the night. (as the effects of my impurity, arising from dreams or otherwise, to which we may be unwillingly subject)" Quench the fiery darts of the evil one which he aims craftily at me. Subdue the rebellions of my flesh, and lay asleep in me all earthly and worldly thought, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Defence. I humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon my infirmities, &c. as in Coll. at the end of the Litany. (See Archbishop Laud's Daily Office, from p. 104 to 142 inclusive.) As this portion of extracts affords but few observations, except what will fall more properly on the other parts of the daily office, as we proceed; I shall only add, that the prayer for Illumination by ERASMUS affords a remarkably fine specimen of eloquence and piety, and illustrates both the genius and disposition of that great luminary, "who lived and died before the English refor mation had made any considerable progress." The learned Bishop Hurd thought it no small advantage for our English reformers, to have "the benefit of all his Jight and knowledge;" since" this learned man had in those days, explained himself reasonably on almost every topic of revealed Religion.* And in that for Penitence by the good Archbishop, himself, we perceive, how forcibly he evinces his deep sense of the importance attached to the weighty and solemn duties of the ministry, in suing for "greater mercy, BECAUSE the calling and place he was in, MUST give a STRICTER ACCOUNT." Indeed, whosoever considers the nature and importance of the ministerial office, and how it has been represented by the best writers on the subject, † may well, and doubtless will exclaim, WHO IS SUFFICIENT for these things? And now, the attention of all men is turned upon the clergy with a jealous eye, it behoves them, (if ever,) to quit them like men, who are the appointed ministers of God. "To consider the end of their ministry, and never to ccase their labour, care, and diligence, till they have done ALL that lieth in them, to bring all such as are committed to their charge to the faith and knowledge of * See Bishop Hurd's Sermons, preached at Lincoln's Inn, 1765-6. Vol, 1. Sermon 13. p. 215-6; On the Reformation. These sermons are distinguished for critical investigation and elegance. + Vide St. Chrysostom of the Priesthood. Dodwell's 2 Letters on the Susception of Holy Orders: Burnet's Pastoral Care. Erasmus' Ecclesiastes. &c. All which require the most serious attention. God God, and that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among them, either for ERROR in Religion, or for VISCIOUSNESS of life*" Well, therefore may they say, in the words of St. AUGUSTINE, for the Evening, "Teach me Omy Lord Jesus, and instruct me, that I may learn from THEE, what I ought to teach others." Lastly, The prayer for Defence, from the end of the Litany, with that other in the same part of our excellent Liturgy, (O God our merciful Father, &c.) afford, perhaps, the finest specimens of humility, resignation, and comfort that ever were composed, to express "the desires of such as be sorrowful"" in all their troubles or adversities whensoever they oppress them :"+ and it may afford matter of surprise that they are not generally employed on all such occasions. In conclusion, I shall only add, that as one of your correspondents has been very properly comparing, and, thereby exposing the principles of the QUAKERS, as contrasted with their pretendedly avowed champion Barclay, I will, if you please, after his investigations are finished, transmit you some letters which passed between a member of the Church of England, and a Quaker; which will, I think, evince the natural tendency of those principles, and shew how artfully they envelope the dangerous effects they are calculated to produce; and at the same time that Barclay's apology can only be called by that name, for his own principles, since the majority of them are in direct opposition to those of the Quakers, who seem to have selected him, as the only man they could refer to as an author, but who, otherwise, they would, and indeed, must have, discarded for his opposition to their avowed and darling tenets. Intreating, an apology for this, and your favourable indulgence towards it, I am, Newington Butts, Dec. 1806. Dear Sir, Your obliged Servant, * See Form and manner of ordering of Priests First Collect after the Litany.. Vol. XI. Churchm. Mag, for Dec. 1806. 3 N REVIEW REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. An Historical View of the Rise and Progress of Infidelity, with a Refutation of its Principles and Reasonings. In a Series of Sermons preached for the Lecture founded by the Hon. Mr. Boyle, in the Parish Church of St. Maryle-Bow, from the Year 1802 to 1805. By the Rev. WILLIAM VAN MILDERT, M. A. Rector of St. Mary-leBow. Two Volumes 8vo, (Concluded from page 312.) UR account of the first volume of this work has been considerably extended, on account of the interest arising from its being historical: in the notice we propose to take of the present volume, we shall be brief, as it is only argumentative. It is not, inded, less valuable than the former, or less ably written, but the topcis discussed in it, are, we presume, more familiar to the generality of our readers. The subjects are as follows: "Inquiry into the proper defence of Revealed Religion. Statement of the argument a priori. The inability of Man to frame a Religion for himsel: The insufficiency of Natural or Moral Philosophy, to instruct us in Religious Truth ---The insuficiency of Metaphysics; and the necessity of taking Faith for our guide:---The proper limits of the human understanding in judging of Revealed Religion:---The preparatory Dispositions necessary for receiving the Truths of Revealed Religion:--Statement of the argument à posteriori, and its application to Revealed