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us and our GOD." "Our sins have withholden good things "from us." The essentials of a Church we have by many merciful interpositions still preserved to us; they are only matters denoting the highest privileges, royal gifts, that are withdrawn: the two Sacraments are retained on the very ground of their being essentially "necessary to salvation;" we have the Body and Blood of CHRIST "the strengthening and refreshing of our souls;" we have "bread to strengthen man's heart," "and wine that maketh "glad the heart of man," but have not the "oil to make him a "cheerful countenance'," such outward demonstration of joy being for faithful sons, for "the royal priesthood," and not for such

as we.

If we may judge at all from the ALMIGHTY's former dispensations with mankind, may we not suppose that this may be the case in the scheme (to speak reverently) of redemption, viz. that as with individuals, so also with Churches, there are different degrees of grace according to the use of former gifts, as there are different mansions of glory hereafter? Though doubtless in the last and lowest dispensation, it may be true of individuals that the last may be first, and the first (i. e. in privileges), the last (i. e. in final acceptance).

I cannot better explain these various positions in which Churches stand with regard to the Divine gifts, than by adopting for illustration an expression of Origen's respecting individuals. He seems to imagine, that each person has a guardian Angel assigned to him, but that if he shows himself unworthy of his heavenly guide, he is consigned to the care of an inferior Angel; but that on the contrary, if found worthy, he has a still higher and better guide given to be with him; and that this continues to be the case through life. This may illustrate what I mean by the case of Churches. No one can doubt but that we have been, if we are not now, on the very point of being committed as a Church, to an Angel, so to say, of far less and lower privileges. For what was said by Bucer of the use of anointing, might almost be applied now to the two Sacraments, viz. that though

1 "The oil of gladness," Ps. xlv. 8; Heb. i. 9.

he doubted not the Catholic practice, nor the edification if received with reverence, yet such reverence to receive them as conveying great spiritual gifts was lost. To our own Church, therefore, in the mysterious fulness of Divine truth, the warning may be given, which was said to Israel of old :

"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, "and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared. Beware "of Him, and obey His voice; provoke Him not: for he "will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in Him." (Exod. xxiii. 20, 21.)

PART II.

LESSONS OF OBEDIENCE INTRODUCED INTO OUR LITURGY.

1. Recapitulation of the general point of view in which the subject is treated.

BEFORE again entering upon the particular consideration of this subject, it will be expedient to keep in mind the point of view in which it has been our object to look upon the whole of the question. It must be remembered that nothing is said in approbation, or in censure, of these alterations. Some might be disposed to think that the changes in the Second Book of King Edward, brought about through the advice and influence (though, perhaps, not the open instrumentality) of foreigners, were opposed to the spirit of the previous declaration intended against Rome, that each Church was to regulate its own internal affairs; that it had not so much the free and spontaneous concurrence of the Church itself; and that therefore this Book had not the high sanction of the former. Or it might be supposed that any innovation at all on the ancient forms of worship savoured of irreverence, for it is written, "Remove not the ancient landmarks "which thy fathers have set," and that it therefore endangered the Church's forfeiting the blessing attached to the fifth commandment, which promises the strength of earthly inheritance to honour paid to parents; for it is a kind of parental authority which sacred antiquity claims over us. It is an easy matter now to think thus ; but, considering the state of the times, it should rather be ever remembered as the interference of a most merciful Providence, that any thing ancient was retained through those convulsions. The reverence for antiquity which guided our alterations was the admiration of foreigners. This Grotius remarks in terms of praise; and Casaubon1: and Bucer himself could not but approve the first Book as agreeable to primitive usage as well as to Scrip

1 "In Angliâ vides quam bene processerit dogmatum noxiorum repurgatio; hâc "maxime de causâ, quod qui id sanctissimum negotium procurandum suscepere, VOL. V.-86.

