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charge delivered in 1797, having mentioned it as his fentiment, and "affigned his reafons for thinking, that the growth of fcepticism and infidelity in the Christian world, is chiefly to be afcribed to an almost universal lukewarmnefs and indifference in Chriftians, refpecting the effentials of their religion, the peculiar grounds of their faith, of their hopes, and their fears;" and, having obferved how exceedingly it concerns the clergy to inform themselves, "whence arifes this unchristian lukewarmness," he adds, "Upon the moft diligent view of the fubject, I am perfuaded, that lukewarmness in religion is, in a great measure, to be ascribed to the following caufes:" and then specifying four, one of them is,- “An INFREQUENCY IN THE PULPIT of those fubjects which conftitute the PECULIAR DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY."-On this caufe, therefore, his Lordfhip continues particularly to expatiate, and urges upon his clergy the removal of it, with the utmost force of pious eloquence and zeal.

And is there, after all, no ground for this complaint? Do not these distinguished Heads and Champions of the church, after "the most diligent view," understand the fubject? Or are they guilty of "grofs mifreprefentation ?” Is this "the raving of enthusiasm?" Or will the British Critic and Mr. Daubeny call this "the reviling of fectaries?" Men may indeed say what they please, and when they please contradict at one time what they affirm at another. Thus however does it appear,

That one class of these Divines in vindicating fuch a condu&t,-another in confeffing it, and our Bishops in lamenting it, confpire to establish the fact, in oppofition to our Affailants, that many of them have not adhered to the obvious doctrines of the articles; or in other words, do not preach fo evangelically as thefe forms :And thus, on the other hand,

(i) Page 21. (k) Brit. Crit. September, 1797, p. 302; Guide to the Church, p. 324; 378.

do we profefs to adhere to their plain meaning; thus is it confessed that the articles lean to our fide of the question; and thus do thefe eminent Prelates recommend, with all their energy, the very ftyle of preaching by which we are characterized, for which we are calumniated, and which only we would here vindicate.

The importance of our subject, however, it is presumed, may juftify its more full difcuffion. Let the reader then only exercise a little patience, and he shall be fully fatisfied on the question.

The REAL SENSE OF THE ARTICLES, AND DOCTRINES OF OUR REFORMERS inveftigated, and appealed to, on the question.

SECTION I.

The true interpretation fought, from-our DIFFERENT FORMS as they illustrate and explain each other; the TITLE, and PREAMBLE annexed to the articles; the CIRCUMSTANCES and OBJECT of our reformers; their OTHER PUBLIC and apPROVED WRITINGS; and the AUTHORITIES they respected.

MUCH, it has appeared, is done to show, that the articles are not to be interpreted according to their literal and obvious meaning; but that less is often intended in them than feems to be expreffed. The moft orthodox of our opponents contend for this extenuating conftruction of fome of the articles. Is there then really any ground for it? "The meaning of the Articles," the Antijacobin Reviewers have allowed," is undoubtedly to be fought from the framers of them." Is there then, in reality, any evidence, or any prefumption, that the framers of our articles did not mean to be understood according to the natural, obvious, and full fignification of their words?

Men's words are the ufual channel through which they discover what they wish to be known of their intentions. And no men, it is prefumed, have afforded greater proof of their abhorrence of every fpecies of duplicity and prevarication, than the original framers of our articles did: no occafion could be more adapted to call forth their integrity into its full exercife: no fet of men ever used greater deliberation, or difcovered greater feriousness in any undertaking.

(a) January 1800. p. 19.

ley, &c

(b) The Martyrs Cranmer, Rid(c) See Burnet's Hift. of Reformat. Vol. ii. p. 93, 155,

405. Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. 273.

Befides, we have here their public profeffions and declarations on these fubjects, upon different occafions, under different circumftances, and in a variety of forms. The articles, homilies, and liturgy of our church, are three diftinct fpecies of writings. They were compofed at different times, and, in fome refpects, for different purposes. And yet, in point of doctrine, they uniformly breathe the fame fpirit, and express themselves with the fame degree of force. No one of them contracts the ideas, or by any means leffens the import of the reft; but, when compared with honefty, and understood according to the common rules of interpřeting written compofitions, each mutually illuftrates and confirms the full, and natural fenfe, of the others. In this light they were uniformly confidered by the great characters who reviewed, and examined them, at their first establishment; and, whatever may have been urged to the contrary from a few detached paffages, he must be a very superficial Theologian, who confiders them thoroughly, and does not perceive the fame exact harmony in them now. To the great disturbance of fuch Divines as Archdeacon Paley, the doctrines of the articles are "woven with much industry into her forms of public worship.". This circumftance, therefore, muft materially affift us in difcovering the original fenfe and intention of the whole, and leaves little room to doubt but it was that which is moft obviously suggested by the words, when understood according to the common ufe of language applied to fuch fubjects.

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If, however, a doubt could remain of the Design of fuch words, fo repeated, and under fuch circumstances, even that would be removed by the Title which the Articles bear. "To form an additional barrier," as the Antijacobin Reviewers well exprefs themselves," to fix exprefsly what was fufficiently fixed already by its own quality, to fhut the door for ever against fuch fophiftry," as that of Dr. Paley

(d) See Strype's Eccles. Memorials, p. 32, 84, 85, 210; Act of Uniformity; &c. (e) Above, p. 20.

and his approvers, "the very articles themselves are averred by the very convocation which framed them, to be framed for AVOIDING DIVERSITIES OF OPINIONS, and the establishing of confent touching true religion ".""

Now furely the authors of these forms of doârine, must have best known their own meaning and intention in them." And while they have fo unequivocally declared, that this was their object, it must be an extraordinary mode of reasoning that can now prove the contrary. But how could this end be obtained, or even hoped for, if they did not, as clearly as poffible, discover their Intention by their Words? In what other manner was it to be collected? How otherwife was this uniformity of doctrine to be established, and propagated through the nation? It does not indeed, by any means, appear from hence, as fome have perversely argued, that their ideas of confent extended to every fubject, and every opinion, that can poffibly enter the Theologian's mind. They had, no doubt, immediately in view, the great fubjects then in controverfy, and upon which they profefedly treated in thefe Articles; and on each fubject, the extent to which they have expressly decided. But fo much they must have intended by the phrase: This their avowed object rendered neceffary; and this is that for which we contend.

But our argument receives a ftill further confirmation from the Royal DECLARATION, which is prefixed to the articles. This, which, like preambles in general, was made for the exprefs purpose of teaching us the right method of interpretation, has determined the matter in the fulleft manner in which words can poffibly determine any thing. It fpeaks of the literal meaning of the faid articles, as "the true and ufual" meaning. It prohibits us from "varying or departing from them in the leaft degree," or from "affixing -And what is not a any NEW SENSE to any article.".

(f) Jan. 1800. p. 19.

(g) The Confeffional; Frend in his

Letters to Bishop Pretyman; and others who wish to difparage fub..

fcription to human forms.

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