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may be given, and that this title is occasionally applied to him under circumstances where it must have been designed to convey the idea of divinity. The truth of this is confirmed by the most ample and convincing testimony, which I shall state, for the sake of perspicuity, under separate heads." P. 381.

It will be proper to specify the several divisions of the argument, with an occasional proof and illustration.

“ Christ was a Son before his conception.

"Col. i. 15. The Son who is the first born of every creature.' The chief difficulty lies in ascertaining the meaning of paToToxos, which has been variously explained as may be seen in the Synopsis of Pool, or the Cure of Wolfius. One thing is certain, that it cannot mean according to the Arians the first made creature,'

as by him all things were created,' v. 16. and the Creator of all things cannot be a creature. My opinion coincides with that of those commentators, who understand the words as meaning 'begotten before every creature,' i. e. before any created being bad existence. For in the first place, this interpretation suits the context better than any other. In illustration of the truth, that Christ is the 'first-horn of every creature,' the Apostle adds, that 'by bim were all things created,' which evidently implies that Christ was begotten before the existence of any creature. Secondly, TOWTOTOXos literally signifies first born, or first begotten, and understanding po, which is included in it to govern the genitive Tσ, the whole phrase is most naturally explained, ‘ being begotten before every creature. Thirdly, this term occurs in eight other places of the New Testament, and always conveying the notion of first born, with perhaps one exception. (Heb. xii. 23.) Fourthly,

all the ancient versions take it in the sense

of first born, and so it was explained by

most of the ancient fathers. This interpretation, so strongly supported, may be regarded as undoubtedly the true one, and it supplies a striking testimony to the eternal filiation of our Lord.' P. 383.

The miraculous conception recorded in the Gospels is substantiated and confirmed, not only on the

proper evidence of the authenticity of the respective narrations, but by various allusions in the writings of the New, and by distinct prophecies in the Old Testament.

"Christ is emphatically called a Son. "Matt. xxvi. 63. The high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. The terms the Christ,' and the Son of God,' are frequently connected together as in this passage, from which circumstance it has been inferred that they are synonymous. Were this the case, the Sacred Writers are guilty of an idle and unmeaning tautology. It may surely be urged with greater reason, from their being so often joined together that they are not equivalent expressions. The arrangement also denotes some peculiar excellence in the latter, which is not particularly expressed in the former. The appellation Son of God,' in the Socinian sense was applicable to any pious individual, and if it were used in that sense in connection with the title 'the Christ,' which was restricted to him alone who was to be the Messiah; the arrangement would be, tell us whether thou be the Son of God, the Christ.' The very reverse of this being adopted, shews that the Christ' was the title of an office which was to be sustained by him who is in a peculiar sense the Son of God." P. 403.

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God is emphatically called the Father of Christ. Christ is O MONOTENHE, the only begotten. Confessions were made in Christ as the Son of God, and as the Son of God distinct from the Messiah. The title of Son of God was understood by the Jews to imply Divinity. The title of the Son of Man also implies Divinity.

It is a strong ground of assured and confirmed faith in the Catholic doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, that it harmonizes with the natural and literal interpretatiou of the whole Bible, that it is the only doctrine which a plain unsophisticated mind can collect from the Sacred Volume. The Socinian method of detaching text from text, and of introducing figurative interpretations upon every occasion, may authorize the deduction of any inference from any words, and may lead to the establishment of Atheism or Deism upon inspired authority. It is a leading character of Mr. Holden's argument, that every position is established on the authority of the Scripture interpreted critically, and

in harmony with itself and with other Scriptures, and while his intimate and familiar acquaintance with the original languages peculiarly qualifies him for these investigations, it enables him in the conclusion to argue upon the distinguishing style and structure of the New Testament, and to strengthen his previous argument in favour of the literal interpretation.

