in controversies of faith... neither may it expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another d. taken however is the theologian, who expects that the Christian hearer should admit, on the authority of the Church, the doctrine, that works done before justification 'have the nature of sin,' when that doctrine is established by inference from other admitted truths of theology. [Comp. sup. Art. XIII. note f.] I can understand very well the beginning and ending with the authority of Him, who is emphatically said to have taught as one having authority.' But the dogmas of Church communion partake as much of reason as of authority, and appeal accordingly, by their very nature, to the reason which is involved in them, no less than to the authority which pronounces them."-Observ. p. 37, 8. "These, indeed, (the Thirty-nine Articles) may be signed by any one, who is content to do so, on the authority of the Church; either believing that the Church has a divine right so to define the Scripture truth, or on the ground that what is laid down by that authority is probably true. But the Church cannot be said to attest them; . . . they are not things to be reported by witnesses, like the facts recorded in the Creed. These last the Church is competent to attest. . . . But decisions of questions, arbitrations of doubts, rulings of points for prevention of disputeswho can bear testimony to these? The supposition itself isquite absurd."-Postscr. p. 8. ... "Its spirit (that of the 'rule of theolo gical interpretation' contained in Art. 6.) is to guard the depository of sacred doctrine, the Scripture itself, against the inroads of tradition, or any human authority."”—Obs. p. 9. "the principle of Authority.... artfully insinuated itself into the established Church system, maintaining the unity and infallibility of the Church, amidst its own unauthorized, adventurous theology."—p. 367, 8. d "What was termed in the Schools the Analogy of Faith, was not, as may be supposed, an interpretation of passages relatively to particular periods and particular occasions, but merely the showing that the truth of one so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation *. XXV. Sacraments a ordained of Christ Those five commonly called Sacra Scripture was not repugnant to the truth of another.' The Bible thus lost its most important characteristic in the comparison with other assumed revelations."-p. 88. a e Vid. sup. on Art. XVIII. note b. "The word Sacrament. . . . by the usage of the Schools, was appropriated to those acts in particular, by which grace was conceived to be imparted to the soul, under outward and visible signs. The definition, indeed, given in the Catechism of the Church of England, is exactly what the Scholastic theory suggests: so far at least as the language of it characterizes the nature of a Sacrament. It is in the subsequent application of this definition, that the Church of England has modified and improved on the fundamental idea of the Scholastic doctrine; whilst the idea itself is preserved as being part of the very texture of technical theology."-p. 312, 13. b" As the Incarnation itself was an union of the Divine Word with human nature, so the Sacraments, according to the theoretic view of the Scholastic philosophy, were mystical unions of words with sensible things, by which the real Passion of Christ was both signified and applied to the soul of man-the visible channels, through which virtue was conveyed from Christ himself to his mystical body, the Church. . . . Theologians have not been content to rest on the simple fact of the Divine Ordinance, appointing certain external rites as essential parts of Divine Service on the part of man, available to the blessing of the receiver. But they have treated the Sacraments as effusions of the virtue of Christ, physically quickening and strengthening the soul, in a manner analogous to the invigoration of the body by salutary medicine."-p. 311, 12. "It was, however, in just logical connexion with this theory, that the Latin theology de duced the seven Sacraments of the Church of Rome. They are applications of the Passion, or the Priesthood of Christ, . . . . to Christians, either individually, or as members of the Christian society. On the first ground, the rites of Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, obtain their sacramental nature; on the latter, the rites of Orders and Matrimony come into the same estimate. The great Christian community, both as a whole and in its parts, must be kept animate with the Divine Grace flowing from Christ its Head. Baptism confers the grace of Regeneration, the new spiritual life. Confirmation gives the increase of that life. By the Eucharist it is strengthened and vivified; by Penance, recruited from the effects of sin; Extreme Unction removes the last relics of the sinful nature, &c."—p. 313, 4. d "in a manner analogous to the invigoration of the soul by salutary medicine.” (vid. p. 312. sup. cit.) a "Hence...(from the Scholastic theory) the personal vice of the officiating minister could not impede the due consecration of the rite. The Church itself could not err.... Thus it was argued, the baptism of Judas was valid, because it was performed with the authority of Christ.... We are ready, indeed, ourselves to admit that the vice of the Minister does not impede the effect of the Sacrament. For it is evident that where the Faith of the receiver is the true consecrating principle .... the personal delinquency of him who administers it cannot deteriorate the Sacrament itself. There seems, indeed, scarcely sufficient reason for the introduction of an express Article on the subject, when it is once fully understood on Protestant grounds. We see, however, the occasion of it in the Scholastic theory of the Sacrament. . . . The importance attributed to the point by so distinct a notice of it, belongs to the recondite philosophy of sacramental influence. An authority and sanctity were to be maintained for the Church, as the sole and certain instrument of sacramental grace, "The general belief in Magic, in the early ages of the Church, may sufficiently account for the ready reception of such a theory of sacramental influence. The maxim of Augustine, Accedit verbum ad elementum, et fit sacramentum,' appears to be in fact an adaptation of the popular belief respecting the power of incantations and charms, to the subject of religion. The miracles themselves, indeed, of our Saviour were supposed to act in this manner, even by those who did not impute them to the agency of evil. His word, or His touch, was sought for by persons acknowledging in faith the reality of his mission. . . . And our Saviour, whose condescension was shown even to the prejudices of his faithful followers, often accompanied the working of his miracles with significant actions. In the instance of the woman, indeed, thus suddenly cured, He is described as having perceived, that some one had touched Him, by the fact that virtue had gone out of Him;-a mode of speaking, characteristic of the prevalent idea, concerning the operation of Divine Influence, as of something passing from one body to another."-p. 315, 6. a "But though we are free from the yoke which the Sacramental ritual imposes on members of the Roman communion, we still require watchfulness against the temptation to refine on this subject, and lest we enslave ourselves to a kind of priestcraft in our own minds. The tendency to raise questions about Baptism in or new Birth, are whereby as by an Instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly grafted into Church: the promises of forgiveness of sins, and of our modern times, is an evidence of this spirit of refinement. Men are not content with the simple declarations; Repent and be baptized ;' Except a man'... 'Go and teach all nations, baptizing them'. ... nor will they acquiesce in the duty of conforming their practice to these Scriptural injunctions. But it is thought by some that the question must be decided, whether Baptism is in all cases equivalent to Regeneration. They propose a question, that is, as to the intrinsic efficacy of the rite ;difficulty which practical Christianity by no means calls upon us to decide, and the decision of which, after all, can be only speculation. In regard, indeed, to both Sacraments, singleness of heart is the only human means that we possess of apprehending their true import."— p. 343, 4. -a Ac If b"The doctrine of Transmutation was a vital principle in Aristotle's Philosophy. cording to this doctrine, any object in nature might be transmuted into another . . . . I allude to it now only for the sake of illustrating the notion, by which our Christian state under the influence of Grace is described. .... the state of holiness and perfection to which the Gospel seeks to bring us, is a state for which we are not fit in our present condition, evidently we must undergo some change, .... The qualities then, to speak in terms of the ancient philosophy, of that form which we are to assume, must be brought to our present nature.... In a word, we must be transformed. The old things must pass away, and all must become new. We must .... be new creatures. . . . . Christ must be formed' in us." -p. 191, 2. e sidered as "We should observe the confusion of ideas prevalent in the early Church on the subject of Baptism. The Church was conthe body of Christ.' The Church also was considered as the 'the Mother of the faithful. Hence, being baptized, or being made a member of the body of Christ,' or being incorporated' into the Church, became equivalent expressions. Hence, too, the |