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months are with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass." Many other very pleasing truths may be drawn from the same principles, but, I trust, L have said enough to explain the scheme, which I and every man of reason must have so much at heart.

Perhaps you will tell me I am too sanguine. By no means; neither the creed or system is worth a farthing' which will not bear probing to the bottom. The Bigots on the other side of the question assert, that the closer you reason, the more rigidly you construe every expression, and the deeper you probe their system, the more beautiful and beneficent it appears. Give us then the same indulgence, you do these men, so attached to bonds and slavery, and we declare, the grand scheme for which we are in our hearts such warm advocates, is not a forced conclusion, but the obvious, natural conséquence of absolute predestination.

I cannot but think Daubeny a very perverse, obstinate, mad fellow, for laying open my generous friend's skull, with the very fetters which he was trying to knock off for him. 'Tis surprising he could be so wanting to

himself.

Our adversaries, indeed, try hard to persuade men that our doctrine cannot be proved from scripture, and bring against us a sentence said to be written by St. Peter, in his second epistle, viz. that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance;" and numberless other passages of the like import. But they are all very easily answered, they are interpolations, mere forgeries. We have not only the evidence of St. Paul that our doctrine is the true, where he says, "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth," but also an internal evidence to the truth of it, our passious, No, no, we will not give up so pleasing a doctrine.

I will

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I will now conclude, Gentlemen, in wishing success to my friend's book, and to that great supporter of his, "The Christian Observer," equally with him an enemy to narrow principles and the Church of England; to which we look forward for every success: it is our cornerstone. Professing itself a friend to the Church of England, it is read by many who really are so, or more correctly were so, for by ridiculing and mistating, in their review, the works of all who write in her defence, continually calling her tenets in question, and doing all in their power to render her clergy odious in the eyes of all, these poor, good people, who formerly thought the Church of England right in every thing, first doubt, then give up one point, then another, next join these her masked enemies, and in the end, believe me, will heartily join us in destroying both Church and Constitution. Thus we are daily increasing our numbers. This is foretold, "I came not to send peace, but a sword-I come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own house." Now this is exactly what we are doing, I remain, Gentlemen,

Your most obedient servant,

A CALVINIST.

Vol. VI. Churchm. Mag. Jan. 1804.

G

REVIEW

REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Sentiments proper to the present Crisis, A Sermon preached at Bridge-Street, Bristol, October 19, 1803, being the Day appointed for a General Fast. By Robert Hall, A. M. London, printed for the Author, and sold by Button and Son. 1803.

WE

E conceive it is scarcely necessary to apprize our readers of our strict adherence to Episcopalian principles, and particularly of those of the Church of England, Because the productions of Dissenters from Episcopacy fall under our review, however we may approve of them for their learning and loyalty, it does not follow that we recognize them as authorized stewards of the mysteries of the Gospel. Our opinions on this point are made up and we think it of the first magnitude, involving the whole fabric of Christianity. With the concurrent testimony of St. Paul, with the uniform practice and usage of the Apostles and their immediate successors, transmitted down to us, we affirm, no Church of Christ ever existed without her Bishop at the head till the age of Elizabeth, and no ordination was deemed valid without his authority. Upon this ground we contend with our Epicopalian brethren throughout Christendom for an exclusive title to the membership of Christ's visible Church, which he planted only. We pity the ignorance of those who suppose we are actuated by pride, contempt, or uncharitableness. We are ready to pay every homage whether in the Church, or out of it, to piety, to moral worth, to talents, and acquirements, where we think them due; and we know of no motives which should prevent

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us from saluting a brother, were it consistent with those principles of Christianity we profess. We think all who depart from the rules of Christ, which he established for the construction of his Church, are in an error, are guilty of heresy, and thinking so, we heartily pray for them; but we dare not lend our countenance to that, which in our convictions, is contrary to the mind and will of Christ, and the order and discipline he has laid down. We place the Kirk of Scotland, and the Kirk at London Wall on the same level. Having thus explicitly stated our principles, we proceed to a consideration of the discourse now before us. And we can assure the author, we have great pleasure in doing it justice, by bestowing on it our warm approbation. We should pay him no compliment by. placing it at the head of those, which we have seen of his brethren. We have, in general, been disgusted by the perusal of them, and by none more than that which has been pompously announced to have been preached three times, once before the Volunteers at Margate, and which, forsooth, is inscribed to Mr. Pitt. Mr. Hall's Sermon is of a different cast, and may with great propriety be classed amongst the best compositions that have appeared before the public. It is distinguished by sound argument, chaste and correct diction, and by a spirit of true patriotisın. To a matured understanding, deep research, and discriminating faculty, he unites the soundest principles of religion and virtue, and an imagination naturally lively, but evidently under the controul of his sober judgment. We were highly pleased with the following passage which furnishes an admirable specimen of his candour and good sense, and makes us regret he is not one of us.

"Apart from the personal character of rulers, which are fluctuating and variable, you will find the Apostles continually enG2

join

join respect to government as government, as a permanent ordinance of God, susceptible of various modifications from human wisdom, but essential under some form or other, to the existence of society; and approaching a representation, faint and inadequate, it is true, but still a representation of the dominion of God over the earth. The wisdom of resting the duty of submission on this ground is obvious. The possession of office forms a plain a palpable distinction liable to no ambiguity or dispute. Personal, on the contrary, are easily contested; so that if the obligation of obedience were founded on these, it would have no kind of force, nor retain any sort of hold on the conscience; the bands of social order might be dissolved by an epigram or a song. The more liberal sentiments of respect for institution being destroyed, nothing would remain to insure tranquillity but a servile fear of men. In the total absence of these sentiments, the mildest exertion of authority would be felt as an injury; authority would soon cease to be mild, and princes would have no alternative but that of governing their subjects with the severe jealousy of a master over slaves impatient of revolt, so narrow is the boundary which separates a licentious freedom from a ferocious tyranny. Again, at this season, especially when unanimity is so requisite, every endeavour to excite discontent, by reviling the character, or depreciating the talents of those who are entrusted with the administration, is highly criminal. Without suspicion of flattery, we may be permitted to add, that the ardor of their zeal in the service of their country, cannot be questioned; that the. vast preparations for our defence claim our gratitude; and that if in a situation so arduous, and in the management of affairs so complicated and difficult, they have committed mistakes, they are amply entitled to a candid construction of their measures.'

He most happily combats the doctrines of the Godwinian School, which are precisely those, only carried to a greater length, which have been rendered popular by one writer, whose great services to religion in other respects, toge ther with the high respect for his talents, prevent Mr. H.

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