"The fact is undeniable, that the figures in the New Testament, are neither so multiplied, nor so lofty as in the Old: and that the style of the Apostles approaches nearer to that of European writers. In the choice of the Greek tongue as the medium of communication they surely designed to be intelligible to those who understood that language: and therefore their productions, with the exceptions of the passages manifestly tinctured by their Jewish education, must be understood according to the forms of speech customary among the Greeks. Now, the commentators upon the literary remains of classic antiquity, are agreed that the literal and grammatical sense is never to be rejected without absolute necessity; and hence, the laws of sound criticism forbid the interpreter of the New Testament to depart from the literal meaning, except where the language is clearly and unquestionably figurative. This cannot be asserted to be the case with the passages relating to the person and character of our Saviour, unless upon the previous assumption of his being only a human prophet, that is, an assumption of the very thing to be proved. In this mode of argumentation, the disciples of Socinus are wonderful adepts, and in truth Unitarianism is necessitated to adopt all its subtlety of criticism, all its artifice of paraphrase, and all its dexterity of sophistry, to gain a feeble support from the volume of inspiration, An expression clearly intimating the Deity of Christ, is represented as metaphorical; a phrase of the like import is stated to be a common Jewish idiom: and a description which invests our Lord with the Divine attributes, is reduced to a mere oriental figure. Thus the clearest and most express declarations of his eternal divinity, are explained away; and though the judgment cannot acquiesce in the strained and far-fetched gloss, we are compelled to admire the ingenuity of torture, by which the writings of the Apostles are made to speak a language so repugnant to their obvious meaning. Our faith on the contrary rests upon

the literal testimony of Scripture; and as divine revelation was given of God for our guidance in doctrines, and in practice this testimony is sure and incontrovertible, it is that upon which the mind can repose in the confidence of truth.

"If the Unitarian exposition of the Sacred Records is to be admitted, how shall we account for a phraseology so dark and enigmatical in the lowly followers of Christ? Our adversaries cannot deny that the divine characters appear to be ascribed to Jesus in numerous passages, many of which cannot be made to be any other sense without the application of the greatest critical subtlety. Now on the supposition of our Lord's being a created being, what reason can be assigned why the Apostles should speak of him so ambiguonsly? Why should they constantly and uniformly apply such language as to readers of plain and common understandings conveys the idea of his divinity? As there is no conceivable motive for describing in mysterious terms the person and character of their Master, their expressions, it is reasonable to suppose, were designed to be understood in their literal and obvious signification; and in that signification, they represent him as strictly divine and uncreated.

"We may go further and affirm, that the Sacred Writers could not speak of Jesus in such elevated terms, had he been only a human being. As men of sound understanding, as men of integrity, anxious to delineate our Saviour in his true colours, they would have told us plainly and explicitly, that he was only a man highly favoured of heaven. They could not, consistently, with a regard to veracity, have used expressions so liable to be mistaken, especially as the subject of their discourse was neither difficult nor obscure. In discussing matters of profound research and abstruse science which require a penetrating and sagacious mind to comprehend some degree of obscurity can scarcely be avoided; but in treating of a human prophet there is no occasion for the employment of ambiguous terms. On the hypothesis of our Lord's simple humanity, nothing were more easy than to avoid every expression incompatible with this view of his character and office. And this course the Apostles would have undoubtedly followed, as every page of their writings and the whole tenour of their lives demonstrate that their object in writing was to inculcate truth, and not to palm a deception upon the world. Yet they do frequently describe their Lord and Master in such terms, and ascribe to him such

offices and attributes, as apparently imply divinity. Had they believed him to be only man, how can this be reconciled with their character of unimpeached honour and veracity? How shall we account for the adoption of a phraseology which has led almost the whole Christian world to reverence and adore Jesus as their God." P. 449.

"Besides these general arguments against the Unitarian exposition, a multiplicity of particular reasons has been given for receiving in their literal acceptation, the passages produced in proof of our Lord's participation of the divine essence. It were unnecessary to recapitulate the observations already made upon individual texts: but the preceding chapters demonstrate (such is the unshaken conviction of my own mind) that according to the true principles of interpretative criticism, there are many express testimonies to the divinity of Jesus: that there are still more of an indirect kind, which, as they arise from

oblique allusion, and comparison of Scripture with Scripture, cannot be evaded by philological subtlety: that divine titles are ascribed to Christ; that divine attributes are applied to him; that he is the efficient Creator of the universe; that divine worship is directed to him; and that he is the Son of God with respect to his divine nature. What remains then, but that we humbly receive the literal testimony of Scripture, and with devout hearts acknowledge the essential divinity of Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour?" P. 458.

The volume is concluded with a copious index of texts, illustrated in the course of the argument, which few men will consult without a resolution of their doubts, and a confirmation of their faith in the plain and orthodox interpretation of the Scriptures.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

Society for the Propagation of the

a confident hope, that it will not be found deficient in interest.

