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The Cabinet.

GOD'S WORD SUFFICIENT FOR SALVATION."Above all things keep your attention fixed upon holy scripture: give no ear to him who does not gather all his proofs from them, nor lead you in all things back to them" (Justin Martyr, Dial. with Tripho, 56). "What is necessary to be believed of all is so clearly set forth in the scriptures that all exposition is needless for such as do but read them with prayer" (Idem). "We learn the economy of our salvation from those very witnesses by whom the gospel was handed down to us. They first preached it with their lips, and then by God's command wrote it down with their pens, that it might thenceforward become the foundation and pillar of our faith" (Irenæus, lib. iii. c. 1). "To leave holy scripture, that pure and undoubted source of faith, is to determine upon exposing oneself to the imminent danger of falling into error: it is to build our house not upon a rock, but upon the sand" (Idem, ii. c. 26, 27). "When heretics pretend to fight with the scriptures in their hands, they strive to make them an object of suspicion, represent them as full of obscurity, imperfect, and corrupted, and affirm that the truth cannot be discovered in them without the aid of traditions. In this way every one of them pretends to know more than God's word" (Idem, iii. c. 2). "The sacrifice of a Christian is prayer, praise, and reading God's holy scriptures. And we must expect to fall, when we do not follow God who leads us; and he leads us by the divinely inspired word" (Clemens Alex. Pæd. lib. ii.). "Holy scripture is our vine; and the fruits which the Lord expects to gather from us under that vine consist in our ordering ourselves wholly by its divine teaching, so that our lives may be unreprovable, and our conversation in the world unto edification" (Origen in Col. iv.). "We beseech you be not content with the simple hearing of the word of God in the church, but study it diligently in your houses, and meditate upon the law of God day and night. For Jesus Christ is as much present there as in the church; and they who seek him will find him everywhere. Would you know what nurture is fit for your spirit? It is the reading of the holy scriptures, continual prayer, and pious teaching" (Origen in Lev. Hom. ix.,). "Holy scripture teaches us the true faith. It is sufficient of itself to teach us the truth, and lead us to all virtue and happiness. It is of more power than any or all the synods" (St. Athanasius).

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Poetry.

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HYMNS FOR THE SUNDAYS IN THE YEAR.

BY JOSEPH FEARN.

(SUGGESTED BY SOME PORTION OF THE SERVICE FOR THE DAY.)

(For the Church of England Magazine.) THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. "And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the

messengers, and read it; and he went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord."-2 KINGS xix. 14 (1st lesson for morning).

FOR every trouble, every care,
Thy word, O Lord, provides a balm;
And every storm, if thou art there,
Subsides, and all the soul is calm.
Thus, when I read of Judah's king,
Who, trembling at the Assyrian's word,
To God's own house his case did bring,
And spread his griefs before the Lord,

I am encouraged to apply,

In every sore perplexity,
To him, whose grace is ever nigh,

From anxious care to set me free.
How sweet to have a throne of grace,

Where every prayer, by faith, is poured! How blest to seek our Father's face,

And spread our case before the Lord! O, may I ever leave my grief

Before his throne, who knows my care, And in his temple find relief,

And spread my wants before him there!

THE DIVINE PRESENCE.
(A HYMN).

BY THE REV. J. BULL, M.A.

(For the Church of England Magazine.) "When I awake, I am still with thee."-Ps. cxxxix. 18. O LORD, descend, and dwell below, Within my weary heart;

In all my pains thy mercy show,

And soothe each grieving smart. With thee, all nature smiles around, All clouds and darkness cease; Amidst the thunder's awful sound My soul abides in peace.

With thee I rise above the scene

Where joy is mix'd with pain;
Raised up by thee to worlds serene,
Where endless pleasures reign.

There clouds shall move beneath my feet,
Dark storms be fear'd no more;
There jarring winds shall never meet,
Nor mighty thunders roar.

There peaceful streams shall ever flow,
There trees of life shall stand;
There all thy happy saints shall know
The wonders of thy hand.
Clapham.

SONNET*.

ADDRESSED TO A GROUP OF FAIR CHILDRES.

YOUNG pearls of love, that through the dark woods straying,

Which wave around your old ancestral hall, Or bounding up the vistaed hills, or playing On their green slope, with laugh and merry call, I love to see your bright young eyes upglancing To mine, as hand in hand we gaily roam, Or meet your fairy footsteps lightly dancing O'er the soft lawns which gem your happy home; Or hear your clear-toned laughter ringing free Its joyous peals-the heart's fresh melody, Which sinks and dies with childhood. O may grief, For why should sorrow blend its weeping leaf Dear children, bring to you nor cloud nor care; With those bright morning lilies you so gladly wear

From "Poems illustrative of Grace, Creation, Suffering;" by the rev. R. S. Brooke, B.A. Dublin: McGlashan 1852.

