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to have legal power granted to sit and deliberate on the affairs of the Established Church. If the society of METHODISTS have their CONFERENCES; if the "Scotch Episcopal Church" hold their CONVOCATION for the real dispatch of business*; why should the ESTABLISHED CHURCH, NATIONAL RELIGION, and that which THE SOVEREIGN himself professes, be called together only for the sake of form; to be placed as it were under the BAN of perpetual prorogation; and to possess the form and name of a NATIONAL SYNOD, but not the essential and vital principle thereof? Nay, to the still greater dishonour of this nation, why, in matters which immediately, and which exclusively belong to the Church, is the HouSE OF COMMONS, an assembly consisting of LAY MEMBERS alone, to agitate questions which refer to the government of the CHURCH; and the CONVOCATION, to which such matters does of right belong, be excluded and prohibited from deliberating on them? If it be said that no ACT can be passed till it has gone through the HOUSE OF LORDS, and that the BISHOPS are placed there to guard the rights and the interests of the Church, let it be considered how extremely small is their proportion to that of the LAY MEMBERS, and then let any impartial man say, whether this is a sufficient protection for the rights, the privileges, and the honour of the ESTABLISHED CHURCH? I boldly say, and stubborn facts loudly declare, that it is not!

Of not merely the indecencies, but even of the blasphemies, which have been uttered by members of the House of Commons when religious subjects have been agitated in that house, any man may convince himself, by referring to the speeches publicly made when the question of the "Abolition of Subscription to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England," was brought forward in the years 1772 and 1778. The "Debates and Proceedings of the HOUSE OF COMMONS," in 8vo. give a tolerably correct and faithful account of them.

I hope, Mr. Editor, that in my zeal for the honour, and for the interest, nay for the safety and very existence of the Established Religion, (the purest and most apostolical of any this day existing upon earth,) I have not overstepped the bounds of either truth or soberness; nor yet

* See "The Duty of holding fast the Doctrine of the Gospel." A sermon preached at the CONVOCATION of the Bishop and Clergy of the Scotch Episcopal Church, by the Right Rev. John Skinner, &c." Ri ringtons.

have used an earnestness of language which is not called for by the exigencies of the moment. In my statements which I have now or heretofore submitted, to you, I feel persuaded that truth and facts will bear me out; and I hope I do not act in any respect in opposition to my duty, by endeavouring to awaken my brethren and fellow members of the Established Religion, to a proper sense of the dangers by which we are surrounded, and to a proportionate exertion, according to their respective abilities, to ward them off.

I am, Mr. Editor,

Your obedient and very humble Servant,
THOMAS COMBER*,

Creech St. Michael,

July 26, 1806.

ON A NEW CHAPEL AT ISLINGTON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,

BEG leave to transplant the following extremely curious article into the pages of your miscellany; not for the purpose of approbation, but to shew the industry and increase of the enemies of the establishment; and the necessity of putting a check to them, by some mode or other which the united wisdom of our Church, its governors, and the legislators of the realm may suggest.

"Union Chapel, Compton-terrace, Islington, was opened on August 29, by the Rev. Henry Gauntlett, of

* Our worthy correspondent will we trust excuse the omission of a part of his letter, which relates to an Individual and an Institution, both ef too equivocal a character to deserve notice in our work,E».

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the Church of England, from Reading; and the Rev. D. Bogue of Gosport. Divine worship began in the morning with the Church Service, solemnized by Mr. Gauntlett, who afterwards preached from Hag. ii. 9. In the evening Dr. M'Dowel of Dublin, prayed, and Mr. Bogue preached rom Ps. cxxxii. 13, 16. The service was throughout solemn, impressive, and well attended.

"This chapel was erected by the proprietors upon the most enlarged and liberal principles of general accommodation in that populous village, and will contain from 1000 to 1200 persons. As the name imports, it neither belongs to, nor takes the exclusive denomination of any one party of Christians; but is the friend of all; free and open for the occasional labours of Evangelical Ministers of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, and those who dissent from them," &c.-See the Evangelical Magazine for Oct. 1806.

Has the above-named CHAPEL been consecrated? By whom, and when? Has it been licensed? By what persons, and at what time, was it so licensed? The " Proprietors," who I apprehend are speculating builders, no doubt will turn the penny well, by admitting into their Schism-Shop any or all of the different Dissenters and enemies of the established religion. They literally make merchandise of the House of God; and there can be no shadow of doubt, that if Mr. BEELZEBUB himself was to request to be admitted "to preach" and " to pray" in this UNION CHAPEL, he would be readily permitted so to do. Hostility to the establishment seems to be a necessary qualification of admittance into this Chapel. Evangelical Ministers of the establishment are readily admitted; Orthodox Ministers, no doubt, would be decidedly rejected. This Union seems to be that of spurious and dangerous doctrines against truth and pure religion. "Verb. sat, sap."

