TO THE RIGHT REV. FATHER IN GOD,

RICHARD,

LORD BISHOP OF OXFORD, DEAN OF CANTERBURY,

AND

CHANCELLOR OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER,

THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED

WITH A FEELING

OF VENERATION FOR HIS SACRED ORDER,

OF DUTIFUL SUBMISSION TO HIS DIOCESAN AUTHORITY,

AND OF GRATITUDE FOR KINDNESSES RECEIVED,

BY HIS LORDSHIP'S

FAITHFUL AND ATTACHED SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR.

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FIRST

EDITION.

HE present Volume originated in the following way : It was brought home to the writer from various quarters, that a prejudice existed in many serious minds against certain essential Christian truths, such as Baptismal Regeneration and the Apostolical Ministry, in consequence of a belief that they fostered notions of human merit, were dangerous to the inward life of religion, and incompatible with the doctrine of justifying faith, nay, with express statements on the subject in our Formularies; while confident reports were in circulation that the parties who advocated them could not disguise even from themselves their embarrassment at those statements. Moreover, it was suggested, that, though both these lines of doctrine had in matter of fact been continuously followed out by the great body of our divines for two centuries and more, yet such historical considerations did not weigh with men in general against their own impressions; and that nothing would meet the evil but plain statements on the subject argued out from Scripture,-statements which, if not successful in convincing