London: Published for the Proprietors, by JOHN HUGHES, 12, Ave-Maria Lane, St. Paul's; and to be procured, by order, of all Booksellers in Town and Country. PRINTED BY ROGERSON AND TUXFORD, 246, STRAND, LONDON.

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DEATHS OF EMINENT CHRISTIANS.

No. XXX.

ARCHBISHOP USHER*.

(Died 1655-56, aged 76.)

JAMES Usher was the pious and learned archbishop of Armagh.

Only a few weeks after his arrival at St. Donat's castle, whither he went for protection after the defeat of the armies of king Charles I., his studies were interrupted by a dangerous illness, in which a violent bleeding so exhausted his frame, that the physicians despaired of his lite, when he appeared

"Waiting his summons to the sky,

Content to live, but not afraid to die." Whilst he was in the midst of his pain, as also his bleeding, he was still patient, praising God, and resigning up himself to his will, and giving all those about him, or that came to visit him, excellent heavenly advice to a holy life, and due preparation for death ere its agonies seized them. "It is a dangerous thing," he said, "to leave all

From "Last Hours of Christian Men; or an Account of the Deaths of some eminent Members of the Church of England;" by the rev. H. Clissold, M.A. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

No. 963.

undone till our last sickness: I fear a death-bed repentance will avail us little, if we have lived vainly and viciously, and neglected our conversion till we can sin no longer." Thus he exhorted us all to fear God, and love and obey the Lord Jesus Christ, and to live a holy life. "And then," said he, "you will find the comfort of it at your death, and your change will be happy."

But God had some further work for him to perform, and was pleased by degrees to restore him to his former health and strength.

About the middle of February, 1655, he went to the Priory, at Ryegate, the seat of his patron, the countess of Peterborough, taking his last leave of his friends and relations, who never had the happiness to see him again. He was now very aged, and, though both his body and mind were healthy and vigorous for a man of his years, yet his eyesight was extremely decayed by his constant studying, so that he could scarce see to write, but at a window, and that in the sunshine, which he constantly followed in clear days, from one window to another. He had now frequent thoughts of his dissolution; and, as he was wont every year to note in his almanac, over against the day of his birth the year of his age, so in this year 1655, this note was found written with his own hand, "Now aged 75 years, my days are full." And presently after, in capital letters, "resignation;" from which we may gather, that he

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now thought the days of his pilgrimage to be ful-sufficiently lament her own and the church's great filled, and that he now resigned up himself to God's will and pleasure.

Not long before his death, going to Ryegate, I (writes the narrator) preached a sermon there, where this good bishop was present after church he was pleased to confer with me in private (as it was usual with him so to do), and he spake to this effect: "I thank you for your sermon. I am going out of this world; and I now desire, according to your text (Col. iii. 12), to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and to be with him in heaven, of which," said he, 66 we ought not to doubt, if we can evidence to ourselves our conversion, true faith, and charity, and live in the exercise of those true graces and virtues with perseverance; mortifying daily our inbred corruptions, renouncing all ungodliness and worldly lusts; and he that is arrived at this habitual frame and holy course of life is the blessed and happy man, and may rejoice in hope of a glorious eternity in the kingdom of heaven, to receive that inheritance given by God to those that are sanctified."

So that all his discourse was of heavenly things, as if his better part had been there already, freed from the body and all terrene affections; and he

loss, by his too sudden departure out of this life Thus died this humble and holy man, praying for his sins of omission, who was never known to omit his duty, or scarce to have let any time slip wherein he was not employed in some good action or other*.

Reflection 1st. If such a pious and learned man thought justly that he had so much for which to implore pardon, what an awful account have they to render who scarcely bestow any of their time as they ought to do!

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2nd: There is no state of mind more frequently to be observed in sickness, nor any more carefully to be guarded against, than that of the Pharisee, who said, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are.' Whereas, if we looked, as did archbishop Usher, to our sins of omission," without going even any further in the work of self-examination, we should see enough to humble our notions of self-righteousness, to shew the need of a deep repentance, and to constrain us to seek pardon through the merits of Christ Jesus.

