doubt but we fhould be told, that we wounded the church and religion through their fides. We fhall therefore content ourfelves with recommending to them to confider, how far this ridiculous felf-contradicting cafuiftry may have been inftrumental in giving diffenters a contemptible opinion of our church and her difcipline, and in making our holy religion itfelf (though in reality it has nothing to do, either with the cafuifts or the cafuiftry) the fport and fcorn of infidels.

I do not doubt, but fome perfons will be curious to know, how it was poffible for men fo famous in their generation, who were fo learned, judicious, and penetrating in other things, and who all thought they were driving the fame nail, to be fo contradictory and inconfiftent, not only with each other, but even with themselves? Let fuch curious enquirers know then, that all these experienced workmen were endeavouring to repair, and daub with untempered mortar, certain ftrongholds and partition walls, which it was the defign of the gofpel to throw down and to level. An attempt of this fort could hardly be more agreeable to the divine will, than the building at Babel. And no marvel. that the craftsmen fhould meet with the like fuccefs. That is to fay, that their language fhould be confounded, and rendered unintelligible both to each other, and to all who are otherwife concerned to understand it.

It is true thefe particular doctors, are all gone off the ftage. But they have left plenty of difciples behind them, who affect to fpeak the jargon of their refpective mafters. And it is certain, that, while our fubfcriptions continue upon the prefent footing, there will be no end of accufing on one fide, or of recriminating on the other. Let us, at length, come to fome temper with each other, and, if a form of words cannot be agreed upon, which every Chriftian minifter may fubfcribe willingly, and with a good confcience, let us join in a petition to the legislature, that the expedient propofed, not long ago, in one of our monthly pamphlets, may receive the fanction of law; namely, that the affair of fubfcription fhould henceforth be confidered in no other light, than as an office of infurance for our respective preferments.

In the fixth chapter our Author examines the fentiments and reafonings of thofe writers who have pleaded for a latitude in fubfcribing to the articles and liturgy of the church of England, upon the fuppofition that every proteftant church must act confiftently with its profeffing to affert and maintain Christian liberty. This he acknowledges is the moft difagreeable part of his undertaking, namely, that of declaring, and giving reafons for his diffatisfaction with fuch arguments, as the fons of truth and liberty have offered, by way of juftifying their compliance with the church in this demand of fubfcription to her liturgy and

articles.

• When

< When we confider, fays he, the irrefiftible force and perfpicuity of that reasoning, by which fome of these worthies (when debating the question concerning church-power in the abstract) have demonftrated the unreasonableness of that demand, as well as the inconfiftency of it with the profeffions of every proteftant church, one cannot but lament, that, to the laurels they gained in that disputation, they did not add the glory of becoming confeffors to their own principles, and of rather declining the affluence of a plentiful income, or the figure of a superior station, than accept of these emoluments on conditions, which must have been impofed upon them with fome violence to their inclinations.

It is true, fome of these have faid, that "the reasonablenefs of conformity to the church of England is perfectly confiftent with the rights of private judgment *." But they must only mean, of their own private judgment. For it is well known, that others who diffent from the church of England, are clearly juftified in fuch diffent, upon those very principles which thefe conforming writers have laid down; and confequently, the nonconformity of the one is juft as reasonable as the conformity of the other. On the other hand, it is equally well known, that the most eminent and successful defenders of our church-establishment, are they who have attacked thefe principles of liberty, and have proceeded upon the fuppofition that the private judgment of individuals ought to give way to the authority of the church; being well aware that, if these theories of Chriftian liberty are allowed to ftand upon a firm foundation, it would be impoffible to vindicate the church of England, with refpect to the particulars of her conftitution. And therefore I must own, I never could fee how the authors and defenders of these theories could make their conformity confiftent with the enjoyment of their rights of private judgment, otherwife than by fuppofing that it might be reasonable for them to fubmit to conditions, which it is unreasonable in the church to impofe.

In the mean time, their adverfaries have long and loudly accused them of prevarication, in complying with the church; which, whether the accufation be juft or not, has certainly taken much from the influence they might have had, both with the true friends of Chriftian liberty, and the partial and prejudiced retainers to church power. On which account it has been a great misfortune to the prefent generation, and will be a greater to the next, that thefe gentlemen did not ftand aloof a little longer, till they had tried at leaft what conceffions the church would have made them, rather than have wanted their fervices,

Dr. Sykes's Answer to Rogers's Visible and Invisible Church of Christ. p. 6.'

7

which,

which, under all difadvantages, have been fo great an honour and an ornament to her.

• What might not the firmness of an Hales or a Chillingworth formerly, or more lately of a Clarke or an Hoadley, have obtained for us by this time? Which of us all, abused and vilified as these men have been, by bigots of different clafies, would have wished to have feen them in another communion? And who is he that will affirm, the church established has loft nothing by depriving these champions of the power of adding to their victories over the fpiritual tyranny of Rome, a complete and folid vindication of her own doctrine, difcipline, and worfhip?

But that day is paft and gone beyond recall; with this cold comfort indeed, that thefe worthy men have left their principles to those among us, who are inclined to profit by them. From thefe principles, compared with their practice, we cannot but judge they were under fome small restraint, touching the subject now in hand. And if it should be found, upon a fair examination, that, for the fake of preferving the appearance of confiftency, they have fet their apologies for fubfcribing in a light which has thrown back the real truth into fhade and obfcurity; it is but juftice to bring it once more forward to public view; if haply a circumstance in our discipline, which has more or less. turned to our reproach with diffenters of all denominations, may at length be either quite difcarded, or put into a condition fit to be owned by every honeft man and fincere proteftant among us.'

