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changed with some other of the New Testament of more edification, it shall be well done to spend your time to consider well of such chapters beforehand, whereby your prudence and diligence in your office may appear, so that your people may have cause to glorify God for you, and be the readier to embrace your labours, to your better commendation, to the discharge of your consciences and their own' But then this admonition, not having been sanctioned by Parliament, caunot be considered as of force to supersede the orders of the Liturgy, which were confirmed by the Act of Uniformity passed in the year 1559; and still less to justify a departure from our present Liturgy, which was made a part of the law of the land by the Act of Uniformity of 1662; this last statute declaring the former to be in full force and strength, and the statute of Eliza beth, denouncing severe penalties against a wilful non-conformity to the Liturgy.

Now I must confess, that I do not think this reasoning of your correspondent by any means conclusive. I admit that our present Liturgy is made in a certain sense a part of the law of the land; but so also are our Articles. The thirty-fifth Article,how ever, gives its express sanction to the second book of Homilies, of which the above admonition forms a part, and that without any exception or reservation whatsoever; and directs the two books of Homilies to be diligently and distinctly read in churches by the ministers," that they may be understanded by the people." And in order to this the eightieth canon lays an injunction on churchwardens to provide, at the charge of the parish, the books of the Homilies allowed by authority, in such parishes as are yet unfurnished with them. I think, there fore, it would be difficult to shew that the law, in thus adopting the second book of Homilies, intended to nullify the Admonition, which forms a prominent part of it; still CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 149.

less that it could have in contemplation to punish by severe penalties (forfeiture of profits-deprivationimprisonment for life), as alleged by your correspondent, a compliance with that Admonition, solemnly urged as it is on the attention and consciences of "all ministers." So far, indeed, am I from agreeing with the "Country Vicar" in his view of the subject, that I conceive the admonition in question to be as much a part of those orders of the Church which are sanctioned by law as the Burial or Baptismal Services ; and that they only act up to the full measure of their obligations, as Ministers of the Church of England, who obey that admonition. had not been intended by the Legislature to be obeyed, we may presume that it would have been expunged, when the second, as well as the first, book of Homilies was declared, without qualification or reserve, to contain godly and wholesome doctrine, and when a copy of them was ordered to be provided for every parish church in the kingdom, and the minister enjoined diligently and distinctly to read the same. Under these circumstances, it appears to me, that a compliance with this admonition cannot be illegal.

If it

I trust that you and your readers will excuse me if I venture, before I conclude this letter, to touch for one moment on a kindred subject. Every minister of the Church of England, before he enters upou the duties of his office, declares, that he does willingly and ex animo suhscribe to an acknowledgment that "all and every" of the Thirty-nine Articles, including the ratification, "are agreeable to the word of God.” Now one of these Articles states, that the books of Homilies contain "a godly and wholesome doctrine," and therefore directs them "to be read in churches by the ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded by the people." This injunction is somewhat qualified in the preface to the Homi

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lies. The minister is there charged and commanded to read the Homilies to the people on every Sunday and holiday in the " year, except there be a sermon." Still when these injunctions are duly weighed, in connection with the eightieth Canon already referred to, it does appear to me that every minister of the Church of England is laid, both by his subscription and by his ordination vows, under as strong an obligation to make the people among whom he ministers acquainted with the Ho

milies, as can be laid on the conscience of any man. And to me it is utterly inconceivable by what species of reasoning so many ministers continue to deliver themselves from the force of this obligation. Leaving this hint for the candid consideration of the Clergy of the Church of England, and trusting that you, Mr. Editor, will take some early opportunity of enlarging upon it, I subscribe myself your constant reader,

A LAYMAN.

MISCELLANEOUS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. It has happened to me to meet with one of the books on the list of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, to which I think very serious objections may be made; and as the members of that and similar institutions must be deeply concerned in a subject of this nature, I trust you will allow me to offer to your readers some view of the case as it has occurred. The title of the work is, "A Practical Exposition on the Offices of Bap tism and Confirmation, and on the Communion Service of the Church of England, &c.; by Edward Yard ley, B. D. Archdeacon of Cardigan. Third Edition. 1811." In the part of this work entitled the Rational Communicant, p. 70, we are told, that the Lord's Prayer was anciently used by the primitive church at the celebration of the Eucharist,"amongst other reasons, on account of the petition, Give us this day our daily bread, which they thought referred to this holy Sacrament, and there fore translated it to our supersubstan giul bread; because it confirms the substance of the soul, and is distributed through our whole person for the benefit of body and soul."-It cer

tainly may be said, that this passage only records the sentiments of others; but I think it cannot but appear highly dangerous to present it thus to the eye of the common reader without one single mark of disavowal, standing. as it does, as a part of the author's instructions on the subject of the Communion Service. Other objectionable passages follow.