LITURGICAL REMARKS:

seemed as if he were seriously considering his OR CONCISE AND POPULAR EXPLANATIONS OF

spiritual state, and making ready for his departure, which he now shortly expected. But since it had been usual with him to insist on things of this nature when we were together, and that he was at this time in health, I did not believe that his

THE CONTROVERTED PORTIONS OF THE BOOK
OF COMMON PRAYER.

BY THE REV. C. H. DAVIS, M.A.,

change was so near as he presaged; yet he himself Of Wadham College, Oxford; Chaplain of the

had other thoughts, and it proved that he was not mistaken; for on the 20th of March (the day he fell sick) after he had been most part of it, as long as he had light, at his study, he went from thence to visit a gentlewoman then sick in the house, giving her most excellent preparatives for death, together with other holy advice, for almost an hour, and that in such a heavenly manner, as if, like Moses upon Mount Pisgah, he had then a prospect of the celestial Canaan.

Next morning early he complained of a great pain in his side: a physician, being sent for, prescribed what he thought convenient in the case; but it could not thereby be removed, but rather increased more and more upon him, which he bore with great patience for thirteen or fourteen hours; but, his strength and spirits decaying, he wholly applied himself to prayer, and therein had the assistance of the countess's chaplain. Upon some abatement of the torture, he advised those about him to provide for death in the time of health, that then they might have nothing else to do but to die. Then taking his leave of the countess of Peterborough, by whom he had been so long and kindly entertained, and giving her thanks for all her kindness to him, with excellent spiritual counsel as a return for all her favours, be desired to be left to his own private devotions. After which, the last words he was heard to utter (about one o'clock in the afternoon), praying for forgiveness of sins, were these, viz., "O Lord, forgive me, especially my sins of omission." So presently after this, in sure hopes of a glorious immortality, he fell asleep, to the great grief and affliction of the said countess, who could never

Stroud Union, Gloucestershire.

No. VIII.

THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES-CONCLUDING

REMARKS.

IN bringing the present subject to a conclusion a few remarks upon certain portions of the Thirtynine Articles which have been supposed to lie ope to objection or to misunderstanding, were premised in a former paper, to the consideration of which, therefore, it is purposed now to proceed These portions will be considered according to the order of the articles in which they occur.

Article i.: "There is but one living and tre God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions

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And in unity of this Godhead there be thre Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." Here it has been alleged, there is a self-contradiction. But let us hear bishop Beveridge upon the subject, in his remarks upon this article: "The same scriptures-that tell us he is without body, assure us also that he is without parts, if we understand quantitative or extensive parts" (p. 27). Again:

Though there be but one living and true God. yet there are three Persons, who are that one living and true God" (p. 60). "The divine ns- ¦ ture is not divided into several Gods, as the human nature is into several men; but only distinguished into several Persons; every one of which hath the same undivided divine nature, and so is the same individual God" (pp. 61-62).

* The Life of Archbishop Usher, by the rev. R. B. Hone Life of Archbishop Usher, by Richard Parr, D.D., føl. 1686.

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Article ii. "To reconcile his Father to us. This, it is said, differs from the scripture that Christ reconciled the world to God, and not God to the world (Rom. v. 10; 2 Cor. v. 19, 20). But bishop Pearson, in his Exposition of the Creed, article x. pp. 544-547, elaborately discusses this objection, and observes that, "Notwithstanding therefore that God loved men whom he created, yet be was offended with them when they sinned, and gave his Son to suffer for them, that through that Son's obedience he might be reconciled to them" (p. 544).

Article vi.: "In the name of the holy scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the church." It has been alleged by Romish writers that in the subjoined list of canonical books, some of which were rejected or doubted by particular local churches in ancient times, the article contradicts itself. But archdeacon Welchman, in his notes on the Thirtynine Articles, explains the term "in the church," thus," namely, in the catholic or universal church. For some particular churches did for some time doubt of a few of them, viz." &c. (p. 17)*.

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Article ix. The statement respecting" original or birth sin," that it is of such a nature that "in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation." This it has been supposed involves an idea of cruel injustice to maintain that unconscious infants, whose "innocency" the baptismal service reminds us we ought to follow, "deserve" God's wrath and damnation. But the article closely follows the sacred scripture (see Rom. v. 14; Ephes. ii. 3). The sinful passions and evil tempers of little children fully prove the truth of scripture, and of this article, as to the fearful extent of the effects of Adam's fall. All sin must be the object of God's righteous displeasure. And so with judicious moderation the compilers of the article have described "it", rather than the unconscious babe, as the object worthy of "God's wrath and damnation," which statement does not at all militate with the baptismal service as regards the relative and comparative innocency of little children, as distinguished from the actual sin and guilt of older persons (see bp. Burnet on article ix. p. 145 of Page's edition). At the same time the second article reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died" to be a sacrifice" as well "for original guilt", as "also for actual sins of men"+.