In the feventh chapter our Author endeavours to discover whence the practice of fubfcribing the 39 articles in different fenfes, was derived; and by what fort of cafuifts, and what fort of reafoning it was first propagated, and has been since espoused. -In the last chapter he fums up the account, and confiders to what it amounts.

Before we take our leave of the prefent work, (on which we could with pleafure have enlarged farther, had our limits permitted) we think it incumbent upon us, as friends to liberty and freedom of enquiry, earnestly to recommend it to the attentive perufal of our Readers. The main fubject of this performance has, indeed, been often difcuffed by writers of the first diftinction for learning and abilities; notwithstanding which, our Author, by his extenfive knowledge of our ecclefiaftical hiftory and constitution, and by a variety of interefting anecdotes, has treated it in a manner equally inftructive and agreeable. There is little profpect indeed of his fecing the fcheme of reformation take place, which he feems to have fo much at heart: the consciousness, however, of doing every thing in his power to forward this good work, must give him great satisfaction, and render him the object of the esteem of every confiderate, impartial,

and

and public fpirited Reader. In regard to the dignitaries of our church, they would do well to reflect, that every work of this kind must create and strengthen prejudices against them; and that the time may come, when, in order to fecure their temporalities, (if that be their great object) they will be glad to favour the views and wishes of the friends of REFORMATION.

But how much rather were it to be defired, that they would bear in mind the falutary hint from our Author, already quoted; viz. “That the church will not get half so much CREDIT by a REFORMATION into which he is COMPELLED by an unwelcome NECESSITY, as would attend her undertaking it FREELY and of her own BOUNTY."

R.

Fourteen Sermons preached on feveral Occafions. By Thomas Secker, L. D, now Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. 8vo. 5s. Rivington.

TH

Leven

HESE Sermons, half of which have appeared separately before; are on the following occafions.

Sermon I. Preached before the University of Oxford on Act Sunday, July 8, 1733.

II. On the 30th of January, 1733-4.

III. On the death of Queen Caroline, 1737

. IV. Before the Lord Mayor on Eafter Monday, 1737. V. Before the House of Lords, on the 29th of May, 1739. VI. Before the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1740.

VII. At the Anniversary Meeting of the Charity Schools, 1743.

VIII. On Occafion of the Earthquake, 1750.

IX. On refigning the Rectory of St. James's Weftminster, 1750.

X. Before the Governors of the London Hofpital, 1754. XI. At the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Societies, 1754

XII. Before the Society for promoting English Protestant working Schools in Ireland, 1757.

XIII. On the fifth of November, 1758.

XIV. On the Anniversary of his Majefty's Acceffion, 1761. The 1ft, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th and 12th of thefe fermons have been published before; the reft are now, for the first time, communicated to the public. From the 8th fermon, as it is one of those that had not hitherto been printed, we shall felect a specimen of the most Reverend Author's pulpit compofitions. This dif courfe is on the fubject of the earthquake, and the text is Pfalm, ii. 11.

ii. 11. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice unto him with reverence. Thus it opens- The paffion of fear is an extremely neceffary one for all creatures, whofe good or evil depends on their behaviour: for it prompts them inftantly to avoid whatever would harm them: and accordingly God hath given it a ftrong and deep root in human nature. But as our frame is difordered throughout, we are liable, in this refpect, as well as many more, now to exceed, now to be deficient: and fearing too little, on fome occafions, is the cause of our fearing, on others, much more, than elfe we fhould need. Religion, if we permit it, will regulate all our inward feelings to our prefent and eternal advantage: and is particularly ferviceable, not only in exciting, bat directing, and moderating this. Without religion, there may be endlefs alarms. Were not the world governed by infinite juftice and goodness; every person, that would, might, in multitudes of cafes, do any hurt to others, with impunity and all mischief of all kinds befall us, however innocent, fingly or jointly, through the whole courfe of life, unalleviated by a profpect of recompence after death. Nay indeed, as nothing hinders, but that, if it were poffible for us to exift without God here, it might be poffible hereafter too: there could be no certainty, that death itself would end our fufferings, or even would not increase them. But the knowledge of a gracious and wife providence entirely fecures us, if we believe it as we ought, not only against all imaginations of inexorable fate and blind chance, but all real detriment from the worst efforts of men or devils. For if God be for us, who can be against us? It is very true, religion banishes these objects of apprehenfion by fubftituting in their room another, unfpeakably more formidable than them all. I fay unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body; and after that, have no more, that they can do. But I will forwarn you, whom you shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed, bath power to caft into hell: yea, 1 fay unto you, fear him.

And did not reafon

afford us hope; and fcripture, affurance, of his accepting and rewarding us, on moft equitable terms: our condition under the divine government would be furrounded with incomparably greater terrors, than any other poffibly could. But fince we know the means of obtaining his Favour, in this life and the next: if we will but use them confcientiously, the Awe, which we cannot but feel, of an Almighty arm, will be fweetly mixed with faithful truft and thankful love: and thofe things, which give others the moft grievous difturbance, will not need to give us the leaft. Fear ye not their fear, reither be afraid: but fanctify the Lord of bots, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread: and he shall be a fanuary. First therefore learn REV. May, 1765.

A a