Religion. Historical Evidence of the facts of Scripture:---The comparative force of human and Divine Testimony. Consideration of the great general Argument for the Divine origin of Christianity from its design and accomplishment; Miracles ---Prophecy---Inspiration of Scripture ---Recapitulation, Inferences, and Conclusion." From this view of the contents of this volume, it will appear appear that though much of novelty cannot reasonably be expected, yet there is great variety of matter in it, and that too of the most important kind. On the, assumed superiority of modern over the ancient philosopers, and the erroneous conclusion thence drawn by the infidel tribe, that the powers of the human understanding are now improveable to a greater extent than they were in ancient times, we have the following sound observations: 66 May we not be permitted to ask whence this assumed superiority of modern over ancient Philosophers has arisen ? and whence the extraordinary influx of light upon these latter times has been derived? Is there any one so infatuated by his admiration of the present age, as seriously to think that the intellectual powers of man are stronger and more perfect now, than they were wont to be; or that the particular talents of himself, or any of his contemporaries, are superior to those which shone forth in the luminaries of the Gentile world? Do the names even of Locke, Cudworth, Cumberland, Clarke, Wilkins, Wollaston, (men so justly eminent in. modern times, and who laboured so indefatigably to perfect the theory of Natural Religion) convey to us an idea of greater intellectual ability than those of the consummate Masters of the Portico, the Grove, or the Lyceum? How is it, that the advocates for the natural perfection or perfectibility of human Reason, do not perceive, that, for all the superiority of the present over former times, with respect to Religious knowlege, we must be indebted to some intervening cause, and not to any enlargement of the human faculties? Is it to be believed, that any man of the present age, of whatever natural talents he may be possessed, could have advanced one step beyond the Heathen Philosophers, in his pursuit of Divine Truth, had he lived in their times, and enjoyed only the light which was bestowed upon them? Or can it fairly be proved, that merely by the light of Nature, or by reasoning upon such data only, as men possess who never heard of Revealed Religion, any moral or religious truth has been discovered, since the days when Athens and Rome affected to give laws to the intellectual as well as to the political, world? That great improvements have since been made, in framing systems of Ethics, of Metaphysics, and of what is called Natural Theology, need not be den ed. But these improvements may easily be traced to one obvious cause, the widely-diffused light of the gospel, which having shone, with more or less lustre, "on all nations, has imparted, even to the most simple and illiterate of the sons of men, such a degree of knowledge on these subjects, as, without it. would be unattainable by the most learned and profound." The due estimate of natural and moral philosophy is 3N2 ably ably stated in the fifteenth sermon; and so is the science of metaphysics in the following one; for the purpose of shewing the necessity of divine instruction in spiritual things. The subject of faith is treated with equal strength and clearness. "face "As in the natural world," says the preacher, "we see that all things advance by slow and gradual progress, to maturity and perfection; so, in the spiritual world, we are trained by passing through a state of imperfect knowledge, to one that will be more satisfactory and complete. We "walk by Faith" now, and "see through a glass darkly," that our "thoughts and desires being gradually enlarged and spiritualized, we may become better qualified to undergo that great change which is prepared for us,' when, according to the Apostle's expression, we shall see to face" and "know even as we are known." Such a state of preparation and discipline is also best suited to our present nature. For, as our Lord once said to his disciples, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now;* so it may be said to every man, in his present earthly state, that there are many things hereafter to be more fully revealed which he is now unable to bear. Faith, which conveys to us but a partial, though a most certain knowledge, is better adapted to our finite capacities and comparatively feeble understandings, than the blaze of perfect illumination, on subjects too wonderful and excellent for us to attain to, until we shall have put off our earthly tabernacle. It seems, indeed, probable, not only that our faculties are at present incapable of receiving greater degrees of information, on these subjects, than is communicated through the medium of Faith; but that, even if we could attain to greater degrees of it, our affections would be too much elevated, and our attention drawn off from those important duties which belong to us as pilgrims on earth, and without the performance of which, we cannot become meet to be partakers of our heavenly inheritance. "It is not to be doubted, therefore, that God requires us to "walk by Faith," for the purpose of correcting our pride, and teaching us the necessity of bringing our understandings, as well as our affections, into subjection to his Holy Will. Thus are we constantly admonished to acknowlege His Wisdom and Truth; to trust in Him; to have recourse to Him for light and instruction; to set the highest value upon His communications; to restrain our presumptuous curiosity; and "not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think." By setting such bounds to our Sight, as to disable us from walking by it in our spiritual and everlasting concerns, He shews us the value 學 John xvi. 12. and |