Scarcely had the last year's Report been

submitted to the General Meeting, when cipated, to the amount of no less than

the arrival of the Books, as had been anti

275l. 148. 10d. and at a cost to the Parent Society of 365l. 188. 7d. afforded the Committee ample means of answering the va rious demands, which had been made upon them. Boxes of Books were accordingly dispatched to the District Committees at Montreal and Missisquoi Bay, both of which

Gospel in Foreign Parts. THE Anniversary Meeting of this Society was held in the vestry of Bow Church, on Friday, February 15, present, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, Gloucester, Llandaff, Lincoln, St. David's, Exeter, and the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen, and a large assemblage of Clergy and Laity. The Sermon was preached have since received a second supply: to by the Lord Bishop of Llandaff; and we should proceed to lay an abstract of it before our readers, did we not hope soon to see it in very extensive circulation, and feel confident, that any sketch which it might be in our power to furnish, would be totally inadequate to convey a just idea of the merits of the Discourse itself.

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the Missionaries recently established at Rivière du Loup, and in the District of Gaspé; to the Rev. J. Jackson, at William Henry, and to the Rev. B. B. Stevens, Chaplain to the Forces at Fort George, in the Upper Province, as well for the use of the troops, as of a small, but zealous congregation, to which he officiates at Queenston. The Townships of Ernest Town and Matilda, and the new Military Settlement at Perth, in the Upper Province, and the Township of Eaton, and Settlement of Drummondville, in the Lower Province, have likewise been partially supplied through their respective Missionaries. Confirmation Tracts were also distributed to all the Clergy of the Diocese, by the Rev. the Official of Lower Canada, preparatory to the visitation of the Lord Bishop; and every opportunity has been taken of circulating the Books and Tracts as widely, and

making them as generally useful as possible.

It might have been supposed, that the Bibles, Testaments and Prayer-Books, procured by His Majesty's Government from the Parent Society, and sent out as a second supply to this country last summer, would have materially diminished the demand for Books upon the Diocesan Committee; but this is so far from having been the case, that they have no small satisfaction in being able to state, that the sale of Books at the Depository, during the last year, has far exceeded that of the two former years together, amounting, in Quebec alone, to the sum of 1241. 9s. 7d. This circumstance is a source of the sincerest gratification to the Committee, as it proves, beyond all question, an increasing regard for the knowledge of God, and the interests of revealed truth.

The Committee regret to state, that they have received no information of the proceedings of the District Committees at* York and Kingston, in the Upper Province, since their first establishment; but they have much satisfaction in noticing the valuable exertions of the District Committees at Montreal and Missisquoi Bay, and repeating their acknowledgments to the Rev. J. Jackson, of William Henry, for his unremitting endeavours in collect ing contributions from his parishioners, for the purchase of Books and Tracts from the Society's Depôt at Quebec.

The Committee now proceed to notice the Central Schools at Quebec, and the system of education, which, by means of these Schools, it is their object to diffuse throughout the Province.

The public examination, allude to in the last report, took place shortly after it had been laid before the General Meeting, in the presence of His Excellency Sir Peregrine and Lady Sarah Maitland, the Lord Bishop of Quebec, and the other officers of the Diocesan Committee, and several of the most respectable inhabitants of this city. The children were introduced in classes into a part of the School prepared for the purpose, and examined in Spelling, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, the rudiments of English Grammar, and the Church Catechism. Various questions were also put to them, with a view to ascertain their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and the result of the examina

A most satisfactory report of the proceedings of the York District Committee, has since been received from the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Strachan, to whose zeal and assiduity the Diocesan Committee beg to express their obligation. “

tion, was, on the whole, highly satisfactory, the Institution being, at that time, quite in its infancy, and having had to contend with many and great disadvantages. The female part of the School exhibited a variety of samples of needlework, which were much approved of by the ladies present. At the close of the examination, Sir Peregrine and Lady Sarah Maitland were kind enough to undertake the task of distributing the prizes, consisting of appropriate Books, selected from those circulated by the Diocesan Committee, to the boys and girls, who had most distinguished themselves by general good conduct, regularity of attendance at Church and School, and proficiency in learning.

Soon after this examination, a series of regulations for the government of the Schools, which had been drawn up with much pains and attention by a Committee appointed for that purpose, was presented to the public; and it is hoped that these regulations have not been without their effect, in the suppression of irregularities, and the encouragement of orderly conduct. To these valuable ends the indefatigable attention of the Ladies, who have been kind enough to act as Visitors, has also essentially contributed; and the Committee beg publicly to express their grateful sense of the benefits derived by the Institution from their vigilant superintendance.

