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A DEFENCE

OF

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

ESSAY THE FIRST.

"I appeal unto Cæsar.”—Acts 25. ver. 11.

AMONG the various wholesome laws laid down for the government and well-being of mankind, none perhaps has been productive of more permanent advantage than that which provides for an appeal from the judgment of an inferior to that of a superior court; and which enables a man, if he considers precipitancy, prejudice, or ignorance of the law to have operated against him, to become the appellant from the court below, to a higher, a calmer, or a more competent tribunal.

This is admirably provided for in our own well ordered and noble constitution.

For it may sometimes happen in inferior courts, notwithstanding the strictest integrity on the part of the adjudicators, that popular clamour, or prejudice, or imperfect knowledge of the law may exert an influence over their minds of which they themselves are unconscious, and such influence may without any designed partiality, materially affect their decisions.

Hence the great wisdom of forming the highest court of appeal in the land, whether in the enactment or interpretation of the laws, from a body of men who are least of all accessible to external influence, who derive not their office from the caprices of the popular will, and whose decisions must be in a great measure free from any warp or bias from without.

And as the advantage of appeal is felt in legal measures, so likewise is it of great value in literary undertakings.

For instance, if the writer of these essays, shall find himself unable to draw any portion of public attention from the temporal prospects of this world to the eternal prospects of the world to come; if his publication shall only be able to obtain a very limited circulation, whilst copies of the ephemeral literature of the day are bought up by thousands and tens of thousands; he can at least console himself by the reflection that he is

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only condemned by an age which can feed upon the husks of novels and newspapers; but which turns a deaf ear to every attempt to gain its attention to better things-and he can appeal from the decision of a cold, a worldly-minded, and a political people to the judgment of another and a holier generation.

The motto which stands at the head of the paper, contains the appeal of Saint Paul from the judgment of Festus to the higher judgment of the Emperor.

By the question put to him by the Roman Governor, the Apostle plainly saw that though the apparent object of Festus was to remove him to Jerusalem for judgment, yet his real object was "to do the Jews a pleasure" by giving them an opportunity of destroying him by the way, and therefore he took the only course of avoiding their malice and appealed unto Cæsar.

And if when his natural life was in jeopardy from the malice and injustice of his enemies St. Paul wisely appealed to a higher court, so also when the claims of his apostleship were disputed by some false teachers at Corinth did he appeal from a tribunal incompetent to decide the question, to the unerring judgment-seat of the Lord. His words are, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment," and then he adds a little after "He that judgeth me is the Lord."

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Nor is this the only instance of solemn appeal to God made by St. Paul. In the epistle to the Philippians, and in the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians we again find him the appellant to the Highest Court. In the former his words are, "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." And in the latter he says, for neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness. "God is witness."

Nor has it been thought an exercise of any undue spirit of boasting when the successors of the apostles in their ministerial office have appealed in like manner to the judgment of the Lord, in proof of the fidelity with which they have executed their office as "ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

And if individual ministers are permitted, in humble imitation of St. Paul, to appeal to the judgment of the Lord, from that of those who, whether designedly or not, would unjustly condemn them-with how much greater confidence may an appeal be made in behalf of the Church of England, in proof of the fidelity with which she has executed her office as a witness, and keeper of Holy Writ, and as a preserver of the pure forms of primitive devotion; and of the care which she has at all times taken for the right and due ministration of Christ's Holy Sacraments.

And an appeal can confidently be made not only to the soundness of her doctrine and discipline, but also to the practice of those of her faithful and devoted sons who have imbibed the largest portion of her spirit.

This is the plan which the author has proposed to himself in the following essays; since he will appeal in proof of the fidelity with which the Church of England has executed her trust, from the partial decisions of her enemies to the righteous judgment of the Lord; and from the bar of men oftentimes blinded by passion or prejudice, to the calm and unerring tribunal of Heaven.

ESSAY THE SECOND.

'Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.”
2 Tim. 3. ver. 5.

NOTWITHSTANDING godliness or piety towards God seems to be implanted in the human mind, as the practice of Heathen nations testifies; yet such is the tendency of the business and pleasures of the world to corrode and eat away the best qualities of mankind; such the hardening effect of the cares, the riches, and the enjoyments of this life; and such the power of things temporal to enslave the mind, and to cause all its best faculties to be gradually given up to earthliness, that in some it is found to degenerate into a mere form, and in others to dwindle into a mere sentiment, a phantom of the imagination, an intellectual non-entity.

That there should ever exist in the heart of man any thing short of the strongest devotion towards the Giver of all good, and a correspondent expression of that devotion by outward acts of piety towards Him, may justly excite surprise in the minds of any who will consider the obligations under which we are momentarily placed to "Him in whom we live and move, and have our being."

Indeed, the fact that piety towards God should daily diminish in the practice of some, and become entirely extinct in that of others, can only be accounted for on the principle of that ruinated state to which human nature has been reduced by the fall, in consequence of which man is more disposed to evil than to good, and from which it is the express design of the Gospel to recover him.

