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** righteousness:" does this text autho rize us to claim the omniscience of our Saviour? I fhould answer, in the fame fenfe as it does his holiness.

Our Church has not admitted this idea of imputation into her offices, or articles. Dr. Hey, in explaining the fentence, "accounted righteous before God,” distinguishes between being "accounted," and “being made righteous t." It is a leading idea in many devotional tracts composed as preparatory to the Sacrament; but is not admitted into the found and masterly compofition of Bishop Wilfon on that subject. It was much amplified in the works of the late Mr. James Hervey, who should rather be termed a devotional poet than an infiructive divine. Indeed, it is more like a poetical idea.

1ft Corinthians, 1ft chapter, 30th verfe.. † Hey's Lectures, vol. 3d, page 268.

than

to choose their inftructors*, and decide upon the propriety of rewards and punishments? A congregation electing the teacher who fhall diftribute to them the word and bread of life, is not lefs contradictory to the fober notions of ecclefiaftical gradation; for it must be recollected, that, though fome of its members may be in reality enlightened Chriftians, the deciding majority are ignorant, and confequently exposed to the errors and prejudices of ignorance. The very idea of needing inftruction, implies the unfitness of choofing a teacher; if we already know, why do we afk to be taught? if we are adequate judges of the degree or kind of information that we want, we have advanced beyond the bounds of pupilage.

* Abfurd as this fuggeftion muft feem, it was feriously propofed by a philofophiftical reformer, as a likely means of improving our national fyftem of education.

Befide,

Beside, must not these spiritual guides, who owe their elevation to their popularity, feel, that a "breath may unmake them, "as a breath has made?" and will they not lie under a strong temptation to act like the feeble-minded prophets of Judah, when the people called upon them to "prophecy unto them smooth things," and thus preach the lying words of vanity, inftead of the law of God? When we confider the manifeft danger that must refult to faith and morals from thus tranfpofing the fituations of tuition and obe dience, making powerlefs precept depend on dominating pupilage, we must rejoice that a very small part of the establishment is at prefent fubject to this inverted rule of patronage, and fincerely pray that moderate Calvinism may ever want power to increase the number of dependent clergymen.

I will pass the fubject of itinerance in public worship with a brief obfervation*.. It is one of the evils that arife from confounding the ideas of the civil, licence which toleration has given us, with our Spiritual freedom as Chriftians. The law of England fays, "though offices of high "truft and refponfibility can only be

delegated to those who are profeffedly "members of the established church,

you are permitted to worship God in "whatever way your confcience dictates, "without fear of moleftation." The gofpel enjoins us to avoid "herefies and " contentions;" it prescribes obedience to those who "rule over us in the Lord;" it bids us mark those who "caufe divi"fions among us;" and it represents fchifm as a moft ferious offence. We may therefore choose what teacher we will

* This fubject is more copiously treated in a former publication of the Author's.

follow:

follow no phyfical inability prevents us from fo doing; nor is any temporal penalty attached to the offence; but if we choose unadvifedly, or from any finifter motive, we exercise this freedom at the peril of our own fouls. Wandering from our parish church in fearch of a palatable preacher, is perhaps one of the leaft culpable methods of exercising this fuppofed right; but the breaking of any mental barrier is like the letting out of waters. When once we depart from that humility and regularity which we are enjoined to revere, no one can fay at what degree of scepticism or fanaticism we shall finally arrive.

These wanderings are generally justified on the score of a love of edification. When the pretence of edification leads. the congregation of a found, learned, and pious divine, to. follow thofe who distinguifh themselves by the appellation of B 6 Gospel