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Assuredly, if we consider the character of God's written word, and the purpose which is to be accomplished by its agency, we cannot avoid the conclusion, that the continued trial of the church's faith and obedience, by leaving her to gather from the evidence of Scripture the substance of her doctrine and the spirit of her ordinances, is an essential part of God's design in founding his church upon earth; and that consequently any attempt to relieve the church of that continual exercise of her faith and obedience towards God, by substituting a dead assent to certain definite propositions, and a formal compliance with certain specific observances, is in fact, to that extent, a setting aside of God's design, and therefore a most perilous sin, as tending manifestly to endanger, in the case of all that make, and all that acquiesce in, such an attempt, their beneficial interest in that design. What else can they expect who, whether as individuals or as churches, are guilty of so evident a perversion of God's design, and so presumptuous an obstruction to the work of his Spirit in his church, but that upon them also will be fulfilled the burden laid by the prophet of old upon a carnally-minded church: "The Lord hath poured upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered: and the

vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed; and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." f

Too extensively, alas! in the wide range of nominal Christendom, has the fulfilment of this prophecy already taken effect; and great, at this time, is seemingly among ourselves the danger, lest by the binding upon us of the yoke of "Catholic tradition," as the rule of our faith and practice, the attention and the hearts of the members of our church should be withdrawn from that living and everlasting provision, which God by the abiding presence of his Holy Spirit has made for the correct interpretation of his Scripture, and

f Is. xxix. 10-14.

the right government of his church. That such a downfal may yet by God's mercy be averted from us, that the heresies of every kind which have for some time been fostered among us, may take no further effect than this, "that they which are approved, may be made manifest among us ;"& that, though "now for a season" we be "in heaviness" through the "manifold temptations" by which our church is beset, yet nevertheless "the trial of her faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ;" that He who is faithful, may "with the temptation also make a way to escape," must at this time be the unceasing and fervent prayer of every one who feels "that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another." May this prayer be offered in sincerity of heart by many amongst us, and may it find acceptance with "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," of whom this our family of the Anglican church is named, "that he would grant us, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, and to have Christ dwelling in our hearts by

1 Cor. xi. 19.

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faith; to the intent that being rooted and grounded in love, we may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, and that so we may be filled with all the fulness of God!"

1 Eph. iii. 14—19. The sense of this passage suffers considerably in our version, from the use of the word "that" in different senses, which to the English reader are hardly discernible. The construction is as follows: I pray, says the Apostle, that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,” (ἵνα δῴη ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὑτοῦ,) — the thing to be granted, “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, and Christ to dwell in your hearts by faith," (δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὑτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν,)—the primary object of the grant, "that being rooted and grounded in love ye may be able,” (ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐῤῥιζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι ἵνα

xon,)—the nature of that ability, "to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height," [sc. of the love of Christ,] “ and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,” (καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις, τί τὸ πλάτος, καὶ μῆκος, καὶ βάθος, καὶ ὕψος· [sc. τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ·] γνῶναί τε τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ,)—ulterior object of the grant, "that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God." (ἵνα πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ) We have in the quotation of this passage in the text endeavoured, as far as practicable, to indicate this its more articulate meaning; as properly understood it affords a direct and pointed confirmation of the views set forth in the present chapter.

CHAPTER IX.

The Authority of the Church ministerial to her Trust.

66 TAKE HEED UNTO YOURSELVES, AND TO ALL THE FLOCK, OVER THE WHICH THE HOLY GHOST HATH MADE YOU OVERSEERS, TO FEED THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD."-Acts xx. 28.

66 OBEY THEM THAT HAVE THE RULE OVER YOU, AND SUBMIT YOURSELVES: FOR THEY WATCH FOR YOUR SOULS, AS THEY THAT MUST GIVE ACCOUNT."-Heb. xiii. 17.

66 BE AT PEACE AMONG YOURSELVES : NOW WE EXHORT YOU, BRETHREN, WARN THEM THAT ARE UNRULY."-1 Thess. v. 13, 14.

In the two preceding chapters we have shown that Scripture, that is to say, the document under which the church holds Christianity as a trust committed to her charge, rests entirely and directly upon divine authority, and is complete in itself and sufficient for its purpose: we are now enabled, with a clear understanding of the foundation on which the church is built, and the principles by which she is to be guided, to enter into those questions which naturally arise out of the administration of her trust. From the very fact that there is a trust to be administered, it necessarily

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