from the errors and absurdities of Rome,' and from the narrow-mindedness of a meddlesome sectarianism, she framed her wide2 Formularies3 on the Word of

"Ea vero omnia, quæ aut valde superstitiosa, aut frigida, aut spurca, aut ridicula, aut cum sacris literis pugnantia, aut etiam sobriis hominibus indigna esse videbamus, qualia infinita sunt hodie in papatu, prorsùs sine ulla exceptione repudiavimus: quod nollemus Dei cultum ejusmodi ineptiis longiùs contaminari." Apologia Eccles. Anglic. autore J. Juello, p. 22.

66

Speaking, in the next place," says Bp. Bull, in his letter to the Countess of Newbrugh, "of the visibility and succession of pastors in our Church, he (the Catholic Scripturist) challengeth your ladyship, as by promise to make it good. And here I make him this fair proposal: Let him, or any one of his party, produce any one solid argument to demonstrate such a succession of pastors in the Church of Rome, and I will undertake, by the very same argument, to prove a like succession in our Church."

:

"His demand that we should show a succession of pastors in our Church, in all ages, holding and professing the Thirty-nine Articles, is infinitely ridiculous, absurd, and unreasonable: for we ourselves acknowledge, that the pastors of our Church were before the Reformation, involved as well as others, in the corruptions of the Church of Rome, against which our Thirty-nine Articles are mainly directed or else there had been no need of a Reformation. And let him, if he can, show a constant succession of pastors in the Church of Rome, always professing the decrees of the Council of Trent, in the points of image worship, invocation of saints, &c., and I will promise with heart and hand to subscribe to that Council.-As for ourselves, that which we maintain is this, That our Church and the pastors thereof, did always acknowledge the same rule of faith, the same fundamental articles of the Christian religion, both before and since the Reformation; but with this difference that we then professed the rule of faith together with the additional corruptions of the Church of Rome; but now (GOD be thanked) without them. So that the change, as to matter of doctrine which hath been in our Church, and her pastors, is for the better; like that of a man from being leprous becoming sound and healthy, and yet always the same man." Vindication of the Church of England; Works, vol. ii. p. 204, sq.

2 "What next the Romanist saith concerning our notorious prevarication from the Articles of our Church I do not perfectly understand. He very well knows that our Clergy doth still subscribe them.-But possibly he intends that latitude of sense, which our Church, as an indulgent mother, allows her sons in some abstruser points, (such as predestination, &c.) not particularly and precisely defined in her Articles, but in general words capable of an indifferent construction. If this be his meaning, this is so far from being a fault, that it is the singular praise and commendation of our Church." Bp. Bull's Vindication of the Church of England; Works, vol. ii. p. 204—–211.

3"Because our Church," says Bp. Bull, “finds that a set form of Liturgy is used by all Christian Churches in the world, without any known beginning, she hath hers too, and that a grave, solemn, excellently composed one, conformed as near as she could devise, to the pattern of the most ancient offices. A Liturgy, for its innocence and purity, so beyond all just exceptions, that the

GOD,' and not on the fancies of men; so as to embrace within them the whole flock of CHRIST, which is "the blessed company of all faithful people." Too wise to drive, and too generous to threaten, she calls, she admonishes, she loves; too great to resent or to chide, she bears and forbears, and she forgives all insults to herself. Yet, her dignity is such, that her sons go to be princes in all lands, and that her Clergy are of more honour than their fellows, in other countries. Her influence is only for good; and the heart of her people is naturally drawn towards her.

II. Such is the Church in herself, and such is her spirit; the spirit by which she lives, and shall live

papists themselves, upon its first establishment, could not but embrace it. And therefore for several years they came to our churches, joined in our devotions, and communicated without scruple, till at last (as an excellent person in our Church rightly expresses it) a temporal interest of the Church of Rome rent the schism wider, and made it gape like the jaws of the grave:' nay, it is transmitted to us by the testimony of persons greater than all exception that Paulus Quartus, Pope of Rome, in his private intercourses and letters to Queen Elizabeth, did offer to confirm and establish the Common Prayer Book, if she would acknowledge the primacy and authority, and the reformation derivative from him." Bp. Bull's Vindication, &c., p. 206, sq.

1 "The Church of England," says Archbishop Laud, “grounded her positive Articles upon Scripture; and her negative do refute there, where the thing affirmed by you (Romanists) is not affirmed by Scripture, nor directly to be concluded out of it. And here not the Church of England only, but all Protestants, agree most truly, and most strongly in this, That the Scripture is sufficient to salvation, and contains in it all things necessary to it. The Fathers* are plain, the schoolmen not strangers in it. And have not we reason then, to account it, as it is, the Foundation of our Faith?"