* In the articles of the Irish church agreed upon in the Dublin Convocation of 1615, under the primacy of archbishop Ussher, the parallel passage is worded thus: "By the name of holy scripture we understand all the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, viz."; and then follows the catalogue of books both in the Old and in the New Testament.

Article x. Man "cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will." This has been supposed to strike at the root of human responsibility. But it is not a physical but a moral inability which is here referred to-the moral inability of a corrupt will (see Rom. viii. 7, 8). "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life," said our Lord to the Jews (John v. 40). The grace of God confers no new physical powers upon the soul of man, but only gives a right bias to those which already exist: it does not supersede, but only leads and rightly directs, the natural powers of sinful men; it does not force them against their will, but sanctifies the will, and disposes it to that which is holy and good. Man would naturally exercise his free will to choose the evil; by the grace of God, he is gently led to exercise his free will in the choice of good. That this is the true meaning of the article has been clearly proved in the bishop of Lincoln's charge of 1843, pp. 25, 26, quoted in the church of England Magazine, 1844, vol. xvii. No. 472, p. 15.

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Article xi. "In the homily of justification." But there is no homily of that name. The homily on "the salvation of mankind" is, however, the homily obviously referred to (see bp. Tomline on article xi.).

Article xvi. This article has been supposed to limit the reception of the Holy Ghost to the time of baptism. But as this article was levelled to a great extent against the anabaptists (see bp. Tomline on the article), who certainly did not hold that view as to the time of receiving the Holy Ghost, this cannot be its meaning. It is designed to take a sweeping view of the error which it condemns, and to condemn it under whatever modifications or external circumstances it may be advanced; whether by anabaptists who do not hold "baptismal regeneration," or by certain Romish writers who do. Indeed, the article is drawn up in language which is skilfully general, and with admirable conciseness. It plainly condemns the error which it is designed to refute, of supposing that sin either after baptism, or after receiving the Holy Ghost, is unpardonable; whether that reception of the Holy Ghost be supposed to have occurred in baptism as some hold, or whether it be supposed to have occurred at any other time, as others hold, who yet agree in falling into the same error respecting the "unpardonable" nature of sin "after we have received the Holy Ghost" (see rev. J. W. J. Bennett, pp. 21, 22).

† It has been supposed that the Latin "renatis", in this article is intended as an exact translation of the word "bapArticle xvii.: This article, it has been affirmed, tized." This is a mistake. The Latin version of the articles is decidedly and exclusively "Calvinistic," and is certainly not an exact translation of the English. Thus in as such is intolerant. But such is not the case. The the immediate context of this clause, in the 9th article, the article is drawn up with wonderful scriptural acwords "propter Christum" are wholly omitted in the Eng-curacy, and admirable wisdom and moderation. lish. Again, the Latin "quam longissime"-as far as possible-is certainly not equivalent to the English statement in this article that man is "very far" gone from original righteousness. So the expression (not "credentibus et renatis" but)" renatis et credentibus" is certainly not equivalent to "believe and are baptized"-though at the same time few persons if any, of whatever school of theology, would deny that they who "believe and are baptized," are also "regenerate and believing." So again in the 15th article, the comma

after "baptized"-" although baptized, and born again in Christ"-prevents it from being an established truth that the two are equivalent terms. To the writer the meaning appears to be this: "Although we have been baptized, nay more, although we have been also born again in Christ" (see rev. J. W. J. Bennett, pp. 19-21). The expression "born again in Christ" appears to be founded on Ephes. ii. 10; 2 Cor. v. 17.

Our reformers probably held much the view as the late rev. C. Simeon, who is reported to have said that "Calvinists" and "Arminians" are both right, and both wrongt; both right in what they hold-both wrong in what they reject. Now among theologians this view (which seems to have been that of Bullinger) is, in techinical phraseology, commonly known as the "moderate Calvinistic,' or as the "Baxterian" view, being the view of the celebrated Richard Baxter. And if one view more than any other will exactly fit in with the entire scope-the full length and breadth of this article in its plain and full, its literal and grammatical sense, and its obvious prima facie meaning, it seems to the writer to be this views.

