release only from Church cenfures, or a restoration to Church communion. Both proceed upon the notion that the penitence or impenitence of the finner, muft determine equally the hope of falvation, and the title to Church privileges; but if the abfolution be confidered with refpect to previous cenfures only, its place in the common offices of the Church would certainly appear to be lefs proper. The minifterial power is fo connected with the difpenfations and privileges of the Church, as the peculiar houfhold of Chrift, that it is not eafy to understand the remitting or retaining fins, without reference to the appointed means of grace in that vifible communion: but though the exercife of cenfure and exclufion, or of reception and restoration, must be confidered as the chief and most fignal opportunities for applying this power, yet the peculiar benediction of the paftoral, as well as of the paternal authority, may have foine Special efficacy annexed to it by the will of God. The fifth fermon gives a statement of the nature and limits of Chrift's promife for the prefervation of his Church of which the author furnishes this juft definition : "All therefore that the gracious affurances of our Lord with refpect to the protection and guidance of his Church, can be stated in its ample extent to have promised, must be that in the body of which he was the myftical head, fhould continue to exift through all ages, the union of a common fellowship, the imperishable permanency of the Divine word, and the effential appointments and ordinances of a real church." P. . 192. It has often been remarked, as a peculiar demonftration of the providential care of God, and of the truth of Christianity, that the prophecies of the Old Teftament have been conftantly preferved with unfufpected integrity by the Jews, who reject the gospel and this author remarks, that "It was no trivial evidence of Chrift's care, that the records of revelation fhould reft fecure from injury, in languages little known but to those whom every line rebuked with keenelt reproach; through ages of darkness favourable to base defign." P. 195. Thus, as he adds in a note, have "the inftructions of the New Teftament been fecured to us by thofe corrupt churches which were most interested to fupprefs them." The following eloquent paffage, concerning the refloration of the Scriptures to common ufe, occurs foon after. "It was by the providential restoration of the Scriptures, which took place at the revival of literature, that the corruptions of the Romish church were firft fuccefsfully expofed, and the Reformation happily commenced. Where this pillar of permanent direction led the way, though it might be "cloud and darkness" to those who were hardened the hardened against God's inftructions, it gave light to all who followed the divine ftandard. To the exclufive infallibility afcribed to the Holy Writings, by the advocates of truth, must be attributed the renovation of thofe principles which had been read in the fimplicity of the primitive faith. Awakened to a perufal of the facred pages, captive daughter" of the Church "fhook herself from the duft, and loofed herfelf from the bands of her neck." The difperfed and dejected members of the faith, reanimated by the Spirit of the Lord, were raifed up, as it were, by a refurrection, and reaffembled to compofe the living reprefentation of Chrift's body." P. 202. Some judicious remarks follow in this fermon, in addition to thofe already cited, concerning fubfcription to the articles of the church; and it clofes with fome obfervations upon private judgment. In the fixth fermon, the authority of the Holy Scripture is fet forth as the light to which our reformers paid efpecial attention. The heads of feveral important doctrines are then touched. The extenfive efficacy of Chrift's facrifice is maintained; and the charge of Calvinifm, fo confidently urged by fome, against the authentic formularies of the Church of EngJand, refuted, from references to the homilies, liturgy, and articles, and to the teftimonies of eminent reformers in this country. It has," fays our author, after producing a remarkable paflage from Hooper, exprefsly combating the notion of abfolute decrees, and referring to Latimer, Redmayne, Jewel, and to the homilies, for fimilar fuffrages, "been often shown, that the Creed, Homilies, Liturgy, Articles, and Catechifm of our Church, do not, in their general conftruction, fupport the Calvinian rigours, whatever ambiguous expreffions fome of them may contain. They admit the redemption of the whole world by Chrift; the freedom of the human will; the acceptable nature of good works, and the poffibility of a fall from grace. They decide not with St. Auftin, on the fate of infants unbaptized; and it is stated in the rubric, that they who are baptized, and die before actual fin, are undoubtedly faved. If," adds the author, the articles are Calviniftical, it may be enquired, why the Calvinifts petitioned against the literal and grammatical fenfe, on the appearance of Charles's declaration, and have fo often wished to alter them." Note, p. 247. The two following paffages appear in the conclufion of this fermon. “Confidered either with reference to preceding abufes, or with regard to the permanent propenfities of men, the external ftructure and ordinances of our Church were framed with judicious and prudent regulation. Modelled in agreement with the inftructions of revelation, they difplay a fimplicity equally remote from fuperftition and irreve * The author here ufes or; which we have ventured to alter. Rev. rence; Gray's Sermons at the Bampton Lectures. 121 rence; and it appears that the practical, as well as the fpeculative principles, of the reformation, are grounded on confiderations decidedly important to the interefts of religion." P. 253. 