2 Collect before the Doxology, in the Communion Service.

* S. Basil, De verâ et piâ Fide. "Manifesta defectio Fidei est importare quicquam eorum quæ scripta non sunt." S. Hilar. 1. 2, ad Constant. Aug. "Fidem tantùm secundum ea quæ scripta sunt desiderantem, et hoc qui repudiat, Antichristus est, et qui simulat Anathema est." S. Aug. 1. 2, de Doctr. Christian. c. 9. "In iis quæ apertè in Scripturâ posita sunt, inveniuntur illa omnia quæ continent fidem moresque vivendi." And to this place Bellarm. 1. 4, de Verbo Dei non Scripto, cap. 11, saith that S. Augustine speaks "de illis Dogmatibus quæ necessaria sunt omnibus simpliciter," of those points of Faith, which are necessary simply for all men. So far then he grants the question.— Relation of a Conference, &c., 3rd ed. London, 1673, p. 34.

evermore. But if she lives in the spirit, she acts through her members; and these are they that grievously sinned against her in days that are past, when the fathers ate sour grapes which have now set their children's teeth on edge. I need not enter into the details of a notorious state of the Church during a race of Clergy now all but extinct; when things habitually took place which one would hardly credit, but for the few eye-witnesses of them that are also passing out of sight; when the houses of GOD were allowed to fall into decay; when duty was seldom heard of, and clerical functions were too often discharged by strangers to the flocks that never saw their shepherds. Then, in sooth, was the spirit of the Church, if not wholly quenched, at least sorely grieved. Then, while her men slept, did the enemy come, do his work, and sow the seed whence have sprung up the rank weeds of error, of scepticism, and of unbelief, which the nation now gathers. Then, while the Priest and the Levite passed by on the other side, careless of their poor brother who had fallen among thieves, a good Samaritan had pity on him, and of his poverty planted his little chapels here and there in the most distant and most forlorn corners of the land, which the Church has not yet reached. But then, also, did the Priest and the Levite lose their brother, and the Church very many of her children.

III. During that time life in the Church was kept up by a few earnest and conscientious men, who, by their efforts in well doing, prevented her spirit from dying out. After them came the religious movement of about thirty years ago, that did much to rouse the Church from her slumber. She awoke-but to a state of things very different from what she remembered.

She found a portion of her flock gone; Dissent established in many parishes where afore it had never been heard of, and Popery free to stalk in the land, and to make for the coveted prize; the beginnings of a state of alternate wiles and artifice, of hatred and envy, against which to struggle with her enemies on the right hand and on the left-a state, too, that shall never cease. In dismay at these great losses, some of her chiefs-assuredly not the wisest-seeing so many sheep gone, now propose to do for the Church what has already been done for the University, so as to lower both together; and they talk of throwing down her fences, in order, they say, to call back the wanderers.' Strange wisdom, that! to rend asunder the net, in order to catch more fish; and because some of the sheep were allowed to go astray, to level the fold with the ground, and let in the wolves upon the remnant that is left! Better, we had thought, follow the example of the GOOD SHEPHERD, and go into the wilderness after the sheep that are lost; many, very many, will be found too glad to be brought back to the fold and to better pastures.

Nay, the present trial of the Church is only the fruit of her own doings; of doings, too, that must

1 "To seek reformation of evil laws," says Hooker, "is a commendable endeavour; but for us the more necessary is a speedy redress of ourselves. We have on all sides lost much of our first fervency towards GOD; and therefore concerning our own degenerated ways we have reason to exclaim with S. Gregory, "Oneρ μev yevάμela, Let us return again to what we sometime were;' but touching the exchange of laws in practice with laws in device, which they say are better for the state of the Church if they might take place, the farther we examine them the greater cause we find to conclude μένωμεν ὅπερ ἐσμέν, ' although we continue the same we are the harm is not great.' These fervent reprehenders of things established by public authority are always confident and bold spirited men. But their confidence for the most part ariseth from too much credit given to their own wits, for which cause they are seldom free from error." Eccles. Pol. Bk. v. Dedic. 2. Words that seem written for the present time.

have been visited on a Church so really great, and on

"Shall I not visit for

The prophets prophesy

a nation so greatly blessed. these things? saith the LORD. falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?"" Yet the trial may soon be over, if the Church will it; on herself depends whether she shall suffer long from error and disunion within herself, or whether she will come forth the better and the wiser for what is past. Humanly speaking, however, it may be that the working of such beautiful machinery as the English Church and State together, by a people gifted with so many sterling qualities, would have brought about results too great and too good for this world; and that it must, therefore, have got out of gear. Out of gear, then, it certainly is; the State seems disaffected towards the Church, and the Church at variance with it and with herself. All now depends on her wisdom, energy, and life; and after she has been sufficiently tried, then on God's mercy in healing her wounds. One thing, however, is certain-it would be death to the Church to take her ease at present. If the Church of England slumber again, she is lost.

IV. But, however tried, she lives-she cannot die; yet, she cannot rest. And rest she must not, until, with the whole Church of CHRIST, she lays down her weapons, and then rest for ever. Meanwhile, she owes much of her present life and energy to the earnest teaching of certain of her pious, able, and devoted sons who are still living. Setting aside as not their fault, and of little or no moment, the flights of some of their followers, the want of judgment of others, and the perversion to Romanism of a few more whose

1 Jer. v. 29-31.