The number of children of both sexes at present attending the Central Schools is boys, 168—girls, 100—Total, 268.

The Committee take this opportunity of making their grateful acknowledgments to the Countess of Dalhousie, for a donation of 107. for the purchase of clothing for the poorer children of the Female School, which her Ladyship has been pleased to take under her patronage; in addition to which, the sum of 31l. 16s. 1d. has been laid out, from other channels, since the month of November last, in clothing for the more destitute boys and girls, chiefly children of settlers, to enable them to attend Church and School.

It may not be improper here to men. tion, that a School was opened, during the winter months, in a Barrack-room on the Cape, for the reception of such children of the Emigrants, by whom the Barracks are occupied, as were unable, from various circumstances, to attend at the Central Schools. The number of these children, at one time, amounted to about 50, and they were supplied with Books gratuitously from the Society's Depository.

The Committee, in the mean time, have not been inattentive, as far as their means

would allow, to the dissemination of the National System throughout the Diocese. Several Masters have been partially instructed, and others perfected in the System, by attendance at the Boys' School at Quebec. Of these last, one has been appointed School-master at the new Military Settlement of Richmond, in the Upper Province, and the other placed in charge of a School of Royal Foundation at Philipsburgh, in the Seigniory of St. Armand; and a supply of the Books necessary to the introduction of the System, was, in both instances, gratuitously provided by the Diocesan Committee.

But the Committee have reserved the most important information, which they have to communicate to the public, to the close of their report. The venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, with their usual munificent liberality, have enabled the Lord Bishop of the Diocese to appropriate, for a limited time, 1007. sterling, per annum, to a fund for the erection of a School House; and his Excellency the Governor-in-chief, from whose valuable patronage in his late government, the Halifax Diocesan Committee derived such incalculable benefits, has been pleased to promise the Committee, not only a grant of a lot of ground as a site for the proposed edifice, but also a donation of 2001. from funds at his Excellency's disposal. The Committee, therefore, confidently hope, that they may be enabled to give permanence and res pectability to the Institution, by the erection of a suitable School-House, in the course of the ensuing summer.

The Committee have to notice, in conclusion, the accession of several new Members since the last report; and they would fain invite all, who have any regard for the faith they profess, to co-operate with them, not coldly and carelessly, but with all their heart, and soul, and strength, in the great-the important objects for which

they are associated.

Annual Report of the Montreal District Committee, in Correspondence with the Quebec Diocesan Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, for the Year 1820-21.

Ir is highly pleasing to state, that, not withstanding the unexampled depression of the country, the great number of strangers in distress, and the other public institutions in Montreal, which also depend entirely upon the voluntary contributions of the beneficent, twenty-three additional sub

scribers have been added to the former list; and that several of the former subscribers, who were not members of the Parent Society, have contributed the sum required for their becoming candidates for admission.

The Committee had the pleasure, in its first Annual Report, of announcing, that a school, on the Madras or National System, had been instituted, and it has now sincere satisfaction in being able to state, that the number of pupils has been gradually increasing. This will appear from the following statement:

The number of Scholars attending the School at the date of the last Report.....

The number since admitted,

The number that has received Instruction during the last Year...... Withdrawn

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54

61

115 48

The number now attending the School 67

About one half of these have received instructions gratis; each of the others, bas paid only from one shilling to three shillings and four pence a month.

The books which have been at the disposal of the Committee, have been either sold at reduced prices, or disposed of gratuitously. In making this distribution, the Montreal General Hospital has not been overlooked, from the consideration, that during the time when men are labouring nnder affliction, their hearts are more susceptible of religious impressions, that may be lasting.

New Church at Bombay.

BOMBAY, JUNE 23, 1821.-Our readers will learn with pleasure that the interesting ceremony of laying the Foundation Stone of the New Church at Poona, took place on the morning of Trinity Sunday,

the 17th inst. The site is on a commanding spot of ground, near the large tank, lected with a view to the accommodation and appears to have been judiciously seof the European troops, as well as the rest of the station. His Majesty's 47th regiment, and the detachment of artillery, were drawn up at day-break, to witness the ceremony, which the solemnity of the day, and the associations of our national worship established in this country, could not fail to render impressive. Prayers suitable to the occasion, were offered up by the Rev. T. Robinson, the Chaplain of the station; after which the Commissioner proceeded to read the following inscription from a brass plate.

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