The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

Suljectf., influenced bit vAneulica-1

violalon of that law

truth, would not, could no►, con,ent to absolut submis-
sion to the human ruler, irrespective of the Di%itie
Thus, one of the pure principles of evangelical truth is
enlightened subordination ; or, in other words, submission
to God's authority considered as a whole, both that part
hich is embodied in the constitute d ruler, and that t art

ordain( d of God pays due practical attention to the law
revealed by God, all is easy and orderly. The same is
true of ecclesiastical rulers. They are ordained of God ;
but He who has ordained the tower has also revealed the
law under which that power is to govern, and has corn-

to search the Sctiptures. The tower, therefore, is not
absolute, but admittiptrative. 13i&hops, i❑flnenccd by

evangt,

ruth, would

not ak

solute ; bec

not siOt to

chur, h to be acquainted with holy scrpture, and they
cuuld not expect them to consent to any violation of holy
scripture. Members of the church, idluenced by evan-
gelical truth, would not and could not consent to be .bso-
hotly submissive to a bishop, irrespective of the Bible.
Thus, one of the pure principles of etatißelical truth is

rulu,ra.:Lint ..... v,, err l/1111,1 BIJIJUsIeD
to God's authority consich red as a whole. both to that
part of it which is embod ed in the bishop, and to that
part of i• which is expr( ssrd in the Bible. While the
bishop ordained of God pays due practical newd to the
revealed law of God, all is easy and orderly. Evangelical
truth is safe, and evansel cal wen are obedient : thankful

for tie executive efficacy of the episcopal cffice, and
thankful for the legislative limitation of holy scripture.
Thus we distinguish between vri absolute and an ad-

tr.inistrative epi,copney

An absolute episcopacy can

therefo►e an anxious desire of such an Episcopacy must
ever be to keep the Bible, as much as possible, from the
members of the Church; or so to mingle it with inte-

mead as to neutralize.it; te;timony against their usur-
pations. Here we recognise the hierarchy or Ronne. An
admini.trative Episcopacy cannot dispense with the Bible.

The Bible is at once the warrant and the lirnita ion of its
authority ; the cha►ter and the boundary of its jurisdic-

bers as well as to the governors of his Church, and that
an apostle recognising in the members a right and a ca-
pacity to compare what he said with what was already
written by Divine inspiration, said to them, ' I speak Ti
to wise men, judge ye what I say." [One or two inci-
dents in the history of the Society were here referred to
for illustration.] And thus we are brought to tue still
more important matter of doctrine. A primary principle
of evangelical truth is, that in every real Christian, for-
giveness of sins precedes Christian character ; thatit is
bestowed, not earned ; that it is received by faith antece-
dent to any Christian works ; and that no other principle.
except the faith which appropriates free forgiveness, can
produce really Christian works. This stands in marked
cintrast with every false religion, and with every perver-
sion of the true. They all inculcate character first, in
order thereby, and by suffering conjoined, to procure at
last forgiveness of sins. Christianity in its purity pro-
claims forgiveness of sins first, in order by that enjoyed,
and by communion with God consequent therefrom, to
produce character. [This was illustrated at length, by re-
ference to the Hindoo superstitions,.and their parail.lisms
in Popery and Tractarianism, and the line taken by the
Church Missionary Society again vindicated.] He closed
with an earnest appeal for an enlargement of the funds.
and called on all present to double their subscriptions.
The doxology was then sung and the meeting separated.