for your evil. My Saviour has taught me how to deal with my

enemies.

But the proper Prefbyterians are not like these blind, or dazzled, enthu→ fiafts. Their principles are fet forth authoritatively in the confeffion of faith, the two catechifms of the affembly of divines,--the fum of faving knowledge, the covenants, as they are called,-the acknowledgment of fins, and engagement to duties, the directories, and the form of church government; -all these are publicly fet forth by the Kirk of Scotland, and are recognized, as containing a declaration of their theological principles, by all the proper Prefbyterians, who are now but few in number, in England. With fuch men I can argue. I know their ftrength in fome points, and I perceive their lamentable weakness in others. I acknow→ ledge their orthodoxy refpecting the nature of God, and the doctrine of atonement; and whilst I am forry to fee they have not the fucceffors to the apoftolic power in church government amongst them, it gives me fome confolation to witnefs that they have a government of a certain kind;and, particularly, a kind of church government allowed by the conftitution of my country. If we have our veftries, cur archidiaconal and our epifcopal courts, they have their kirk feflions, their provincial fynods, and their general affemblies. Here is, as with us, a fubordination of authority under authority, and a regular afcending gradation of power, adapted to lighter caufes, or to weightier affairs. Now who does not fee, that we have each the fame provifion of ecclefiaftical authority, although it be not diftributed nor exercifed in the fame form;-in other words,-that the difference is but a difference of difcipline; their church government is congregational, our's perfonal; their's favours of republicanifim, our's affimilates better with monarchy. A like quantum of power is vested in each church, the adminiftration of that power makes the fole difference. I do not mean here to affert that the power exercifed among the Presbyterians has the fame authority with that which we Epifcopalians acknowledge; I do not mean to affert that there is no difference between Bishops and Prefbyters difcoverable either in the New Teftament, or in the Fathers. But this I aver to be a fact, that the Prefbyterians bow to the power of the kirk, with at least as much fubmiffion as we do to that of the church; and it is notorious that the kirk exerts that power with a severity Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. June, 1802,

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which

which the church never exercises.-I am thankful that we have Epifco pacy in our church, which gives validity to our facraments. I cannot communicate with the kirk, and I am forry for it; admitting so much of church authority acknowledged by the primitive Chriftians, (I repeat it,) I lament that the kirk does not adminifter that authority in the apoftolical form, and agreeably to primitive models.-The kirk is certainly calvinific in her difcipline.

As to her doctrines, the North Briton does that by the kirk, which many, particularly Sir Richard Hill, his wild brother, et hoc genus omne, do by the Church of England; they take her doctrines, on the important points fpecified by the North Briton, without regarding any moderating terms which occur in her articles; and charge her with holding them in the EXTREME SENSE in which they choose to receive, and think proper to represent them.

Concerning Epifcopacy, I have fully, and I truft fatisfactorily, expreffed myself already. I fhall now fay fomething concerning predeftination and irresistible grace. The articles in the Prefbyterian confeffion of faith are thirty-three in number. I think I fhall conduce effectually to the fettling of this matter, by tranfcribing the 1ft section of the Kirk's 3d article, intituled, " of God's eternal decrees." This fection, with respect to all that follows of this clafs of doctrines, I regard precisely as a lawyer does the preamble of an act of parliament; i. e. it gives the tone to every thing that fucceeds; it gives the intention of the enactor; it affords a criterion by which to rectify the judgment in all difficulties which may occur;-the spirit of the preamble must not be violated, nor contravened; it must neither be exceeded nor come short of. Now the 1ft fection, or claufe, of the 3d article is couched in thefe terms-" God from all eternity did, by the most wife and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pafs: yet so, AS THEREBY NEITHER IS GOD THE AUTHOR OF SIN, NOR IS VIOLENCE OFFERED TO THE WILL OF THE CREATURES, NOR IS THE LIBERTY OR CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES TAKEN AWAY, BUT RATHER ESTABLISHED. I affirm that whatever follows is not to be exclufively received in fuch an infulated way as to oppofe this preliminary dictum.—The Scripture itself, if individual texts, or portions of texts, be picked out, may be fuborned to give evidence on the fide of heterodoxy; or tortured, by this mode of excifion, fo as to utter blafphemy itself. I remember Mr. Jones, in his letter to the common people, fubjoined to "the catholic doctrine of the Trinity," gives these inftances" there is no God"-" hang all the law and the prophets." The Arians and Socinians,-Price, Priefly, Belfham, and their adherents, exclude from their minds every attribute of Deity given to Chrift in Scripture, and indeed the Socinians boldly tear out of their Bibles the introductory chapters of St. Matthew and St. Luke ;—no wonder therefore that they fettle in utter herely. The Scriptures speak of Chrift doubtlefs in many paffages as inferior to the Father, and fimply as Man; but they also speak of him as equal with God, and as God; and therefore we must needs conclude, as the explanatory part of one of our creeds expreffes it,-that he is God and Man, equal to the Father as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood."--The mode of ftudying the Scriptures, and examining the articles of any particular church on the doctrine of predeftination, fhould be the fame. He who looks at Holy Writ, and the articles either of the Church

or

or of the Kirk, with an enlarged view, and not with partial confideration; will find that although God foreknows, and therefore must have predeftinated every thing that happens, yet ftill man's will is free. This is confeffedly a great mystery,-to be received as it is GENERALLY set forth, -not to be pried into with too curious an eye ;-to be received as fraught with comfort to all, not as intended to drive individuals to defperation.The article of the Kirk already quoted, ends thus-"§ 8th. The doctrine of this high mystery of predeftination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their vocation, be affured of their eternal election. So fhall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant confolation TO ALL THAT SINCERELY OBEY THE GOSPEL." -I cannot but remark how much the admonition here given agrees with the prevailing caft and character of our church's 17th article, which has been often strangely mistaken.

"Of Predeftination and Election." Predeftination to life is the everlafting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath conftantly decreed by his counfel, fecret to us, to deliver from curfe and damnation thofe whom he hath chofen in Chrift out of mankind, and to bring them by Chrift to everlafting falvation, as veffels made to honour. Wherefore they which be endued with fo excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose by his spirit working in due feason they through grace obey the calling: they be juftified freely : they be made fons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jefus Chrift: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they artain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly confideration of Predeftination, and our election in Christ, is full of fweet, pleasant, and unfpeakable comfort to godly perfons, and fuch as feel in themfelves the working of the fpirit of Chrift, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things; as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal falvation; to be enjoyed through Chrift, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: So, for curious and carnal perfons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the fentence of God's predeftination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the devil doth thrust them either into defperation, or into wretchleffness of most unclean living, no lefs perilous than defperation.

Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in fuch wife, as they be GENERALLY fet forth to us in holy Scripture: AND IN OUR DOINGS,

THAT WILL OF GOD IS TO BE FOLLOWED, WHICH WE HAVE EXPRESSLY DECLARED UNTO US IN THE WORD OF GOD.

I would earneftly recommend to the North Briton, and to our methodiftical people here in England, not to leave out the full meaning of the word GENERALLY in this article; and not to impute to the Church of England fuch an acceptation of the doctrine in queftion as the does not hold, if the terms the ufes be rightly understood, and the reftrictions the expreffes be allowed their proper force.

With refpect to what the North Briton writes concerning the impoffibility of the elect's falling from a state of falvation;-I will juft copy the laft clause of the 9th article of the Kirk. § V. The will of man is made. perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the fate of glory ONLY."

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