Page 102, we read; "As it is the privilege of the priesthood to bless the sacrifice; as it belongs to that order to consecrate the elements of bread and wine, that from common food they may become the body and blood of Christ; as this is an authoritative act, it is to be performed by the priest standing," &c. Again, p. 103, we are told, that in the Consecration Prayer, we "petition God the Father that he would hear us of his mercy, and make the bread and wine lying before him the body and blood of his Son; not by the perishing of their substance and substitution of a new; not by a change of their nature; not by any concomitancy or annexing of the substance of Christ's natural flesh and blood to the bread and wine; but his body and blood in virtue and effect, his sacramental body and blood, endued with

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quickening and life-giving power. But as this must be the work of God; as the elements cannot be changed even as to their effects, but by the operation of his Holy Spirit; it becomes necessary for us to make our addresses to God, that He would exert his power to make them the body and blood of Christ."-To this language I decidedly object, as involving an error, scarcely less dan gerous than that of transubstantiation; that "a life-giving power" is communicated to the elements when consecrated, by which they of themselves become something more than the representation of the adorable Saviour's body and blood, and are described as operating, in a sort of physical and miraculous manner, that which it is the prerogative of God alone to produce. Whether I have formed a right judgment or not of this quotation, i leave your readers to determine when they have read the following extracts:Speaking of our Lord's institution of the sacred Supper, the Rev. Author says, "The sacrifice began when he instituted the Eucharist; but was not finished till he expired on the Cross," p. 105. Further, on the same page: If it be here demanded, to what words" (I give through out the parts in Italics exactly as they are printed by the author) "the consecration of the elements ought to be ascribed? I answer, to the prayer of the faithful offered by the priest, and to the words of institution repeated by hum. This was the sense of the ancient church of Christ, which used them both in their eucharistical offices; and never held that the elements were changed from their common to a more sublime use

and efficacy by the bare repeating of the words, This is my body, and This is my blood, as the Papists absurdly hold. To bring about this change must be the work of the Holy Ghost; and therefore it is requisite that we should pray to God to endue the elements with this life-giving virtue."—"Though the virtue of those words once spoken by Christ doth

still operate towards making the bread and wine his body and blood; yet, as now used and spoken by the priest, they do not contain in them any such power, unless they he joined with prayer to God." On the words of distribution, - p. 111, the communicant is directed to pray,

that he receiving, with due dis positions, the means of grace now offered to him, namely, the sacral mental body and blood of Christ, may thereby have the merits of Christ applied to him, and partake of all the benefits of his passion; that the consecrated bread and wine may exert the life-giving virtue with which the Holy Ghost hath endued them, and be to him the principle or seed of an happy immortality." This last sentence I must think to throw light on the whole bypothesis of the author, and to be as broadly and dangerously erroneous, though in a different manner, as any I ever read in any Popish writer. In an eucharistical office which follows, p. 32, the communicant is directed to pray, that God would send his Holy Spirit, "the Witness of the Sufferings of the Lord Jesus, on this Sacrifice, that he may make the bread the body of thy Christ, and the cup the blood of thy Christ; that all who partake of it". "1 may be worthy of thy Christ, &c.". "At the breaking of the bread, say: The Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, is broken and divided: He is divided, but not diminished; He is always eaten, but not consumed; but sanctifies all who are partakers of Him," p. 132.

Before the elements are distri buted;"-" vouchsafe to impart to us thine immaculate body and most precious blood, for the remission of sins, and life everlasting."

I might easily enlarge on the fatal effects of circulating amongst our people such grossly-superstitious doctrines; but I leave the passages for the consideration of your readers, in order to mention to them a further circumstance or two connected with the publications of the same

Society, which I have long entertained a design of laying before you, though I might probably never have executed the intention but for this additional discovery, which I have just detailed, and which is now, I confess, warm upon my mind.

I was present, a year or two back, at the ordinary meeting of the Society, when a motion was submit ted for expunging certain expressions from some of their tracts; expressions so objectionable that the mover declared he could not give any of the tracts away so long as they remained. I really expected that some alarming heresy had crept into an edition of the tracts in question (for at that time I was but little acquainted with them). Judge then of my surprise when the objection was made to an advice given to young women to sing Psalms and Divine Songs when at their work! "Be constant," says the writer, "in repeating [and singing] your Morning and Evening Hymns. Get by heart several Psalms and Divine Songs, [and let it be your daily practice to sing them when at your work]; this will tend to spiritualize your affections, will give you a relish of Divine things, and root out the very hurtful inclination many young women have to singing of foolish songs, tending to corrupt the mind and give it a wrong turn." p. 11 of "The Young Woman's Monitor." The words which were censured I have enclosed in brackets. The mover and his friends represented them as leading to enthusiasm, as inviting to a neglect of duty, as tending to expose religion to contempt, and especially as lessening the solemnity of the public Psalmody of the Church. A member very properly observed, in reply, that the Psalms of the Old Version were expressly directed to be sung in the place of ungodly ballads; but to this it was answered that the times were changed, and that the exhortation prefixed to the Old Version could only apply to solemn music. The points seeming to be felt pretty

