Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

In social intercourse she was a sincere friend, in the church a devout worshipper, and in the family, an affectionate wife and parent. Under the influence of the principles by which her life was governed, she evidently possessed to the last that tranquillity of mind, which was the result of a good hope thro' grace," till by a calm dismission (apparently without a pang or fear) she resigned her spirit into the hands of her Redeemer, and entered into "the rest remaining to the people of God." Her funeral discourse was preached by the Rev. Mr. Humphrys, from John xii. 26,"Where 1 ain, there shall also my servant be."

MRS. AGUTTER.

-

DEC. 5, at Deptford, died Mrs. Sarah Agutter, aged sixty-nine. She was for near forty years an ornamental member of the congregation now under the care of Mr. Barker. She might truly be called a Mother in Israel, as her chief delight was to promote the cause of Christ by her property, her advice, and her example. As she exemplified in her life the power of the gospel, so she died under the full persuasion of its truth; and though she was not favoured in her last moments with triumphant extacy, yet she enjoyed a firm faith in the blood of Christ, waiting and submissively wishing, to be dismissed from the body, that she might enjoy the full fruition of God in glory. She had suffered much for some months with a bowel complaint, which she bore with great patience and fortitude, till at length it terminated in a mortification, and quickly translated her from a world of sin and sorrow to the everlasting mansions of bliss and glory. Her remains were interred in a familyvault under the Meeting; and on the following Sabbath a funeral discourse was delivered to a crowded auditory by Mr. Barker, on a text chosen by herself near thirty-seven years ago, from 1 Col. ii. 10, "Ye are complete in Him.” She has left behind her a large family of children and grandchildren. May they be enabled to follow her as she followed Christ!

J. P.

MARY STEPHENS,

AGED THIRTEEN YEARS,

--

WAS, on the 8th of October, 1806, seized with the measles; which, however, did not threaten any danger until the 13th, when a surgeon being seat for, pronounced her case to be highly dangerous; so that it was judged proper to inform her of her serious situation. On receiving this important information, she was not at all alarmed; the Lord graciously supported her heart, Death was disarmed of all his terrors, and she exclaimed, "The Lord's will be done!" After this, her father pray ed some time with her; and the whole family joined in singing," Before Jehovah's awful throne. was then left alone, that she might get some repose; but her father entering the room some time after, to see if she was asleep, found her in deep thought. On enquiring into the subject of her meditations, she informned him, that she was thinking on that state into which she was about to enter. They then dis coursed some time together on the Lord's goodness, on future rewards and punishments, justification by faith, &c. Her father then read the thirty-first Psalm, and concluded with prayer.

She

[ocr errors]

The next morning a very great alteration appeared to have taken place; and Death was hastening to throw his veil over her face. She could now only articulate a few broken sentences of Scripture, which could scarcely be understood. About half past nine, her soul took its flight from its prison of clay, "to soar to mansions of eternal bliss.' The last words she uttered were, as nearly as they could be understood, "Lord Jesus, receive me to thy bosom!" Throughout her illness, the only thing that seemed to render her uneasy, was the affliction which her parents discovered; and often, when she saw the silent tears rolling down their cheeks, would remind them, that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" and that it was their duty galmly to submit, without marmuring, to his holy will

Gg

REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.

A Charge, delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Norwich, at the Primary Visitation of that Diocese in 1806. By Henry, Lord Bishop of Norwich, 4to, 1s. 6d.

IN the prefatory part of this Charge, his Lordship takes occasion to state what he thinks are the principal parts of the episcopal duty at a visitation, and very properly inen. tions enquiring into the state of the diocese, and giving advice to the clergy. The first of these duties we cannot but think will be very imperfectly accomplished, by merely receiving answers to a printed set of questions taken from the canons, the mode adopted by this prelate.