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But still the language of the article is designedly left sufficiently open to comprehend pious Arminians. Nothing is affirmed on the point of the divine foreknowledge. The pious Arminian no less than the Calvinist holds that some are 'predestined unto life," viz., those whom God foreknows (Rom. viii. 29) and foresees to be the persons who will accept the gospel offers. The article wisely leaves this abstruse point untouched. And, the foundation being thus left an open question, the superstructure of the article contains no- | thing which should exclude pious Arminians, really holding the doctrines of grace as affirmed in general terms in other articles, from the ministry of the church||. For Dr. Waterland thus illustrates the case: "let two persons assent to a general proposition: This figure is a triangle'; one believing the triangle to be equilateral,' the other believing its sides to be unequal;' they are directly opposite in their sentiments as to what kind of triangle it is. But in the general proposition, that the figure is a triangle, both agree, and in In like manner, imagine the article of predestination' (and the same may be said of any other in like circumstances) to be left in general terms. Both sides may subscribe to the same general proposition, and both in the same sense; which sense reaches not to the particulars in dispute. And, if one believes predestination to be absolute, and the other conditionate; this is not (on the present supposition) differing about the

the same sense.

p. 209.

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* See rev. J. B. Marsden's "Early Puritans," c. viii. + Thus bishop Ridley said, "I dare not speak farther, yea almost none otherwise than the very text doth as it were lead

me by the hand,"

If it be supposed to be an anachronism and anomaly thus to term the reformers' views "Baxterian," since Baxter flourished nearly a century after their time, the apology must be that it is done for techinal distinction's sake alone, just as in a similar case, and for a like reason, the theological system which was held by St. Augustine is best known by, and is commonly designated by the name of "Calvinism," though Calvin flourished some centuries after Augustine's decease.

"We cannot refuse our plenary consent to the judgment that the articles of the English church were drawn up by Calvinists; .... and .... that the Arminians owe it to the wisdom and moderation of their Calvinistic forefathers, that they are able at once to reject some of the quinquarticular propositions, and yet take their place with a good conscience within the pale of the church establishment" (Christian Observer, May, 1850, p. 353). Here then is an example of moderation and forbearance on abstruse points for us to follow.

Whether Hooker would grant thus much, the writer is not prepared to say (see sermon ii. s. 29, end; see also his answer to Travers, s. 22).

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sense of the article, but in their respective additions to it."

Article xviii. "They also are to be held accursed that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature, &c." This has been deemed to be most uncharitable. But the article does not condemn those who hope that "through the all-sufficient merits of Christ's universal redemption," at least "some" of the heathen "may possibly" be saved "in" their law,* but only those who "presume" to say that every" man "shall" be saved "by" the law or sect which he professeth; a proposition which subverts the entire gospel of Jesus Christ, and casts dishonour on his cross. And, while St. Peter preached, "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 12), St. Paul also declared, "though we. or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed, &c." (Gal. i. 8, 9), and

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if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha" (1 Cor. xvi. 22), i. e., let him be cursed when the Lord shall come. Article xx. : "The church hath .. authority in controversies of faith." But "church" does not mean the "clergyt." And the article expressly limits the authority, and declares that "it is not lawful for the church to ordain anything that is contrary to God's word written, neither may it so expound one place of scripture, that it be repugnant to another." This being the case, a learned living divine considers" authority" (aathoritas) to here mean "weight;" that the opinion of the collective members of the church on disputed points ought to have weight with humbleminded individual members of the same. See also bishop Burnet on this article, pp. 268, 269.

Article xxi.: "General councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes." This has been supposed to place the deliberations of Christian churches at the will and mercy of heathen princes. But the article seems rather levelled against the arrogant clains of the pope of Rome. "The Romanists, who ascribe to the pope dominion over all Christian princes, believe that he has power to summon their subjects to councils without their permission. The church of England declares that they are not to be gathered together without the commandknowledged by us to be the head of the national ment and will of princes.' The sovereign is ac church; the clergy therefore, as subjects of the government under which they live, have no right to leave the dominions of their prince, on the summons of a foreign ecclesiastical potentate, without his consent. The internal government of a

* Rev. J. C. Ryle appears to entertain this hope himself at pp. 13, 14 of his tract," Only one Way;" a tract written avowedly in defence of this very article. The philosophical, no less than the scriptural, truth of the doctrine contained in this article, is ably and clearly shown in that wonderful work The Philosophy of the plan of Salvation," by an American citizen; chapter xiv. (published by the Religions Tract So ciety).

If this distinction appears to be unimportant, let the reader turn to Matt. xviii. 17, and substitute " clergy" for "church," and see how it would read.

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