The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE SCRIPTURES THE
GREAT PROTESTANT PRINCIPLE.
A SERMON,

PREACHED AT LEWIN'S MEAD CHAPEL, BRISTOL, ON SENDAY,
OCTOBER 4, 1833,
BY R. BROOK ASPLAND,

Browne, Bristol; Hunter, London; Poole and Co., Chester.
This is an excellent Sermon. The author embraces
the opportunity afforded by the celebration of the tri-
centenary anniversary of the printing of the first Eng-
lish Bible, to inculcate upon his hearers the duties
incumbent on those who profess to hold the great prin-
ciple established by the Reformation. That principle
he shows to be, not any religious doctrine or system
of doctrines, but the sufficiency of the Scriptures, and
the consequent right of private judgment. While he
does ample justice to the merits of the early reformers
in disseminating a knowledge of the Scriptures, he is
not blind to the errors into which they were led by
their excessive zeal for what they believed to be Scrip-
tural truth ; and points out, with peculiar force, the
consequences of the lamentable departure from their
own principles, of which they were guilty, in forcing
upon the reluctant conscience Creeds and Articles of
human fabrication.

At the present moment, when a cry of vengeance
has been raised against our Catholic brethren by in-
furiated bigots, and the celebration of that event which,
more than any other, ought to inspire sentiments of
brotherly kindness and charity towards all men, has
been converted into an instrument for setting man
against man, and stirring up the worst passions of. his
nature, it is truly refreshing to find a Minister of the
Gospel expressing, in eloquent language, sentiments
so truly liberal, so much in unison with the genuine
spirit of Christianity, as those contained in the follow-
ing passage :
" In behalf of the great and liberal principle of Protes-
tantism, that principle which we prize as our spiritual birth-
right, which we assert and justify in defiance of obloquy and
contempt from less consistent Protestants, in behalf of that
principle which has made us Protestants amongst Protes-
tants, I call upon you, my hearers, the descendants and
representatives of the earliest Protestant Dissenters in the
city of Bristol, to join with me in protesting against and re-
probating, as most unsuitable to the occasion, and disgrace-
ful to our name and cause, all intolerance and abuse of our
Roman Catholic brethren !
" We are right in the sight of man and God to judge
for ourselves. We are utterly wrong when we presume to
judge for them. To their own master they stand or fall.'
Knowing our own fallibility, we dare not be intolerant.
We pretend to no advantages which are not equally pos-
sessed by all who approach the word of God with a dispo-
sition and desire to receive the truth as it is in Jesus.'
Your ministers make no claim to be the regularly ordained
successors of St. Peter. Neither your ministers nor your-
selves dare to appeal to any internal miraculous workings
of the Holy Spirit, as a justification of intolerant censures
of brethren who differ. When angry zealots claim for their
unsparing denunciations, whether of ourselves or others, the
asserted sanction of the Holy Spirit within them, our only
answer and rebuke must be, in the words of a Christian
Apostle, The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
" In this spirit, then, and in this alone, let us observe
this day. Armed with this spirit, let us join the Protestant
ranks. Let us endeavour to do justice to all. We will
not confound the Roman Catholics of the present day, en-
lightened and improved as they are by the experience of
three eventful centuries, with the Roman Catholics of the
reign of Mary, any more than we will liken the ministers
of the Church of England of the present day (who, unfor-
tunately, arc not wholly free from the reproach of intole-
rance), to the Tonstalls of the XVlth, or the Lauds of the
XVIIth century. _

" We will joyfully celebrate the anniversary of a day,
which three centuries ago saw the full treasures of God's
word unlocked and opened to our countrymen. But our
celebration shall not be tarnished by unjust censure of any,
nor give utterance to the unbecoming language of triumph
over others. For myself (and I believe I may add, for my
colleague and the members of this Christian congregation),
I declare, that if the celebration of this day is regarded as
a memorial, merely of the triumph of the Protestant over
the Catholic party, I utterly separate myself from all par-
ticipation in a scheme which has in it more of pride than
religion, and more of vindictive party. spirit than of grati-
tude to God, the common and beneficent Father of all his
ehildren. Whenever I see manifestations of such a spirit
amongst (nominal) Protestants, I must confess I am smitten
with an unutterable feeling of humiliation. Enough, and
more than enough in the history of English Protestantism
is there without this, to distress and mortify the thoughtful
mind, and to subdue every feeling of triumph over our Ca-
tholic brethren.

" It is deeply mortifying to know that the hands of the
English Reformers, and of the early Protestants generally,
were stained by the blood of persecution. But more mor-
tifying still is it, at this advanced age of Protestantism and
Christianity, to see the same evil dispositions at work that
produced all these follies and crimes, and to know that there
are those who bear, and who pride themselves in, the name
of Protestant, who so little understand or respect the prin-
ciple of their profession, as to convert the celebration of
their possession of the Bible into the means and the occa-
sion of uncharitableness and hatred."

Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P., accompanied by his
wife and daughter, are, we understand, now in Birmingham,
on their route to the north.—Birmingham Journal.
Lord Aylmer gave a sumptuous dinner on Tuesday
at the George Hotel, to the Hon. Captain Rous and the
Officers of his Majesty's ship Pique. Another dinner was
given at the same Hotel on Wednesday by the Officers of
the Royal George (yacht), to Captain Lord Adolphus Fitz-
clarence ; and a third on Friday to Captain Seymour, by
the Officers of his Majesty's late ship Challenger. The
entertainments on each occasion gave great satisfaction.—
Hanzpshire Telegraph.
STATE PAPER OF F ICE.—Wo are gratified to
learn that the services of Mr. Robert Lemon, son of the
late Deputy Keeper, will still be continued in the State
Paper Office, Lord John Russell having appointed him to
the situation of senior clerk on that establishment. We
have no doubt he will pursue the same course as his late
estimable parent—so honourable to himself and so beneficial
to the literature of his country.—Literai;y Gazette.