Speaking of the Roman Catholics of our time, his Lordship says Their conduct upon some recent occasions, and the equivocal desi clarations made by them in a variety of publications, are strongly expres sive of their total disapprobation of compulsion in religion; and also decidedly prove, that they disclaim many of those highly exceptionable tenets which were once a part of their creed. It would therefore be very unfair to involve in the guilt of the misguided zealots of former days, a body of men of a far different character, and to whom it is our duty, and should be our inclination, to show every mark of benevolence, both as Christian brethren and as deserving fellow-subjects."-We can have no objection to the worthy prelate shewing every suitable token of kindness to the Catholics, whom he calls his Brethren; nor will we dispute whether some of them may not have abandoned some of the most obnoxious tenets of that church; but we are of opinion, that this is far from being any thing like universal: on the contrary, we are satisfied that if the heads of that cominunity were to publish a new catechism for the use of their churches, we should find that modern Popery differs much less from the ancient than his Lordship seems to imagine.

in France has established the fact, as The publication of a new catechism far as it respects that country. sentiments towards the Catholics, be If his Lordship is favourable in his is however sufficiently severe towards Protestant Dissenters; altho' here, he is certainly milder than most of the modern churchmen who have introduced them into their sermons. "That these misguided enthusiasts," says the Bishop, 66 are more numerous now than ever, is a fact which admits of very little. doubt, The additional licences granted within these few years, in almost every part of England, clearly prove the truth of it." Again, the Bishop says, "If every clergyman of the Established Church, in addition to his public preaching, would follow the example of St. Paul, and teach from house to house," within the precincts of his own parish, and among those committed to his care, I firmly believe, that the numerous conventicles, dispersed over every part of the country, would soon be deserted, and we should hear no more of those illiterate enthusiasts, who now so much disturb the order, the unity, and the peace of our church." His Lordship is very free in charging the generality of licenced teachers with being misguided enthusiasts, illiterate, and disturbers of the order and peace of the church. From whence does his Lordship derive this description of them? Does he personally know them? has he heard them? is he sure that he has not been imposed upon by some prejudiced persons? There may be some such persons who preach in conventicles, there are men, in every profession, and in every church, who are a disgrace to them; and even his Lordship's own connexions are not exempt from this charge: but as it respects the body at large, it is neither liberal nor just thus to represent them.

We consider the Bishop as equally mistaken in supposing, that if the clergy were faithful and diligent in the discharge of their duty, the con

[blocks in formation]

In the following passage his Lordship is as severe upon some of his own communion as upon the frequenters of conventicles. "Of late, some have arisen of our ownselves, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. In making this allusion to those among us, termed Evangelical Preachers, it is hot my intention to revive animosi ties, or rekindle disputes, still less to pass an indiscriminate censure upón many learned and pious clergymen. On the contrary, I am so far from thinking ill of these persons, that I believe they are often represented as promotors of enthusiasm, for no reason but because they are more deeply impressed with a sense of the important duties attached to their profession, than many who object to their conduct. We must, however, unequivocally declare; that to assume a title which appears to distinguish one part of the established clergy from another, to alienate a flock from their regular appointed pastor, by exercising the spiritual gift of preaching, or of exhorting, whenever or wherever any zealous individual may think fit; can have ho tendency but to injure our ecclesiastical establishments, by creating divisions, where union is so indispensably requisite:"

The Bishop is evidently disposed himself both to think and speak well of the evangelical clergy, as persons who are deeply impressed with the importance of their profession, and well affected to the church of which they are ministers and yet he brings against them charges, which, taking them collectively, we are persuaded are both harsh and unfounded.

