SUBSTANCE OF CERTAIN CLAUSES RELATING TO THE HULSEAN LECTURESHIP. In the Will of the Rev. J. HULSE, M.A., the Founder of that and other offices in the University of Cambridge. [Dated July 21, 1777.] HE founds a Lectureship in the University of Cambridge. The Lecturer is to be a "Clergyman in the University of Cambridge, of the degree of Master of Arts, and under the age of forty years." He is to be elected annually "on Christmas-day, or within seven days after, by the Vice-Chancellor for the time being, and by the Master of Trinity College, and the Master of St. John's College, or any two of them." In case the Master of Trinity, or the Master of St. John's, be the ViceChancellor, the Greek Professor is to be the third Trustee. The duty of the said Lecturer, as stated in the Will, is "to preach" so many as "twenty sermons in the whole year," as well as to print them in the same period; and it having been found, in consequence, that few were willing to undertake the office, application was made to the Court of Chancery, with a view the better to carry into effect the intention of its Founder. The result was, that by an order of that Court (dated 21st December, 1830), the number of the Sermons was reduced to eight, and the time allowed for printing viii CERTAIN CLAUSES IN MR. HULSE'S WILL. them extended to the term of one year from the delivery of the last of them. The subject of the Lectures is to be," the Evidence for Revealed Religion; the Truth and Excellence of Christianity; Prophecies and Miracles; direct or collateral Proofs of the Christian Religion, especially the collateral arguments; the more difficult texts or obscure parts of the Holy Scriptures;" or any one or more of these topics, at the discretion of the Preacher. The subject of the Lectures is not to be " any particular sects or controversies amongst Christians themselves; except some new and dangerous error, either of superstition or enthusiasm, as of Popery or Methodism, or the like, either in opinion or practice, shall prevail.” "And in all the said twenty sermons," now eight, it is stated that "such practical observations shall be made, and such useful conclusions added, as may instruct and edify mankind." PREFACE. THE following Discourses contain an attempt to trace the fundamental doctrines of our holy religion in their recognition by, and operation upon, the Church of God before the appearance of Christ in the world. This endeavour is made, as tending to the establishment of an important proposition in theology; viz. that so far as the Gospel of Christ contains things absolutely necessary, and only effectual, for the salvation of the soul, it has been the foundation of the faith of the Church in all ages of time. 1. The consideration of this proposition in its application to the Old Testament Churches must necessarily be confined within certain limits, presupposed partly by its very statement, and partly from the nature of the subject itself. So much of the Gospel system as belongs to its character as the final and full revelation of God to man, must be excluded from our view, and our attention in the first place confined to those fundamental doctrines of which the life, death, and triumph of its Founder were the actual proofs and complete attestations. According to the degree of recognition of the eternal verities of redemption, would the whole ceremonial system, in which these latter events were shadowed forth, tend to inform and reassure the ancient servants of God: while prophecy, having regard passingly to these same events, but mainly to the future effects and glories of God's Church, would be in the same proportion rightly and profitably interpreted. I am then engaged to ascertain to what extent these great truths were recognized; not only as they might be suggested primarily by typical ordinances or the prophetic word, but as they might be acknowledged independently of these, and might have formed a part of the original belief of the Patriarchal Church. 2. Again, in such an enquiry the nature of the subject demands wary procedure and strict |