Oct. 10, 1806

I am, Mr. Editor,

Yours very faithfully,

OBSERVATOR,

REMARKS

REMARKS ON THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS,

I

(Continued from page 120.)

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

IF I have not already protracted too long the subject in hand, I beg leave to send you a few illustrations of the heads of the internal evidences already treated, and likewise to treat of some further internal evidences, and lastly, to point out the consequences of any determinate judgment upon the book in question.

First then, it may be observed, that in the last chapter of the second book of Chronicles, which may have been written by Esdras, there are several passages very similar to passages in this book. For instance, comp. 2 Esd. i. 32, with 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. Secondly, the seventh chapter of Ezra and twenty-fifth verse, will shew how appropriately our Lord quoted this book under the title of the Wisdom of God, intimating that it was an inspired and spiritual explanation of the law, though it was no part of the canonical scripture. See 1 Cor. ii. 7—14. Thirdly, I wish it to be understood, that in my calculation of the period of time mentioned in the fourteenth chapter and eleventh verse, I follow the reading of Junius, who makes ten parts and half an eleventh part, out of twelve parts, past. Fourthly, in the calculation of the 400 years (ch. vii. 28.) it ought to be observed, that I have computed by Chaldean years, which are uniformly used by the prophets, and of which, 400 are equal to about 394 common years, which I date from the year 397 or 398, B. C. and terminate in the true year of Christ's birth, four years before the Christian æra. Fifthly, I must not omit to mention that the Arabic version demonstrates ch. vii. 28, &c. to be an explanation of Daniel ix. 24, &c. For instead of Jesus it has the Messiah, and likewise expressly explains the seven days to mean a week of years, and consequently proves that Clemens Alexandrinus alluded thereto. Here then we heve the most ancient exposition of the seventy weeks of Daniel, which is extant.

I shall

I shall now consider the remaining heads of the internal evidences, of which the first is the style of the book. The style of this book is for the most part noble and sublime, and such as is worthy of the author to whom it is attributed. I beg leave to point out the following places as instances of the grand and animated style of the author: Ch. vi. 1-7. Ch. viii. 20-29. Ch. xiii. 1-12. Ch. xvi. 1-17. Ch. xvi. 54-68.

Secondly, the prophecies of the book require our attention, whether we consider the explanations of the scriptural prophecies, or regard the peculiar predictions therein contained. The explanations abovementioned are as plain as words can make them, and seem to indicate a sagacity superior to that of an uninspired author. For instance, compare 2 Esdras, xii. 2, with Daniel vii. 4-7. In respect to those prophecies which coincide with the prediction of the New Testament, those of Esdras, as I have before observed, are the more full and clear, insomuch that supposing them to be borrowed from thence, they exhibit such an insight into their meaning as might lead us to enquire, "Whence had this man this wisdom?" For instance, the re-establishment of the Roman empire after its destruction by the Goths is plainly predicted in the twelfth chapter and eighteenth verse. See too ch. xv. 16, and ch. xvi. 68, in which places the last revolutions of the world are so strikingly predicted. Compare likewise ch. ii. 41, &c. with Rev. vii. and ch. ix. 38—47, with Rev. xii. 1, 2, and ch. x. 1, with Rev. xii. 5, and ch. x. 3, with Rev. xii. 6, and ch. xi. with Rev. xiii. and ch. xiii. 6, 35, with Rev. xiv. 1, and ch. xiii. 49, with Rev. xiv. 20.

It remains, thirdly, to speak of the doctrines of the book. The doctrines inculcated are indeed worthy of the highest attention, and I shall therefore select a few doctrinal passages in order to evince their importance. "The first Adam, bearing a wicked heart, transgressed and was overcome: and so be all they that are born of him. Thus infirmity was made permanent," (ch. iii. 21, 22). "Ask thou no more questions concerning the multitude that perish. For when they had taken liberty, they despised the Most High; for it was not his will that men should come to nought," (ch. viii. 55-60.) "Whereas thou sawest a man coming np from the midst of the sea, the same is he whom God the Highest hath kept a great season, which by his own self shall deliver his creature,"

(ch.

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