Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

"A REVEREND AND DEVOUT BEHAVIOUR AT PUBLIC WORSHIP will be the best evidence that we carry our hearts with us to the business of the place. To enter the Church constantly after the prayers are begun and so miss the solemn and beautiful confession with which our liturgy opens; to observe a sitting posture through the prayers, and the singing psalms; to neglect to join for ourselves in the audible responses which occur, and in the silent petitions that are offered up, are all sad proofs that we do not feel as we ought to do, the nature of the service in which we are engaged, and may well lead us to inquire seriously of our hearts, whether some other motive than the glory of our Creator, and our advancement in the Christian life, do not bring us into the assembly of the saints.

"Now I am upon this part of my subject, I cannot help lamenting very deeply the various schisms and divisions that are found to exist in the Church of Christ, and that lead away such numbers (who have not fully and carefully considered the reasons for their departure) from their own parish minister. I hope I can look at all such separatists from the mother Church with an eye of Christian charity, while I feel a hearty sorrow for their conduct; a conduct which I am inclined to believe, arises chiefly from a thoughtlessness of its unhappy consequences to religion itself, which is now attacked by so many enemies who are of no Church at all; and from a want of considering aright the DUTY of peaceably submitting themselves to their spiritual pastors, and adhering to the visible Church founded by Christ and his Apostles. I am willing, I say, to believe that this conduct proceeds from motives of pure principle, and not from any wish or intention, on their part, to break up the harmonious constitution of the Church on earth, or to give the enemies of our common faith an occasion against us, notwithstanding that both these evils appear to be necessary consequences of their secession.

"After all that has been or can be said upon this subject, one thing must I think, be granted by every one; viz. that separation from the lawful and established Church is only to be justified where corruption can be positively proved to have overspread its doctrines and sacraments. Now who will assert that such is the case with the Church of England? Is it to be believed that the bulk of her ministers is unfaithful and corrupt, or that her sacraments have ceased to be adminis tered in their original purity?. I earnestly entreat those who feel disposed to risk such assertions to consider, first, the necessary consequences of what they are doing, as it respects the Christian religion in general; and then, as it respects themselves in particular, to remember that there is a holy humility in judging of others which is very necessary to the Christian walk and conversation, even when those we judge are simple members of the Church like ourselves, but more especially when they are our appointed and ordained teachers, solemnly set apart to minister over us in holy things, and deriving their authority in immediate succession from our Saviour and his Apostles such persons do not appear sufficiently to consider that the brightest Christian grace, and indeed the great characteristic and essential of the Christian religion is humility; a meek and lowly notion of ourselves and our attainments, of our gifts and our graces, and a tender and fervent charity towards all men, especially towards "those that are of the household of faith." Let such also seriously ask themselves whether the time and attention they are able to give [to] the consideration of divine subjects be sufficient to qualify them for judging for themselves in all matters of doctrine, and for pronouncing so confidently upon many points where the most wise, learned, and pious men have had their Vol. V. Churchm. Mag. for Oct. 1803. difficulties,

M in

difficulties, and felt them fallibility. It well becomes such as would set our ancient reformers and our modern bishops right, to take care how they fall within the censure of that line, which says,

"But fools rush in, where Angels fear to tread."

"The charge of unfaithfulness upon the part of the appointed teachers of our holy religion is one of so serious and awful a nature that it is only to be made upon the surest and firmest grounds, and by those who found their opinions, not upon the bare report of foolish or designing men, but who themselves possess the best opportunities and means of knowing that the fact is as they represent it; who have wisdom to guide their inquiries, and leisure to pursue them in; till this charge be fully made out, it is our bounden duty to continue closely attached to the visible Church, planted by Christ and his Apostles, watered by the blood of the martyrs, and pruned and invigorated by the great reformers; and then, and then only, to choose our own Church and teacher for ourselves, when from the surest evidences and most indisputable facts, we have a right to conclude, that the national Church is no longer the Church which our Redeemer founded, but has altogether departed from its ancient purity and integrity,"

All this, and much more on a variety of interesting points, is well and forcibly stated. We have noticed a few inaccuracies in the language which indicate that the author has not been much exercised in composition; but the sound sense, and genuine piety evinced in this production, added to the importance of the matter, give it a powerful claim to our recommendation.

