And now let the appeal be made to the practice of some of the most devoted sons of the Church of England as to their obedience to the sacramental as well as the other commandments of God.

"He was attended on in his sickness by a pious and worthy divine, Mr. Evan Griffith, minister of the parish; and it was observed, that in all the extremities of his pain, whenever he prayed by him, he forbore all complaints or groans; but with his hands and eyes lifted up, was fixed in his devotions. Not long before his death, the minister told him, there was to be a Sacrament next Sunday at Church; but he believed he could not come and partake with the rest; therefore he would give it to him in his own house. But he answered, No; his Heavenly Father had prepared a feast for him, and he would go to his Father's house to partake of it. So he made himself to be carried thither in his chair, where he received the sacrament on his knees with great devotion.-Bp. Burnet on Life and Death of Sir Matthew Hale.

"The day before he took his bed (which was three days before his death,) he, that he might receive a new assurance for the pardon of his sins past, and be strengthened in his way to the New Jerusalem, took the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of his and our blessed Jesus, from the hands of his Chaplain, Mr. Pullin, accompanied with his wife, children, and a friend, in so awful, humble, and ardent a manner, as outward reverence could express."-Walton's Life of Bishop Sanderson. "He administered the Sacraments of our holy religion with great reverence and solemnity; the holy Eucharist, the mysterious rite and perfection of Christian worship, was not performed so often in his parish as he earnestly desired; and yet oftener than is usual in little villages; for he brought it to seven times in a year.Nelson's Life of Bp. Bull.

"As to the administration of the Sacrament, he reduced it to an imitation, though a distant one, of primitive frequency, to once a month, and therewith its anciently inseparable appendant, the offertory; wherein his instruction and happily insinuating example so far prevailed, that there was thenceforth little need of ever making any tax for the poor."-Fell's Life of Hammond.

In the account given by Dr. Fell of the last sickness of that holy man Dr. Hammond, we find the following statement.

"On the 20th of April, being Good Friday, he solemnly received the Sacrament; and again on the 22nd of April, which then was Easter day."

I will conclude this essay on obedience with some of the dying words of the venerable man, who has been more than once quoted in these pages. "Hooker in reply to a question of Dr. Saravia, who required his thoughts, said "That he was meditating the number and nature of angels, and their blessed obedience and order, without which peace could not be in Heaven; and oh that it might be so on Earth."

END OF PART FIRST.

Printed by T. Priest, King-Street, Thetford.

PART THE SECOND,

OF THIS PUBLICATION,

WHICH WILL COMPLETE THE AUTHOR'S DESIGN,

IS

Preparing for the Press.

OF

A Defence

OF THE

CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

IN A SERIES OF ESSAYS.

BY THE REV. H. S. M. HUBERT, M.A.

Vicar of Croxton, Norfolk.

THETFORD:

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AND MAY BE HAD OF

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PART THE SECOND.

ESSAY THE THIRTEENTH.

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."-St. Math. 19. ver. 19.

THERE is much said by our blessed Saviour in the Gospel about charity or brotherly love: and with good reason, since charity is the root from which all other good works are found to spring; the great principle which is the life of all practical religion; and the distinguishing mark by which Christ's faithful and obedient disciples may always be known.

Charity is the bond, moreover, by which all other Christian graces and virtues are held together; since the words of St. Paul are above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. On the other hand, we are taught that whatever other qualifications we may possess, and whatever other virtues we may practice, yet if we are destitute of Christian charity, we are nothing. A little reflection will convince us that this must always be the case, since the want of charity is found to produce every other kind of evil. It was the want of charity which caused Cain to become in very deed the murderer of his brother: Esau to be so in intention, and the brethren of Joseph to be so in intention likewise.

It was a want of charity towards those who differed from them in religious opinions, which caused two of the disciples, under the plea of zeal for God, to become murderers in intention of the Samaritans which received not our Saviour, because His face was as though He would go up to Jerusalem. As nothing is more desired by God than that Christians should be united together in one heart and one mind, and should be bound in perfect love and charity together unto the end of their days; it is important to consider what course of action tends to promote brotherly love on the one hand, and to destroy it on the other. The great means of promoting brotherly love are:

1. To preserve union and concord amongst kindred, according to the words of the Psalmist, how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

2. To keep up concord and agreement amongst neighbours: our neighbour being understood to be any one towards whom we have the opportunity of exercising christian charity.

3. To manifest a real sympathy for those who are suffering under poverty, affliction, or sorrow; not to betray an apathy or feel a stoical indifference to the weal or woe of others, but to obey the exhortation of St. Paul, in the words-Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

H