A sudden preservation from impending danger, an unlooked for deliverance from some heavy calamity, an unexpected recovery from some powerful sickness, are events however, which tend to rekindle the flame of piety in the breasts of all who have not utterly extinguished it by their sins; but the common mercies of God of which all are partakers, but which are not the less valuable because they are common, are continually received by some with no other acknowledgment than murmurs and complaints, and by others with no other return than to make the Bountiful Giver of them to serve with their sins, and to weary Him with their iniquities. And instead of piety towards God being the result of the blessings they enjoy, some are even found base enough to cast off all allegiance to their Benefactor, to transgress his laws, to blaspheme His Holy name, and "to do despite unto the spirit of His grace.'

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Under these circumstances how important it is that means should be used to bring men back to the discharge of this first and indispensable duty of godliness'-that they should be often reminded of the necessity of diligently performing it, and should be aroused from their lethargy by frequent admonitions of the fatal consequences of neglecting it.

Some there are who make piety towards God to consist in mere outward observances, and who entirely neglect the devotion of the heart; and these seem to be the characters alluded to by St. Paul in the words which stand at the head of this essay.

Others run into quite the opposite extreme, and neglect all or nearly all outward ceremonies as formal and superstitious. These are found to

neglect all or nearly all external means of stirring up their dormant piety on the plea that they worship God in the spirit.

That both these classes of persons are in fatal error, and that they both fail in piety towards God, a few considerations will clearly prove.

That he who is satisfied with the appearance of piety without the reality, with the shadow of Religion without the substance, with the form of godliness without the power, is in a dangerous error all will readily admit. Indeed, so fully persuaded of this do the men of this generation appear, that it is difficult to find a strict observer of the forms of godliness under any circumstances whatever, and therefore we may say that it is an error to which people in these days are little inclined, and therefore in little danger of being led astray by it.

This observation, however, will by no means apply to those who are in the opposite extreme. For almost all orders of men in these days in their haste to avoid the error of having but the form of godliness, are found to lay claim at once to the undoubted possession of its power, and it is far from uncommon to hear not only what are called serious people, but also the most frivolous and light-minded persons talk of the uselessness of forms and ceremonies, and the entire efficacy of a spiritual or an intellectual piety.

That it is a vital and fundamental error thus to disparage and neglect the form of godliness on the plea of the possession of its power I will now proceed to shew:

That the sign is of less importance than the thing signified cannot be denied but that does not prove that we can do without the sign, or that we may safely neglect it. For though, compared with the thing signified, it is of less importance, yet it is of far too great importance to be omitted. Indeed we may go further than this, and say that although the form of godliness may exist without the power, yet there is strong reason to believe that the power of godliness cannot exist at all without the form; nor the reality of piety without the appearance.

All inward acts of piety have their correspondent outward acts to express them.

He that truly feels inward sorrow for sin will invariably be led to the outward actions of confessing and forsaking it.

He that feels truly sensible in his heart of the goodness of God, and of His love in Christ Jesus will invariably perform the outward act of shewing forth His praise, not only with his lips but in his life.

He that finds the continual need of God's strength and protection, and inwardly desires to possess them, will hardly neglect to assume the outward attitude of humble prayer, or refuse to worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

He that feels the enormity of those sins which rendered the sacrifice of the Son of God necessary to do them away; will hardly fail to bring under his body and keep it in subjection, and will feel it his duty at the appointed seasons, to proceed to the correspondent outward act of chastening his soul with fasting.

On the other hand, he who is diligent in the performance of all the outward acts of godliness may in so doing become possessed of the inward acts which are correspondent thereto.

Besides, if a neglect of the form of godliness will destroy the power of

it even where it once existed; so a diligent use of the forms of piety will greatly strengthen and increase its power.

And, more than this, a diligent practice of the form of godliness is oftentimes the means of acquiring the power of it even where it had not before been exercised, and of recovering it where it had become extinct, and that form, as it consists of the rites of our holy religion, is the instrument given to us by God of becoming possessed of a living principle within our hearts which will give to all our outward acts of piety both strength and vitality.

Hence we must give all diligence so to practice the form of godliness as not to deny the power; and so to possess ourselves of the power as not to neglect the form.

In a word, we must so cultivate both outward and inward religion, as that from both may arise that true and unfeigned piety towards God to which "the peace of God which passeth all understanding" is annexed.

This view of the inseparable union of outward and inward religion is firmly supported by scripture. I will mention at this time, but one passage, which as it contains the words of our Blessed Lord Himself, and as it directly refers to this subject, must be considered to be conclusive.

"These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

In that part of the preface to the book of Common Prayer, where the reasons are given why some ceremonies are abolished and some retained, the Church of England after stating her reasons for abolishing some of that "excessive multitude of ceremonies" which in the course of ages had crept into the Public Service, and which did more to confound and darken than to set forth Christ's benefits to us, goes on to express herself"Content only with those ceremonies which do serve to a decent order and godly discipline, and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and especial signification whereby he might be edified."

These words then constitute a most triumphant appeal in proof of the fidelity of the Church of England in promoting both the form and power of godliness in general, opportunities for appeal in proof of her fidelity in promoting both the form and power of godliness in particulars will be afforded to the author in some of the following essays.

ESSAY THE THIRD.

"And one cried unto another and said Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, the whole earth is full of thy glory."-Isa. vi. ver. 3.

THERE are men in the world always ready to maintain that it is of little importance how the first act of piety towards God, (which consists in a belief of His existence) be exercised, so that it be exercised with sincerity; that since we are endowed with reason we cannot be called upon to believe any thing which we do not understand; and that our eternal happiness or misery will depend upon the actions of our lives, and not upon our creed.

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