In our judgment, those who informed the Bishop that the evange

lical clergy "speak perverse things, alienate flocks from their regular pastors, cause divisions, and injure the establishment;" have certainly done them no small injustice. We scruple not to say, that they are entitled to the esteem and protection of their superiors. The greater part of them are firmly attached to their flocks, punctually and affectionately discharge the duties of their stations, and discover a temper of mind, and a line of conduct, suitable to their profession. By these just and honourable means they have been made highly useful,- have obtained the esteem of the neighbourhoods in which they reside, and have filled those very churches with serious and crowded congregations, which, through the instrumentality of a different doctrine, and a differrent class of men, had been almost deserted. We hope his Lordship will pardon us for saying, that we think the general reproach cast upon them as a body, and the opposition raised against them, is nothing less than persectition for righteousness sake and moreover, that in proportion as the Governors of the Church encourage this class of men, they will most effectually advance the true, the spiritual, and perma nent interest of the Established Church.

If there are some passages in this Charge which we cannot approve, there are others, which we are happy to commend; which not only discover the Bishop to be an enlightened and well-informed man, but which also breathe the pure and mild spirit of Christianity, and do honour both to his head and his heart. We extract ene specimen, which we hope those who would again kindle thie flames of religious persecution, will read with attention and effect :-" Force, however, in the concerns of reli gion, is unblessed and unavailing, or at least can produce only a trarsient effect; and this has uniformly proved to be the case whenever it has been made use of. This obvious and important truth seems now to be admitted on all sides. More enlightened and just ideas of toleration have of late prevailed, and have everywhere taken place of that

overheated religious zeal, which is alike the bane of public peace and of private comfort. Christians, of all denominations alike, appear at last to be convinced, that they are not required by their Great Master, or by the maxims of sound policy, to support any particular mode of religious worship, by means directly in opposition to the end and design of all religion."

Although we have extended this article beyond our accustomed limits, yet we cannot refrain from inserting a passage in which the Bishop gives his decided opinion of the great body of Dissenters in our time, and marks out the line of conduct which he thinks even churchmen should adopt towards them. "With respect to our Dissenting brethren of this day, as they have, with very few exceptions, laid aside that passionate invective, that offensive acrimonious manner, both of writing and of speaking, which they formerly too much practised, it is highly incumbent upon us, in return, to feel for them, however differing in the form of external religious worship, or in points of doubtful disputation, all that good-will and cordiality which they seemed disposed to show us; and it is more particularly our duty to do this at the present very serious crisis, when union is so loudly called for from all quarters, and is so much wanted: a crisis, when we are threatened with invasion by the common enemy of every country which has a territory worth plundering, or a constitution worth subverting! At such a crisis, it is surely requisite, not only to lay aside every emotion of resentment, but to cultivate a cordial good-will towards Christians of every description, who are warmly attached to our civil constitution, and agree with us, moreover, in the great essentials of Christianity."

The Grounds on which the Church of England separated from the Church of Rome, stated in a Charge to the Clergy of the Diocese of Lurham Py Shute, Bishop of Dur. bam. 1219, 66.

[ocr errors]

last he shall deliver to his clergy, be adverts to a former occasion, when he imputed the French revolution, and all its tremendous consequences, to the corruptions of the Romish aurch; from which he deduced the necessity of cultivating spiritual religion. In this charge he pursues the subject, by considering the nature of spiritual religion, and exhibiting the opposite errors of the Catholics and the Dissenters; and particularly points out the grounds on which the Church of England sepa rated from that of Rome.

[ocr errors]

He considers the doctrines of the Romish church as derogatory from the honour of God the Father, from the mediatorship of the Son, and from the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit: he also assigns as reasons of separation from it, the sale of pardons, performing the service in Latin, &c. He then adverts to the effect of the Revolution, in driving multitudes of the Catholics into this country, who have lately been favoured with various privileges and indulgences; and insists upon the necessity of being on our guard against the contagion of their principles.

We are sorry, however, to see this candid and amiable prelate classing Protestant Dissenters with Roman Catholics, tho' he represents their errors as of an opposite nature. "The Romish church," says his Lordship, "and our Dissenters have taken the opposite extremes. The Romanists have oppressed the simplicity of the gospel under a load of ostentatious pageantry: they have carnalized the ordinances of God by impure and unauthorized admixtures. Dissenters, on the contrary, in reforming the reformed, have been led by their zeal to simplify and innovale into many indecent and unscriptural habits. They have deprived religious worship of many interesting auxiliaries, without adding any thing to its spirit and its truth."