POETRY.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

S

As you some time since favoured your readers with Mr. MASON's beautiful hymn for Sunday morning, it seems proper, that you should go on to give them his no less beautiful hymn for Sunday evening. I therefore send you a copy of it for that purpose. This gives me an opportunity of asking, whether that sublime and highly cultivated poet * did not leave some works, which he had prepared for publication? whether, if he did, the public ought not to be gratified with an early sight of them? and whether, if he did not, the published works of a writer,

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Hor. Ep. ad August.

I remember it as the observation of my honoured friend and tutor, Dr. Hey, in perhaps the first conversation I had the pleasure to have with him, that Mr. Gray and Mr. Mason, uniting the qualities here respectively attributed to Pacuvius and Accius, had a just claim to both epithets.

who

who is so great an ornament to English literature, ought not to be col. lected, and republished in a uniform and splendid edition? Independ ently of a regard to the public, has MASON no surviving friend who will think it a honour, as well as a duty, to perform the kind office to his memory, which he performed to that of Gray?

[blocks in formation]

Still let each awful truth our thoughts engage,
That shines reveal'd on Inspiration's page;
Nor those blest hours in vain amusements waste,
Which all, who lavish, shall lament at last.

III.

Here, humbly let us hope our Maker's smile
Will crown with meet success our weekly toil;
And here, on each returning Sabbath, join
In pray'r, in penitence, and praise divine.

CHORUS.

Father of Heav'n! in whom our hopes confide,
Whose pow'r defends us, and whose precepts guide;
In life our guardian, and in death our friend,
Glory supreme be thine, till time shall end!

THE GENERAL FAST.

T is with inexpressible satisfaction we have to record the solemn manner in which this day of national humiliation was observed in all parts of the Metropolis and its vicinity. The shops and public offices were shut, and the interior of every house wore the appearance of Sunday. The several volunteer corps of London and Westminster assembled at an early hour and proceeded to their several places of worship. The clergy displayed upon the occasion, a laudable zeal to strengthen and improve those generous and manly sentiments with which their audiences were inspired. They vied with each other in exertions, M m 2 their

their sermons were models of genuine eloquence, and they spoke like men ready to suffer martyrdom in support of the holy cause in which they are engaged. These ardent effusions were not sullied by any thing profane for Religion surely could not be dishonoured by working the spirit of liberty, patriotism, and independence into a holy fervour, in a cause so acceptable to the Almighty, as, we trust and hope, must be the preservation of 9,000,000 of his people, from the sword of atheists, murderers, and slaves.

It deserves observation that the populace were so generally affected with a becoming reverence, for the day, that on perceiving the shop of a Quaker open in Cheapside they were about to demolish his windows, and would certainly have carried their threats into execution, if the trades· man had not, at the request of the officers, put up his shutters.

This we mention, not as expressing our approbation of any acts of violence, but as a honourable proof that the sense of religion has still a prevalent influence upon the minds of the British people.

LIST OF NEW THEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS.

PIETY and Courage, a Sermon; preached in Portland Chapel,

July 17th, 1803, by the Rev. John Crofts, A. M. 12mo.

Primitive Truth and Order vindicated from modern Misrepresentation: with a defence of Episcopacy, particularly that of Scotland, against an attack made on it by the late Dr. Campbell, of Aberdeen, in his Lectures on Ecclesiastical History and a concluding Address to the Episcopalians of Scotland, by the Right Rev. John Skinner, in Aberdeen, Senior Bishop of the Scotch Episcopal Church, 8vo.

[ocr errors]

Britain's Duty in the Prospect of a French Invasion. A Sermon preached August 12th, 1803, in the parish Church of St. Mary-le-port, Bristol, at the opening of a weekly evening Lecture on the perils and duties of the present times, by the Rev. Richard Hart, A. M. Vicar of St. George's, Gloucestershire.