66 Anxiously as our church has laboured to illuftrate every page of the facred writings, it has found no caufe to depart from thofe effential principles, which, in confiftency with early and unadulterated conftruction, were established as the bafis of its regulations. Yet hath it no views which would obftruct the operation of the truth. It evades no enquiry; it retreats from no temperate difcuffions. It will not, however, facrifice its deliberate faith to every novel fuggeftion, nor alter its creed in accommodation to every new teacher." ~ P. 256. The refpect of the church of England in her reformation for fundamental principles, forms the fubject of the feventh difcourfe. In the courfe of which, intolerance and bigotry are justly and decidedly condemned: and the final remains of them in this church, after the Reformation, fairly expofed, or traced to the peculiar infelicities of the times. Having arrived at that period when "the only remaining decree of perfecution which difgraced the laws was repealed." Mr. Gray remarks, "that from this period, though oppofite interefts have combined in unnatural union, and perfifted with unaltered enmity, against the church, it hath encouraged an encreating fpirit of moderation and indulgence, and reited as to human protection, for fecurity only on its legal and conftitutional barriers, and on the conviction excited by the admirable vinHe then goes on to fhow, that dications of its caufe." "every struggle for a removal of reftrictions on the conscience, has facilitated the exertions of political wisdom.” They awakened the fpirit which accomplished that revolution to which the friends of freedom look with fondeft veneration, as to the renovated bafis of the conftitution." Yet, "-converfant with the examples of former times, and convinced of the folidity of those principles which are founded on confideration of the permanent paffions of men, they liften not to theories, which are framed without refpect to the restrictions, which long experience has commended: they confent not to facrifice certain bleflings for contingent advantages; they embark not on tempeftuous feas for precarious profit." P. 291. The apology for not dwelling more upon the lives and characters of the reformers, in the conclufion to this fermon, is in the best manner of the author. "The principles eftablished in our church, are accepted on the ground of their own excellency, and require not the fanction of authority. They were commended, without affumption of personal afcendency, by thofe who were willing that their reputation fhould fade in the tranfcendency of Chrift's glory, and their inftructions refolve themselves into his laws." P. 294. Eccle Ecclefiaftical unity forms the fubject of the last discourse, in which a great variety of interefting particulars are included. The author fiates generally, that "A continuance in communion with any congregation, in which fundamental errors fanction corrupt worship, cannot be juftified by any confiderations of cultom, of kindred, or of fubmiflion to earthly decrees. Better were it for two or three to affemble in private fincerity: better were it to retreat to the folitary chamber which looketh towards God's temple, though it expofe us to the perfecution of unrighteous men, than to partake of the fins of thofe who violate the pofitive ordinances of God. But, on the other hand, a dereliction of any duly conftituted church, upon objections of inconfiderable moment, is a diflevering of that union which is highly acceptable to God; and a criminal act involving a refponfibility, in proportion to the departure from truth, and the diffention and enmity which it must neceffarily occafion." The very extraordinary attempts of Mr. R. Plowden to vindicate the higheft affumptions of the Papal power, are then noticed; and the difpofition which others of the English Roman Catholics have shown to relinquish fuch untenable opinions, is regarded as a ground of pleasing hope. The notes on thefe points contain fome curious particulars. The concluding part of this difcourfe turns upon the profpect of further improvements, expreffing a juft with, that every alteration of long approved appointments, fhould originate, as did the reformation, with thofe whom due authority, and fidelity of attachment, may reftrain from injuring a ftructure of unequalled excellence." "The chief ends," he observes in a note, "which are to be la. mented under our eftablishment, are the impoverishment of laborious stations of the church, by alienations and corrupt agreements; the exemption of peculiar diftricts from regular jurifdiction*; the erection of chapels for private fpeculation and management; and the fimoniacal difpofal of preferment. They who will encounter political fruggles for the reformation of thefe abufes, will experience little oppofition from the clergy." Some excellent remarks are added, concerning indifference in religion, and the neceffity of embracing revealed truth, where it is tendered. "If," fays the author," the proofs of Chriftianity have been amply collected; if the reafonings of former times have been concentered with confpicuous and convincing demonftration; the general * Thefe, we hope, will in part be remedied by the operation of the fate bill refpećting curacies. Rev. elaffes claffes of fociety fhould be familiarized with its evidence, and impreffed with more regular and fyftematic inftruction, than it must be confessed they appear to be." We have seldom witneffed a greater variety of interefting matter, drawn into the fame compafs, than occurs in thefe lectures, which difplay great induftry, and confiderable talents; and the fpecimens which we have introduced will doubtless evince, that the topics are handled with judgment, and clothed in elegant language. ART. IV. Heron's Hiftory of Scotland. UNTING and fifhing," fays this author, in a paffage cited by us last month, and now cited again, with enlargements and retrenchments, for a fuller expofure than what we could then give it, "appear to have been the chief means by which the Mæate and Caledonians procured their fubfiftence, at the time when they were invaded by Agricola. In fuch a country as that which they inhabited, there could be little agriculture, and hardly any regular pafturage of flocks, or herds of domeftic animals. The warrior contended for his meal, with the carnivorous animals of the foreft. If unsuccessful in the chafe, he might perifh for hunger. Of fishing they were more negligent; fishing being an employment which demands inftruments of nice and ingenious manufacture." In this extract we fee the unfaithfulnefs of Mr. Heron to the truths of history, ftrikingly exemplified; almoft every word, every fyllable within it, being directly contrary, not merely to what Cæfar has related concerning the interior Britons in general, but to what is affirmed even by the very author, from whom principally he has learned the names of Mcate and Caledonians. Dion Caffius informs us exprefsly, that the Caledonians and Meatæ had not only "little agriculture," and herds of domestic animals;" that, instead of "fithing" being one of the chief means by which they procured their fubfiftence," they never caught, because they never eat a fingle fish; and that, fo far from being in danger of "perishing for hunger," if "unfuccefsful in the chace," they lived upon the milk of their kine, the fleth of their cattle, and the produce of their orchards. The Maite and Caledonians, fays Dion, "have no agriculture, but live upon the animals in their paftures, the beasts in their woods, and fame fruits of trees; for their 5 fifbes,. |