principle commended in this discourse. But there came a cry of "waste," and unhappily there were but too good grounds for the many-tongued cries of all earnest-minded men who had feeling for the spiritual wrongs and grievances of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. There came a cry of "waste": for institutions, after the lapse of years, almost of necessity contract corruption. Well, the monarch was needy; his courtiers craving; and, therefore, whatsoever should have been purified, or at least retained to the services of religion in some other way, that was called "waste" and sacrificed to their lust. With the sacrilegious eye of Judas did they regard the contents of CHRIST's bag. And how often might they have first abused the steward's charge committed to them, and then railed at the abuse of which they themselves had been the authors.' The example was not lost. The humour for sacrilege long survived this first outburst." From such beginnings was it reasonable to expect other consequences than the frightful doings of the times of the usurper Cromwell, of whose days it may be said that almost every principle that the religious people of Christendom had for sixteen centuries respected, was then despised and set at nought 3? Nor was it likely thatthe subsequent periods should survive the blow thus given to piety. It would have been scarcely reasonable to expect any other than that melancholy train of circumstances which has, in some respects, marked the subsequent history of our Church.

1 See Appendix.

2 See Appendix.

3 See Appendix.

Judas was but too successful in his arguments with the disciples of CHRIST in this Church of England. Those vicious reasonings, then set afloat by fanatical and encouraged by designing men, have since retained (in some particulars) their hold upon many even of the best of men. The contention of principles, in short, left an ugly scar behind. The victor came not off unscathed. As a great principle and upon the whole, true Christian charity has not flourished since its proper growth was stunted and discouraged in the memory of the past. Hence a low expediency has prevailed; and in lieu of our best, offered as a sacrifice to God's glory, we have been moved primarily to respect man's edification and man's convenience. A spirit, accommodating itself to earthly things, has been allowed to rule almost all modern ecclesiastical arrangement; while those solemnities of worship, which should spring from notions of the infinite honour due to ALMIGHTY GOD, have been disregarded and abandoned.

What then remains but that we be on our guard against Judas, and eschew his evil maxims ?-and having, in such an alarming way, as we have seen, like the misguided disciples followed the son of perdition in his path of error, let us now deliberately retrace our steps. At the expiration of three centuries, we find ourselves a Church of recognized principles ;- principles which were once struggling for existence, and were often misunderstood almost as much by friend as by foe, but which the test of time has given a weight

and force to that must make them respectable in all serious minds, yea, even a subject of earnest thought with the whole Catholic Church. If in contending for the Church of England against a mere negative protestantism, we once were so strongly obliged to declare against the corruptions and error of an ancient Church that we could devote little thought to that portion of truth which is affirmative and catholic,—it is happily now no longer the case. A Church, whose reformation has weathered the storms of three hundred years can afford to take her stand and promulge her principles, free for the most part from all negative statements and in the simple language of positive truth; and the cry of Romanism, as charged upon our holy and high-minded exertions for CHRIST's sake must be repelled simply and boldly with the answer of our Blessed LORD-" It is a good work." "Let them alone" who with the saints of GOD "show the glory of His kingdom and talk of His power, that His power, glory, and mightiness of His kingdom might be known unto men" who say "we will keep Thy ceremonies."

And in this confidence let us pray, "O forsake us not utterly; comfort us again now after the time that THOU hast plagued us, and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity. Show Thy servants Thy work, and their children Thy glory. And the glorious Majesty of the LORD our God be upon us; prosper THOU the work of our hands upon us; O prosper THOU our handy-work."

SERMON IX.

THE CROSS THE TYPE OF CHRISTIANITY.

S. JOHN XIX. 25.

NOW THERE STOOD BY THE CROSS OF JESUS HIS MOTHER, AND HIS MOTHER'S SISTER, Mary the wife of Cleophas, AND MARY MAGDALENE.

How gentle are the means by which CHRIST draws us up to HIM, and to the mysteries of His Cross of suffering! How willing is HE that all His instructions should sink as deeply, so gradually into our hearts. He watches with an unwearying interest our seed-time,—our spring-time,—our harvest-time. He waits with a long enduring patience for the glad fruits of our training; and He expects not in us the virtues of the full-grown Christian until time and opportunity have been allowed us to struggle against, and successfully to overcome the many trials He has fitted us severally to bear. Thus by ways of love He shows us the path to His Cross.

Take His apostles as an instance. The gospel that He preached to them HE thus shortly sums up. "If any man will come after ME, let him take up

his cross and follow ME." Well, they received His words, and so embraced the whole gospel all at once; and yet this must not be understood as though it opened upon their understandings all at once. His great and watchful love prevented this; lest HE should throw in their way, when as yet they were unprepared for it, "a stone of stumbling." So, what was most afflictive, most unearthly-the really thorny parts, so to speak, of His Divine message,— that was only gradually unveiled to their eyes. For instance, S. James and S. John ask to sit at the right hand of CHRIST in His kingdom, and share in His earthly power; for of this world's pre-eminence did they think that, in some sort, His kingdom consisted. Now to these He does not then at once say positively, as afterwards HE declared it, that His kingdom is not of this earth; but shows plainly, that of whatever nature it is, there are elements, belonging to its attainment, might make it, to some minds, a no great object of desire. And then, He goes on to speak mysteriously of His cup and of His baptism; and assures them that "the chief among them must be as their servant." So much only, then, as they can bear HE imparts to them. He does not tell them that His baptism was to be a baptism of blood.

Again. All S. Peter's history till our SAVIOUR'S death is marked by a gentle drawing him on to faith and a higher appreciation of the nature of CHRIST'S Person and kingdom; and such a gradual discipline