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the author's diligence and fidelity. A revision of it, with the advantage of his own scrutiny, the suggestions of friends, and addition. al materials, may render it a more finished production. Some characters may be omitted without detriment, and others advantageously introduced. The Spartan may, in some instances, seize his plunder with adroitness, and conceal it with more dexterity. Were the author, whose style is generally neat and pure, to use the words of others less, his work would be more homogeneous, and more his own; and would therefore better stand the test of the statute laws of Athens, by which it will be tried, and the common law of Sparta, to which he himself has appealed.

Caution recommended in the application and use of scripture language, a Sermon preached July 15,1777, in the cathedral church of Carlisle, by W. Paley. Reprinted, Hilliard and Metcalf, 1809.

THIS little tract of only eleven pages could hardly be deemed worthy of consideration, did it not appear under the justly respected name of Dr. Paley. It is to be lamented, that a regard to his reputation should not have prevented this old sermon; which has long slumbered in forgetfulness, from being brought again before the public; for that such a sermon, so contradictory to the articles of the church of Eng. land, should have been preached by one of the incumbents of that

church, and in the audience of one of its bishops, is a circum. stance, which might perhaps

overwhelm an honest and candid man with surprise.

It is the design of this sermon to show, that certain titles, phrases, &c. found in the New Tes tament, tament, which have generally been supposed to be applicable to Christians at the present day, or to express doctrines of perma. nent and unchanging truth, were in reality applicable "solely to the situation of christianity at its first institution." The author introduces four illustrations of his principle. In his first il. lustration he says, that at the time the Scriptures were written baptism was only another name for conversion, because none were baptized but converts; and he then adverts to the impropriety, at the present day, of the synon. ymous use of those words. This caution was perhaps necessary in a church, which says of every baptized infant, that it is, "regenerated with the Holy Spirit;" but how the preacher, a member of that church, should suggest this caution, and yet at every baptism be willing to read a ser. vice, which contradicted his own belief, is somewhat wonderful, if it is not singular. He does not seem, however, to be correct in his supposition, that the Scrip tures use the word baptism in the same sense as conversion; for thi passages quoted,* do not eving this, as any one will perceive who will take the trouble to ex amine them. If he had said, tha the fathers called baptism regen eration, his statement could ne be denied.

Mark xvi. 16; Acts xxii, 10;
Titus iii. 5.

Under his second illustration, he considers the terms "elect", "called ", 66 saints", and the phrases in Christ" 66 a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people," as used only to distinguish the professors of christianity from the rest of mankind, particularly from the heathens, and he asserts, that the same titles are now very obscure in their application to the whole body of Christians, because there is not a very perceptible union among them; and because they do not dwell among heathens, with whom they may be compar. ed. To apply these titles to individuals, or to a party, he says, is "extremely disgusting to the sober part of the professors of religion." In support of his position, he declares, that the word convert or converted may in many places be substituted for the above mentioned words, or phrases, without any injury to the meaning. If the author means by a converted man one, who is renewed by the Spirit of God, and rescued from his natural selfishness, is rendered holy, there will be no controversy with him; but if he means, as it appears he does, merely a professor of christianity, his rule will be suf. ficiently tested by applying it to the following passages. "Do' ye not know, that the saints [the professors] shall judge the world?"'* "Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."+"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" "sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus

*1Cor. vi. 2. Coloss. i. 12. Rom. viii. 33. VOL. II. New Series.

"The

Christ, and called."§
dead in Christ shall rise first."
Similar passages might be multi-
plied without end. Now let any
one substitute professors in the
place of saints, &c. and say
whether the absurdity, which
would thus be introduced into
the Scriptures, does not demon-
strate the incorrectness of the
principle, laid down by the
preacher?