generally in one way, an inquiry was made of the Secretary as to the regular mode of expunging the words. He replied, that it could only be done by a committee of four persons, who must take the motion into consideration, and make a report. Four of the gentlemen present immediately, without rising from their seats, formed themselves into this committee, made what was considered as their report immediately, and the words were ordered to be expunged.

An objection was then urged against various expressions in "The Young Man's Monitor, by Josiah Woodward, D. D." which recom"that mended to young persons excellent method of Religious Society which has of late years been happily set on foot, &c." p. 29. This language was considered as leading to enthusiasm and separation from the church, as it was well known there were no religious societies now conducted in a safe and proper manner. Observations were then made on the general bearing of this tract, which was described by a person in office in the Society as one of the worst on their list. In a word, before the meeting broke up, so many remarks were made on the enthusiastic expressions in many of the old tracts, that a motion was proposed and carried, that, previously to the reprinting of any tract, the Printer should give notice of it to the Board; for the purpose, as it was perfectly understood and indeed professed, that a committee of revision should sit for the suggestion of such alterations as might be deemed adviseable.

These circumstances pressed, at the time, I must acknowledge, a good deal on my mind. I could myself see no especial harm in a young woman singing to herself a Psalm during her work, nor in a young man joining himself to such religious society as might supply the place of those more worldly associations which it is his duty and interest to avoid. It occurred to me, that this

licence of altering and expunging might very quickly lead to dangerous results; results affecting both the doctrines and precepts of Christianity. It seemed to betray also a difference of feeling and sentiment, in some of the present members and officers of the Society, from those of the persons (especially Dr Woodward) who were among its early patrons and ornaments. These reflections were greatly strengthened by the information which I received, some months afterwards, from a friend, who related to me that he had just been present at a meeting of the Society when a motion was made, in pretty warm language, for altering the title of one of the Collects in "the Directions for a devout and decent Behaviour in the

public Worship of God." In the Table of the Collects, the following were the words objected to: "Regeneration. A Prayer for it. Collect for Christmas-day," p. 21, edition 1812. The objection rested on their containing false doctrine, since we were regenerated in baptism only. The motion was carried, the necessary forms gone through, and the sentence of condemnation immediately passed. I need scarcely observe how important a point of doctrine this alteration immediately affected, and the astonishment I felt at so material a step being taken towards changing the sentiments and tendency of the tracts and books of the Society. The impression of what I had myself witnessed was so strongly recalled to my mind by this fresh information, that I have long been anxious to determine whether it were not my duty to endeavour to call the attention of the public to the subject, when the book of Mr. Archdeacon Yardley, from which I have given such copious extracts, fell in my way. Whatever doubts I might before have indulged were at once removed, when I discovered that, whilst sentiments of pious devotion were to be expunged from the older tracts, those of a superstitious and dangerous

nature were to be introduced into the new ones; and that thus it might be possible for the entire character of the publications of the Society, if some active measures were not taken, to be insensibly and fatally transformed. It would be an important service if some of your correspondents, who have the leisure, would take the trouble to look through, with care, the books and tracts on the list of this institution, for the purpose of ascertaining to what extent this process of alteration may have been already carried, and what is the comparative character of the old and new part of the series of publications. Such an inquiry would be attended with no inconsiderable benefit. It would serve to excite the attention of the members of the So

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ciety generally to the conduct of this division of its affairs. It would enable us especially to estimate the weight of the argument used in favour of the exclusive claims of the Society, as compared with others, so far as the tracts are concerned. would lead us to observe, and endeavour to correct or prevent, that tendency to decline which almost necessarily accompanies those parts of an institution which are left to the management of its existing members. It would assist us in judging how far the tracts and books are to be exclusively recommended to our national schools, our prisoners, and other persons under the direction of public bodies. And it would serve to recommend to us those simple and defined societies, where nothing is left to the caprice of those who may happen to conduct them, but every effort is employed in distributing the authorized version of the Scriptures, or the admirable formularies of our Church.

I..

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

THE time seems very near when the wonderful changes lately effected in Europe are to end in a general peace. Many must be the important

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