D

ture1. Add to which the corrupt innovations which had been inserted into the ancient worship, rendered some change not only excusable but necessary, and occasioned at that period a great difficulty in ascertaining what was clearly Catholic. There was not, as abroad, the hand of Uzza; not unauthorized instruments raised to support the ark of God; but it was ever, as it moved from place to place, in the keeping of the Priest and the Levite. If therefore the work were necessary, and if in the fabrication of the material tabernacle, in which the ALMIGHTY was pleased to dwell, He called the workmen "by name," and " filled them with

"nihil admiserint novi, nihil sui; sed ad meliora secula intentam habuere oculo'rum aciem." Grotii Epist. ad Joan. Corvinum.

"Si me conjectura non fallit, totius Reformationis pars integerrima est in "Angliâ; ubi, cum studio veritatis, viget studium antiquitatis: quam certi "homines dum spernunt, in laqueos se inducent, unde, nisi mendacio, exuere se 66 nequeunt." Isaac. Casaubon. Ep. Claud. Salmasio, quoted by Bishop Jebb, Practical Theology, p. 37.

1 The first committee of Bishops and Divines in the first year of King Edward VI. was appointed to 66 compose an uniform mode of Communion according "to the rules of Scripture, and the use of the Primitive Church." And the commission at the Savoy conference in the time of King Charles II. was “to compare "the Common Prayer Book with the most ancient Liturgies that had been used in "the Church, in the most primitive and purest times." So that from first to last our Church has sanctioned no other rule of guidance but that of Scripture and Catholic antiquity combined; and our altars have not been made, to use an expression of Bishop Taylor, " of unhallowed turf." And that up to that period the forms and modes of worship were of a traditionary nature, appears from their very names, as "The Salisbury Use, the Hereford Use, the Use of Bangor," &c. and that the people were familiar with them is indicated by an apology in the Preface to Edward's Book for the necessity of their reading" upon the book, "whereas before, by the reason of so often repetition, they could say many things "by heart." And that previous to the formation of these Liturgies, Divine Worship was regulated by traditionary use appears from this, that Gregory (A. D. 500) whose Sacramentary seems to have been the foundation of them, thinks it necessary to apologize for making some alterations and additions to the Collects, for which he pleads the sanction of a custom in the Greek Church. To which it may be added, that Mr. Palmer traces some of the Collects beyond that of Gregory to the Sacramentary of Gelasius, 494 A.D.; and to that of Leo, still more ancient. Nor is it at all apparent that St. Jerome, to whom the selection of the Epistles and Gospels is attributed, acted himself, without this restraint of traditionary custom.

"wisdom and understanding" for the work, surely we ought not to doubt but that in this most sacred undertaking a Divine control and superintendence was not forfeited. It was surely the part of a pious Israelite to hold in honour each part of that material work, though he knew not the significative emblems and deep meanings which it contained; and as succeeding ages more and more opened and revealed them, to inquire into each particular with reverence. While he saw on the retrospect indications of Divine Wisdom, in what he had before ignorantly but religiously revered, in pious adoration of the mysterious workmanship, he thought not of the name of Bezaleel, the son of Uri, though of the more favoured tribe of Judah, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, though of the less honoured tribe of Dan (Exod. xxxi.) who formed it. Surely with feelings akin to this, we may retrace the particulars of our own mould of worship, knowing not how much of heavenly import and providential admonition may secretly be hid, not only in the candlestick and the table, but even in the rings and the staves, (Exod. xxxviii.) the varied fringes of the garment, and the blue ribands.

2. Duty of considering these changes as a Divine work.

There are passages in the Gospels which we cannot fail to remark as intended beforehand against certain evils which should afterwards prevail. We cannot, for instance, but discern in the frequent repetition throughout the 14th and 15th chapters of St. John, of expressions respecting the "keeping of the com"mandments," as the only sign of Love, a prophetical warning against the evils of fanaticism; and a no less distinct denunciation anticipating the errors of Popery on more than one occasion; first, in our LORD's words respecting His holy mother; and, secondly, in those words, "It is the SPIRIT that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing;" which seem to provide against harsh definitions of His mysterious presence in the Eucharist, concerning which he had been speaking throughout that chapter. (St. John vi.) To which may be also added, the remarkable insertion of the word "all," in the delivery of the cup, "Drink ye all of this." (St. Matt. xxvi. 27.) If this be the case, as it is natural to suppose, may we not conclude that in some degree also His control