An Essay on, the Internal Evidences of Christianity, published in pursuance of the will of the late Rev. James Hulse, of Elsworth, in Cheshire, as having gained, in 1802, the Annual prize instituted by him in the University of Cambridge, by John Scot, B. A. of Magdalen College, &c. &c. 8vo.

The Royal Penitent; a Sacred Drama by John Bentley.

A Sermon preached in the parish Church of Warmley, Herts, on Sunday, the 18th of July, 1803, by the Rev. Thomas Mc. Culloch, Rector, which being peculiarly appropriate to the present crisis, is published at the request of his audience, 8vo.

Sennacherib defeated and his Army destroyed; A Sermon preached at Wansted, Essex, by the Rev. S. Glasse, D.D. F.R.S. and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, on Sunday, the 4th of September, 1803, 8vo. A Sermon preached at the parish Church of Gillingham, in Kent, on Sunday, Aug. 31, 1803, on the occasion of the united exertions. of his subjects being called forth by his Majesty against the threatened Invasion, by William Chafy, M. A. Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and Curate of Gillingham, published by request, 8vo.

ECCLE

ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS.

HE Rev. Hugh Owen, portionist of Bampton, Oxfordshire, and MîCathedral Church of Salisbury, by the Lord Bishop of that see.

OXFORD, Oct. 7, the Rev. Whittington Landon, D. D. provost of Worcester College, nominated by the Chancellor of this University, vicechancellor for the year ensuing, was in full convocation, invested a second time with that office. At the same the Rev. John Wills, D. D. warden of Wadham College. Michael Marlow, D. D. president of St. John's; Henry Richards, D. D. Rector of Exeter College, and John Parsons, D. D. master of Baliol College, were appointed Pro-vice-chancellors.

10.] This being the first day of Michaelmas term, Mr. Thomas Clayton, and the Rev. T. H. Shephard of Brasenose College, and the Rev. G. T. Chamberlain, of Worcester College, B. A. were admitted Masters of Arts. Messrs. J. Deane, of Trinity College; George Grimes, of Merton College, John Bastard, of Wadham College, and Robert Newton, of Brasenose College, were admitted Bachelors of Arts.

The Rev. Benjamin Barker, M. A. of Queen's College, Cambridge, is instituted to the Rectory of Caston, and also to the Rectory of All Saints, with St. Andrew, in Norfolk, on the presentation of Benjamin Barker, Esq.

The Rev. Mr. Glover, is instituted to the Rectory of Stonham Jerningham in Suffolk, on the resignation of Frederic Henry Bamvill, M. A. The Rev. William Spurdens is licensed to the perpetual Curacy of Wingfield, in the gift of the Lord Bishop of Norwich.

CAMBRIDGE, 10th. This being the first day of term, the following gentlemen were elected officers for the University of Cambridge for the year ensuing,

Proctors,

J John Henry Renouard M. A. Trin. Col.
Thomas Castley, M. A. Jesus.

Moderators, {John Hudson, M. A. Trin. Col.

Taxors,

Scrutators,

Robert Woodhouse, M. A. Caius.

Thomas Sumpter, M. A. King's.
Samuel Lowe, M. A. Magdalen.

Thomas Brown, B. D. Christ's Col.
Clement Chevalier, M. A. Pembroke.

The Rev. Henry Gale, of Trinity College, and the Rev. Peter Glubb, of Peterhouse, were the same day admitted to the degree of M. A; and John Francis Plumptre, Francis Hodgson, and George Heald, fellows of King's College, to the degree of B. A.

The Vice-Chancellor.

THE CAPUT.

Joseph Procter, D. D. Master of Cath. Hall, Divinity.
Joseph Jowett, LL D. Trinity Hall, Law.

Sir Isaac Pennington, M. D. St. John's Coll. Physic.
John Hopkins, M. A. Christ's Coll. Sen. Non Regent.
Jeremiah Day, M. A. Caius Coll. Sen. Regent.

Messrs. John Hunt, George Ewbank, H. D. Hoste, James Cumming, and J. B. Campbell, Bachelors of Arts, of Trinity College, have been elected Fellows of that society.

The

« PoprzedniaDalej »