In his third illustration be en-
deavors to prove, that the words
foreknow, predestinate, choose,
elect, &c. relate only to a new
society of men, who were to take
the place of the rejected Jews,
and not to individuals; and to
the events of this life, and not to
the final destiny of mankind.
Upon this hypothesis perhaps the
following passages would be o
bliged to undergo a transmutation
in order to exhibit good sense.
"Whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate, to be con-
formed to the image of his Son,
them he also called and justified,
and glorified."** Unless it be
supposed that all who enjoy the
new dispensation, that is, all
professing Christians, are justi
fied, and will be admitted to fu-
ture glory, how will any one,
on the principle in question, vin.
dicate the truth of this portion
of Scripture?
of Scripture? "According as
he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and with-
out blame before him in love."++
"No man can come unto me,
except the Father, which hath
sent me,draw him." "Having
predestinated us to the adoption

$ Jude 1.
** Rom. viii. 29, 30.
Eph. i, 4. ## John vi. 44.

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of sons." "He hath mercy, on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."+ Unless these passages, without violating the rules of sober crit. icism, can be reconciled to the principles of the sermon be fore us, those principles must be regarded as of little worth.

Our author says, indeed, that the absolute appointment to sal. vation or perdition, independent of ourselves or any thing we can do, lays the axe to the root of all religion; but if he had diligent. ly considered the above recited passages, he would have found, that such a doctrine is not a doc. trine of Scripture; for the sacred volume declares the means to be ordained as well as the end, and teaches that the "elect" are appointed to "do" something in this world as well as to inherit eternal life. If he had also made himself acquainted with the opinions of those, whom he was op. posing, he would probably have discovered, that they did not ad mit any predestination, which was not supposed to conduct men to uprightness of conduct and be nevolent exertions.

The fourth and last illustra tion is very similar to the second. Because the change from heathenism, or from the Jewish religion to christianity was great, and presented new prospects and inspired new hopes, therefore the authorsupposes, that the phrases 66 new creature," 66 new crea. tion," "born again of God and of the Spirit," &c. express only the reception of christianity, and have no reference to the agency of divine power in renewing the sinful heart. If it be asked, he says, what such expressions of

* Eph. i. 5. † Rom. ix. 18.

Scripture mean; “ we answer, nothing; nothing, that is, to us; nothing to be found or sought for in the present circum stances of christianity;"

Yet this is the preacher, who at the close of his sermon, claims to be a minister, "not of his own fame or fancies, but of the sincere gospel of Jesus Christ!” Yet this is the vicar of Dalston, who by subscribing the articles of the church of England, had openly and explicitly declared his belief, "that original sin is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man-whereby man is ve ry far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own na. ture inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in ev. ery person born into this world it deserveth God's wrath and damnation; and this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated, &c.," "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;" " works, done be fore the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God;"" predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those, whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honor. Wherefore they, which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called accord

ing to God's purpose by his Spirit, working in due season."

&c.

In what light will the honesty and integrity of the man be considered, who subscribed these ar ticles and yet printed the sermon under review? And was this man Mr. Paley, who has himself minutely explained, and forcibly inculcated the principles of moral rectitude, and who has demonstrated the truth of the Christian system? It was indeed Mr. Paley; but the sermon was published when he was a young man, before his patience of inquiry had brought him nearer to the truth, before his maturer observations and the lessons of experience had made him think more correctly; and we may add, before the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death.

In this sermon, printed first in 1777, he says that only to turn from heathenism to christianity was all that was meant by the phrases," to be dead to sin, and alive from the dead," "to be born of the spirit" &c. and that these scripture expressions can. not be applied to men under the present circumstances of christianity. But age, and we trust the grace of God, brought to him wis. dom. After the revolution ofthir ty years he was called from life, and he left behind him a volume of sermons, which has lately been presented to the public. In this volume, written, when the presumption of youth had pass ed away, he says, "death in St.

Paul's epistles hardly ever signi fies a natural death, to which men of all kinds are equally subjected; but it means a spiritual death, or that perdition and desstruction, to which sin brings men in a future state."

p. 291.

"With what but with the operation and the co-operation of the Spirit of God as of a real, efficient, powerful, active Being, can such expressions as the fol. lowing be made to suit? "If so be, that the Spirit of God dwell in you."

