The National Register.
London, England, 1809-04-16 00:00:00

254 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. APRI

Cbc papa.

----- The Pulpit, and 1 name it filled
NVitti !wit-Inn .we, that hids ;vie %veil lieware
With what hire I touch that holy thing!
There stand, the ine ..‘eager of truth; there stands
The Legate of the Skies!—ii Theme di% ine,
His office balCred, hi. eredentiabi clean-170%1'MM

LECTURES ON TIIE Lrruß G
Commenced February the 11th, and on March the `?l+t Terminated,

By G. AN DIU,NV LS, D.D.
or
Sr. JAMES's CHURCH, IN PICCIDILLY.

APPREHENSIVE of innovation, notwithstanding they
were solicitous for reformation, the Reformers of the
Church of England did not effect what otherwise they
might have accomplished. Many illustrious characters,
communicating within the pale of its establishment,
have, age after age, regretted the incompleteness of the
protestant reformation ; and of these some have propoed,
at various times, to review and a:iend our national liturgy.
it is not probable, however, that this measure would now
be productive of the advantages which it was supposed
were to be derived from it. Almost the same considera-
tions which induced its primitive reformers to avoid the
extreme of innovation, seem to apply, with equal force,
at this day, to the ceremonies and discipline of our national
church. Crown with its growth and strengthened with its
strength, it appears highly ineligible to shake those habits
and affections by which the people of this country, during
a critical succession of ages, have been uniformly induced
to prefer and protect the established religion of their
forefathers. It is rarely possible to do whit we call the
best. Communities, no less than the individuals which
form them. must submit to see their wishes lirnted by
events, and their operations circumscribed b‘ ordinary
computations. Our reformers, resembling in this our law-
givers, may say,—as did Solon, when he was asked whether
be had given the Athenians the best of laws We gave
them the best of those institutions that they would have
received.
Enough is now suggested, though more might be urged
to the same point, to explain the causes of what many pious
people regard as defects in our Liturgy ; and to chew, that
to efface from it such defects, by explaining. difficult por-
tions of it, by obviating objections made to it, and by en-
forcing the ordinances which are contained in it, as well as
displaying the excellencies which abound throughout it,
requires no gammon teacher, but one vs ho, while tanglit
by truth, is also perfectly acquainted Ns ith theological
distinctions.

The first of the series of Lectures on the Liturgy, by Dr.
Indrewes, of which I am about to speak, mas the

COMMINATION AGAINST SINNERS.

Sunddy Evening, February the lgth.—Perhars it ought
to be premised, when I am entering upon the performance
of this part of my task, that, whatever was Me atte:dion
paid by me to the subjects of these soccesiive d'vourscs,
I have retained, excepting what memory may reproduce,
ehing more than some short notes of ail that fell from
ninettt preacher whose opinions it is become my
ice to examine. I trust, nevertheless, that he will
reason to accuse me of having mis!akeii hi; posi•
and that even as to words, where it shrill.,,,,in proper
,at his words, it will be confessed !hilt I listened lo
th the solicittult± to which he i 4 iroFspetr:oly
must be often recollected, in excelpaiion Of TII
that to stand in crowded chnrehez, some!imei
!ed from the pulpit, and sometimes where duo: s are
12: anti shutting at you; back, is not the most eligible
In for the purposes of retentive hearing. DICORVC-
IeS ruck as these, with many wort:, arc what thc.ser.

ther touier the Gospel than under the Law, blessini
cleat) or cursing, it may seem surprisieg «hv we sh
delight in any religious ceremony. which in the leas!
pears to militate aoinst the merciful dispensation u
which it is tint- glorious privileTe to •° live, move.
have our being !" Christianity furnishes the best

I, 16.

mon-hearer feels himself continually subjected to, in mix-
ing with the extensive congregations of this met: opolis.
Rowland Hill, eccentric as is the general style of his san-
tit( gnome, once justly remarked, referring to the mysteries
which are acknowledged to characterise revealed religion,
" that there is such a thing as getting os er things." Now,
if this be true of Divine Revelation itself, it applies with
still more force, with an almost irresistible force, to many
of those pious systems, creeds and prayers, drawn by hu-
man reason from 4he sources of divine wisdom. It is there-
fore oftner found easier to get over the difficulties insepa-
rable from those systems, than to explain them ; and hence
it happens, that- wisest expounders of theological for-
mularies, anxious to do more than enough, frequently ex-
cite, by the excess of their zeal, almost as many doubts as
their wisdom appeases.
Highly as [ respect the abilities and acquirements of the
present Rector of St. James's, and it some time since became
me sincerely to express my opinion of him, 1 cannot say
that his late parochial Lectures on our Liturgy properly
satisfied sonic of those scruples by which many legitimate
believers are still induced to demur to certain portions of
the Occasional Cffices contained in the Book of COMMOD-
Prayer.' Dr. ndrewes, indeed, seemed particularly unsa-
tisfactory, however ingenious, in his solution of the objec-
tions so often urged against the office of Culmination against
Sinners ; which, though last in our spiritual ordinances,
formed the subject of his first lecture. Is it possible to ac-
knowledge the Justice of the Curses contained in this Office
of the Church, without implying condemnation to our-
selves ? Well might it. be retorted, upon each of those who
join in this Service, —" Out of thine own mouth will 1 con-
demn thee!"—Where is the man, or the %vomits, that liveth
and sinneth not ? Should it be shown, by any felicity_ of
explanation, that we do not imprecate, using this office,
on ourselves, the punishment doe to the transgressions of
which, more or less, every individual must here own the
commission, still another perplexity occurs. If only those
who are without sin arc to cast the first stone at °Tenders,
where i 3 the soul that can with any truth denounce, as it
were, upon his fellow-sinners, the Curse of the Law of God ?
By avowing the justice of the curses recited, in the ('ommina-
lion Sinners, we, however, do virtually conkss
ourselves obnoxious to them ; by our rintett,we do, think as
we may, confirm them personally ; and, so confessing and
confirming them, do we not, in fact, implore those
denunciations which we declare ourselves to. " have
most, righteously deserved i" Theic are not imaginary
things. Every parish priest experiences the reluctance
with which his parishioners are brought to celebrate even
the annual obv.,rvance of the established Commutation
Againq Sinners.' Plain minds cannot enter into the
sided' ies of theologiam; are% if
.joined with kind hearts,
take alarm at the custom of religiously assembling toge-
ther, at stated times, for the purpose, as they think, of im-
precating vengeance en themselves, and denouncing it
against their fallible fellow-creatures. The " general sen-
tences cif god's cursing against. impenitent sinners," I
ink; the most trving portion of the present Commma
Against Sinners,' arc, it will he found, collected prineit
From the Old Testament, To us, therefore, who liv

mentary on neuteronomv.
1 have been unnsuallv explicit on the Office of Cal
ngtign chain' .*,illners, because it is an office which nt
Members of the Church of England disapprove ; an:
cause it does not strike me, as at all indispensftble cith
the prosperit y or security of thisecclesiastical establishme
It is now little used, and sill less olwrved. Let it'
strive for straws. Instc:id of wishing to reinstate the
gulntions of the •• primitive church," meetly asthey

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