Our

His Lordship, and many of our readers, well know that several of the Reformers themselves, pleaded for that simplicity of worship which their nonconformist descendants now

In this Charge, which his Lord-practice. This cannot, with proZip inimates may probably be the griety, therefore, be called reform

--

ing the reformed: they conceived that they were only removing the Popish innovations, and not introducing new ones ; they urged it strongly on their opposers to admit nothing in the worship of God but what was scriptural; and they thought that no auxiliaries to the scriptural mode of worship were necessary; nor did they conceive that any of their habits were indecent.

We are rather surprized to hear his Lordship say, "The errors of the Calvinist and the Anabaptist merit also your vigilance and animadversion, as far as they are repugnant to the Christian verily, and to our civil establishment." From this passage we must conclude that the Bishop of Durham considers Calvinism as hostile to the articles of the churf; but "doctors disagree," and so do bishops. What said Dr. Horsley, the late Bishop of St. Asaph, in his primary charge to the clergy of his diocese?" I assert, and by God's grace I will persist in the assertion to my dying day, that so far is it from the truth, that the Church of England is decidedly Arminian and hostile to Calvinism, that the truth is this, that upon the principal points in dispute between the Arminians and Calvinists, the Church of England maintains an absolute neutrality" (p. 22): but his Lordship of St. Asaph goes further,

་་

and says, her discipline has been most ably and zealously defended by the highest supralapsarian Calvinists. Such was the great Usher!-such was Whitgift and he might have added, such were Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Hooper, Peter Martyr, &c. Indeed, he adds, "Such were many more burning and shining lights of our church in her early days" (we add her beat days).* ** Any one may hold all the theological opinions of Calvin, and yet be a sound member of the Church of England;" and yet, my good Lord of Durham directs his clergy to be vigilant against the Calvinists, and animadvert upon them; but how the opinions of Calvinists or Baptists are repugnant to our civil establishinent, we are utterly at a loss to conceive.

Heterodox however, and schismatical as the Dissenters are, his Lord

ship recommends them to the initation of his clergy. "The Romanists, and the Dissenters from our church, afford us an example of zeal and union" (not much of the latter among Dissenters)" and perseverance, which well deserves our imitation;" and again," The zeal of both parties in support of their own system should teach us a lesson of diligence in ours."

The Bishop concludes with recommending charity as well as zeal : "Be zealous, then, in the discharge of your duty, but be charitable. Charity is certainly not incompati ble with the most active zeal against erroneous and defective institutions."-Ile then takes an affectionate leave of his brethren, observing, that at the age of seventy-two he can scarcely look forward with any degree of confidence to the return of the usual period (of four years) of visitation in that diocese, expressing a pious wish that the ministers may

66

religiously adhere to the principles of that reformed church which our ancestors have transmitted to us. May the same kind Providence which enabled them to establish it, give its present ministers a heart, a zeal, and knowledge to defend it by their instruction and example !”

A Sermon preached at the Opening of the Chapel of the Philanthropic Society, Nov. 9, 1806. By Vicesimus Knox, D. D. 4to, 25.

In this sermon the respectable author pleads, in a truly eloquent manner, in behalf of the Philan thropic Society; and, as a compo sition, the discourse does honour to the pen of Dr. Knox. We think, however, that too much is said in praise of the chapel, as a structure, and of the holiness of places of worship in general. The author is of opinion that a necessity exists for adding to the number of churches or chapels in the establishment; and laments, that in some very extensive parishes in the country, the church is so situated, that "many pious persons, from the cradle to the grave, have never entered their own lawful place of worship, except at their baptism and their burial. “ Of

« ForrigeFortsæt »