"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption." ""The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit." These passages either assert or assume the fact, namely, the existence and agency of such a Spirit; its agency, I mean, in and upon the human soul," p.303.

Thus speaks the aged Dr. Pa. ley; but if young Mr. Paley had been asked in the year 1777, what was the meaning of the above recited passages of Scripture, whether they expressed any influence or agency of the Holy Spirit upon the sinful heart? He would have said, "No, they mean NOTHING!"

Why is this old sermon, which the author in his last days would have been ashamed to acknowl edge, and which he must have wished to be suppressed on ac. count of its errors, not to say of its most fatal perversion of religious truth; why is this old sermon just at this time repub. lished? We submit the question to the reflections of our readers.

PROCEEDINGS

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

OF THE SOCIETY IN ENGLAND FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDCE IN FOR

EIGN PARTS.

THE Subscribing and corresponding Members of the Society are now upwards of 3174; of which number, 194 subscribing members were chosen since the publication of the last account; and 71 ladies have like wise been admitted on the list of annual subscribers.

A

The receipts during the year have amounted to 13,923l. 9s. 5d. of which upwards of 5,000/. is derived from dividends of funded property. great part of this sum, viz. 8,000. has been expended in Bibles and other books for distribution; about 2,000l. in stores, salaries, and gratui. ties for the East-Indian Missionaries; and about 1,2007. in printing an edition of the Welsh Scriptures.

In the course of the year, 1689 packets were sent to subscribing and corresponding members, consisting of 4,476 Bibies, 12,930 New Testaments and Psalters, 17,867 Common Prayers, 19,572 other bound books, and 120, 157 small Tracts, some in half binding, and others stitched.

The number persons baptized by the baptist missionaries in India down to November 1807 was 123, near a hundred of whom were natives, chiefly Hindoos, with a few Mahometans. Nine were of the Brahmin cast. This conversion of learned Brahmins, this triumph over men in the most elevated cast, must afford great encouragement to the pious persevering missionaries.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

EAST INDIES.

THE following is an abstract of the Society's account.

Mr. Pazold reports, that Mr. Henry Horst, who for many years had

been employed in the concerns of the mission, had at length received the ordination of the Lutheran church, from the hands of the worthy senior of the Society's missions, the Rev. Mr. Pohle, with the consent and ap probation of the brethren Kolhoff and Holzberg, and himself. "Mr.

Horst," he observes, "certainly deserves it, being a man of considerable literary attainments, as well as of good moral character, for which he is greatly esteemed at Tanjore. Our excellent brother Kolhoff bestoweth great praise on him, and seems to be of one heart and one soul with him. They are now labouring together, in the vineyard of the Lord, with an exemplary zeal and activity."

The notitia transmitted by Mr. Pazold for 1806, are as follows.

At Vepery, in the Malabar congregation, 25 infants and 9 adults baptized, 4 marriages, and on Easterday 102 communicants: In the Eng lish and Portuguese congregation, 36 children baptized, 17 marriages, and 96 communicants. At Negapatam, 15 children of European extraction, 1 Malabar child and 2 Malabar adults, baptized; 12 marriages, 65 Portuguese and 19 Malabar communicants. At Sadras, &c. 7 children of European extraction baptized, and 7 communicants.

The Rev. Mr Pohle, in a letter da. ted at Trichinapally, the 16th of Feb. ruary, 1807, states, that in the course of the preceding year there had been in that mission, and at Dindegal, 21 baptisms amongst which were 5 of adult heathens, and 3 converts from popery, 4 marriages, 159 communicants, about 50 English scholars, and about 30 Malabar scholars.

The Trichinapally congregation of Portuguese and Malabars amounted to 334 souls, which together with about 30 at Dindegal and Madura, made 364. As officiating chaplain of the garrison of Trichinapally, he had had 32 baptisms, and 18 mar riages, the communicants having been 13. Since the departure of the

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