be wanting for it, Custom-free. This defign however, was laid afide. When dean of St. Afaph, he procured at his fole expenfe, an act to annex certain prebends and finecures to the bishopricks of Bangor, Llandaff, St. Davids', and St. Afaph, in order to relieve the widows and orphans of the Welsh Clergy from paying mortuaries to the bishops on the death of every incumbent within their respective diocefes and jurisdictions. He alfo rebuilt the larger part of his deanery houfe; fettled a leasehold estate on a charity school in St. Afaph, and joined in augmenting the perpetual curacy St. George in its neighbourhood. His gifts towards the augmentation of fmall livings in aid of queen Anne's bounty, were extended to different parts of the kingdom. Several other inftances of his munificence might be mentioned; nor ought it to be omitted that he was a zealous promoter of the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel in Foreign Parts, and first moved archbishop Tenifon and bifhop Compton to obtain for it the Royal Charter." of 66 a Dr. Stanley published but few things. Two fermons on particular occafions, and two anonymous pieces, one Comparison between the Devotions of the Church of Rome and those of the Church of England," and the other, the tract now reprinted, are the only productions of his pen that can be ascertained. The Faith and Practice of a Church of England-Man, appeared in 1688, and paffed through three editions in that year. The fourth was printed in 1692; and the fifth in 1707. With regard to this excellent tract, we cordially unite with the Editors in "recommending it to general perufal, in a full perfuafion that it will be found admirably adapted to confirm and ftrengthen in all who give it due attention, the foundeft principles of Church-government, the pure doctrines of the Chriftian faith, and that confiftent regard to Chriftian obedience, with refpect both to doctrine and difcipline, which are the genuine characteriflics of a faithful fon of the Church of England." The fubjects treated of generally, according to the divi fions of the chapters are, "1. Of the Church; 2. Of Christian Belief; 3. Of Gospel Obedience; 4. Of the Service of God in publick; 5. Of additions to the Faith; 6. Of Civil Converfation; 7. An earnest Perfuafive to continue in the Church of England." But it should be observed, that the author confiders under thefe heads a variety of incidental topics. Thus for inftance in the chapter "Of Chriftian Belief," we have the following ingenious and pleasant re futation of the Papal claim to Infallibility. "If there were an infallible Judge at Rome, according to their way of reasoning, it would not be much to the advantage of the Church, especially of us that live so far from Rome. For seeing I cannot hear the Pope himself speak, they must all be infallible, that to the fourth or fifth hand perhaps, convey what he saith to me; for if any of these mistake, or wilfully deceive me, what must I do? Nay if I were at Rome, the Pope cannot be spoke to at all hours; for he takes state on himself sometimes, and sometimes hath the gout, and other infirmities incident to old men, and doth not love to be disturbed by every one. And yet if I should speak with him, I perhaps should not be much the wiser. For to make a full use of such an infallible Judge, we must be as infallible as he ; for we may mistake him without an infallible spirit; and if he doth tell me true, and I do not apprehend, or receive it so, I am still in a bad case. And yet it is evident that the words f an infallible Judge, or interpreter, may be mistaken. For our Blessed Saviour himself was misunderstood, both by the Jews and by his disciples sometimes. And what shall we say then of this pretended infallible Judge on the seven hills, who is often a man of the weakest understanding, and not always of the greatest clearness of expression, and who doth not know truth himself? For sometimes he hath excused himself from judging i na case in Divinity, by alledging that he was not bred a Di vine, and therefore did not understand the question. And yet methinks knowledge is somewhat necessary in order to Infallibility. Besides, if a man should by chance speak a very true sentence, but doth not know what it means, and therefore cannot explain it to me, I may easily mistake him, or apply what he saith to an improper purpose. For words are ambiguous, and some men's notions are found to fit things so well, that they often take the one for the other. And yet if there be any need of this infallible Judge, there will be constant need of him; it will not be enough for him to speak now and then iu a general council, but very often or always to sit, and have ap plication made to him, according to their own principles, and ways of arguing, because there are new disputes and questions, and heresies that are raised almost daily (for if the Pope can give any one standing rule for resolving all doubts and defining doctrines, we shall be apt to think that God may have given this himself in Scripture and this would spoil his trade) and if a man. hath not this infallible Judge ready to resolve him, be he never so desirous of knowing truth, he may die in heresy, and his case then must be very bad, so that there is an absolute necessity of a man's living very near the Pope, or else he can have no tolerable security of himself, but he may be in some considerable error. And the people of Rome must be the only happy people in this life, that only are sure of the true Catholic Religion, as living so under the : K Vol, XIII. Churchm. Mag. for July, 1807. constant constant droppings of Infallibility. And yet I believe Rome is the last place in the world to which the priest would send you, to make you a good Catholic. But how if it happen after all this, that this old gentleman at Rome, dare not speak even what he thinks, for fear of angering this or that party, French, or Spanish? or when a question is put to him, as concerning the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin, he sees that if he determine it either way, he shall lose, or at least disoblige, a very powerful and qumerous order, and therefore useth all the tricks of tergiversation and delay that can be, that he may not be forced to decide the controversy; as we know it happened within these seventy years? If this gentleman did know more than other men, what would his knowledge signify if he be afraid to own or declare what he knows? Therefore let them decide their own controversies first, by this their infallible Judge, before they pretend to impose bim upon us. Will any man believe me that I have an infallible cure for the gout, when he sees me lie groaning under it all the year round? And therefore not till they have determined among themselves the question of the Immaculate Conception, of the Power of the Pope besides or without council, and convinced the French king and clergy of the Pope's Infallibility, and absolute unlimited Authority, and of the nullity of the liberties of the Gallican Church, shall we ever think they believe themselves, when they say the Pope is infallible; or if he be, I am sure it is to as little purpose as if he were not. So that Infallibility is only a long word to amuse people." The following excellent remarks on the Duty of attending our own Parish-Churches are particularly feafonable at this time, when too many members of the Church are in the habit of going with their families to hear popular preachers, thus making religion little better than a matter of amuse ment. "And as I thus conscientiously forbear the going to any irregular unlawful Assemblies, though only out of curiosity, because my very being there but once, and out of no bad design, is a giving them countenance and encouragement (for number and company is always encouraging) and is also a putting myself out of God's protection, by tempting him in running myself into evil and danger, which he may justly suffer me to fall into: So also, I am very scrupulous of leaving my own church at all, or going to any other church or regular congregation. For the thus running to other churches, generally argues a vanity of mind; it is oft the mother of schism and faction, and rather tends to advance popu larity, than true religion; it gives a very bad example, it discourageth my own parish congregation, and I do not think it is so likely to have a blessing from God. For God will give his blessing to us especially where he himself hath placed us, and in regular ways. be he being the God of order and not of confusion. And I am sure I have at least as good prayers, and the Word of God itself as pure, as I can find it in any other church. And though it is possible I may hear a neater and more elegant sermon there, yet besides that I do not think there is so much religión, properly so called, in hearing sermons, they being not so much in reference to God as to ourselves, and for our own benefit; I say besides this, if at my return home from such a sermon, I sit down, and consider what I have gotten by my wandering, I shall find, that rather my curiosity and fancy are gratified, than piety and devotion advanced in me, and that I am rather pleased than instructed, or made either wiser or better." The editors of the Churchman's Remembrancer have fendered an acceptable fervice to the interests of found religion, in reprinting this judicious and convincing tract, and we hope that it will have as extenfive a circulation as the former editions had. A SECOND LETTER to the Right Honourable Lord VISCOUNT Howick by the Author of, Unity the Bond of Peace, &c. 8vo. pp. 72. Rivingtons. HE acute and energetic writer of this letter, though he partakes in the general fatisfaction produced by the defeat of the late miniftry on the fubject of what is called The Catholic Queftion," is apprehenfive that it may be confidered "rather a truce than a victory.' པ་ He expreffes the deepest gratitude to our beloved monarch, for his fteady and unalterable attachment to the church; but at the fame time he laments that on the part of the people there has not been an equal proportion of zeal for preferving the barriers of the Conftitution, which by one claufe of the bill were to be entirely fwept away. "It should not have been left," says he, " to the single voite of Majesty to decide so momentous a question; it should not in future be considered as dependant upon a casting vote. His Majesty should never be placed in such a situation, as that he must bear all the blame of those who might seek, and be disappointed in their aim, to subvert the national religion. Such is the love and veneration that I have for his sacred Majesty, that I would not have The first Letter was reviewed in our Number for March, page 229. it to him that I am indebted for that preservation, which I owe at this time to the wise and seasonable exertion of his prerogative. My own love and veneration for the constitution itself, equally dear to me as to him, ought to have been awake, and sensible to the first touch which the nerves of that constitution might receive from the hostile hand of the reformer. There are two other branches of the constitution: to these we ought to look as well as to our sovereign for the protection of that constitution, whereof they form constituent parts. Every senator, nay, every individual in the nation, is interested in its preservation, and should be watchful to prevent all encroachments and innovations that endanger the constitution in church or state. Had they done this it would not have been left to their sovereign to stand in the gap between them and his ministers. Had the people, to whom it belongs, by their representatives, to watch the first motion of every measure that is connected with the great principles of the constitution, come forward in the earliest stage of your bill to oppose the passing of it, as they now do to express their obligations to his majesty for doing it for them—had but the city, now so ready to join with their grateful countrymen in the praises that are due to the defender of our faith, done what they might to defend it themselves— had the people at large felt the interest which they have in this question, his majesty could never have been exposed to the trying situation that he was. Those painful feelings which he has been forced to endure in the defence of the constitution, might have been spared; you and your colleagues might have been still in office; and all animosity and contention, so hurtful to the public interest, and so distressing to every true friend of his country, might have been avoided. Indeed, if you had not been well aware of that great indifference, miscalled liberality, which prevailed among all ranks of people, you would never have attempted to bring forward such a measure as a minister, whatever you might do as a private member. You would have known that it must be instantly reprobated; that yourselves would be ranked among the disaffected; and that no confidence could ever after be placed in your measures. To this it is that must be ascribed the attempt that has ended in your fall, and from which alone it is that at some future time you will be more successful, if you should bẹ so disposed. "The people must take their share in the blame as well as the ministers. His majesty, amidst all the proud trophies of a nation's gratitude with which he has been surrounded on the occasion, might with a smile of conscious superiority, "a countenance rather in sorrow than in anger," give this short answer to all the addresses that have poured in upon him, "GO AND DO YE LIKEWISE." "In giving so little merit to the people, or rather throwing so much blame as I have done upon them, at a time when they are perhaps |