Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

REVIEWS-LECTURES ON THE BOOK OF AMOS.

"At the same time, particular acts of injustice, such as that connected with the establishment of the opium trade with China, by mercantile influence with the government of this country; the manner in which, to a great extent, individuals and companies evade the payment of custom to whom custom is due:' the way in which money is often acquired by undue advantage taken of the necessity of the poor, or by fraudulent practices, some of which are occasionally brought to light; the sad and disgraceful end whereby such proceedings are often closed; all these facts, regarded as indications of the existence of a spirit of injustice, shew how necessary it is to follow a prophet like Amos, when he reveals to us the hidden workings of Divine Providence, and declares the certain ruin which, sooner or later will destroy the unjust and the unmerciful."

One more extract, and we must bring our very inadequate notice of this little volume to a close. It is taken from p. 98, and shows how well able is our author to treat upon the Romish apostasy, and to illustrate its corruptions of Christianity, by the abuse of religion, and the use of fond devices, found amongst the Jewish people :

:

[ocr errors]

"The particular sin here so awfully treated is an attempt to combine the worship of false gods with the worship of the true God. That they offered worship to the true God, is evident from Amos v. 22. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them.' They kept to the letter of the law in some respects, in bringing sacrifices every morning. Numbers xxviii. 3, 4, and tithes after three years,' see Deut. xiv. 28. The use of leaven in the thanksgiving-sacrifice was also clearly enjoined, Levit. vii. 13. The free offerings are also recognized and regulated in the law.

Levit. xxii. 18, 21. Deut. xii. 6. "They did what God appointed to be done, but they did it at Bethel and at Gilgal; they did it in the presence of images, and therefore their work was transgression, their repetition of service was a multiplying of transgression, and the language which was addressed to them on different occasions, shewed how utterly every such mixture was an abo'mination to God. If the Lord be God, follow Him,' was the language of Elijah to the people before this, and 'if Baal, then follow him.' And at a period subsequent to the time of Amos, Ezekiel

467

was commissioned to speak to them in God's name, and say 'Go ye, serve ye every one his idols,-and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me, but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts and with your idols.'

A religion like Popery may embrace much scrupulous observance of commandments enjoined in God's word, and yet the practice of it be nothing but a multiplication of transgression, because it violates some of the fundamental principles revealed in that word. 'Go to mass

and transgress, observe your fasts and feasts, procure your indulgences, practice your mortifications, make many prayers; bestow much in alms; and multiply transgression,' for while you set up the authority of tradition on a level with that of Scripture, while you offer adoration to the Virgin Mary, while you call a wafer God, while you teach the purifying power of purgatory, while you trade with an imaginary stock of human merit, while you set up the Bishop of Rome as the vicegerent of Jesus Christ on earth, you are mixing blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits' with the holy records and saving truths of the Bible, and God will not allow of any such contamination.

"An individual may do many things, and hear the word gladly,' and yet from day to day be transgressing and multiplying transgression. He may be setting up his works and worship in the place of Christ, and so widening each day the gulf between himself and 'the righteousness of God.' See Rom. x. 3. Or he may have clear views of the truth as it is in Jesus,' and yet be insincere, because the love of this present world' in some one of its many forms-money -pleasure-praise of men-sensual gratification, constitutes a rival to the autho-rity of the Saviour, and such a rival He will not brook. Service to be acceptable must be sincere; to be sincere it must be unreserved. We have a comment on the verses now under consideration, in our Saviour's own words; No man can serve two masters; ye cannot serve God and mammon !'

"How all-important therefore is true doctrine without admixture of error, and right principle without admission of unworthy motives in the service of God. The condition of those addressed in these verses was that of desperate persons, and yet it would seem that Jeroboam at first intended to keep up the remembrance of the true God, by the institutions which he established. He dared to pass by the

provision which God had made to secure the people from error in religion, and the consequences were fearful, in the rapidity, and all but universal extent, of the degeneracy which followed."

We would only remark, in concluding, that this Exposition contains mnch also to interest the classical scholar; and its author thus shows his reading to have been as comprehensive, as his sentiments are scriptural and his tone serious and devout. Such proofs lie scattered through the volume.

We now take our leave of the Principal of the Training College at Highbury; a position which requires, in a peculiar degree, sound scriptural, protestant doctrine, as well as diversified stores of learning; and well content shall we be, if we should find that we have succeeded in making these Lectures more extensively known; so admirably suited are they to the present solemn and eventful days, when Jehovah seems to be reckoning with nations, Churches, and individuals; and summoning all to reflection and repentance, to godly dealing and active duty, to watchfulness and prayer.

We had intended to append to these remarks upon Mr. Ryan's work, some brief notice of the deeply interesting memoir of one at whose feet our author loved to sit, viz., the Rev. Mr. Brock, Commissary of Guernsey, but this must be reserved, if the Lord will, for a future opportunity.

ENGLAND'S WANTS: An urgent Appeal to the Evangelical Members of the Church of England. By one of the Working Clergy. 8vo, pp. 31. London. Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.

We are always unwilling to take notice of anonymous publications, where there does not appear to be some cogent reason for the concealment of authorship. In a working clergyman, who styles himself as "one from the ranks," we can imagine some proper feeling of humility and diffidence, which restrains him from putting his name to an appeal which his conscience tells him that it is his individual duty fearlessly to make. We fear however, as we have again and

again stated, from this very fact, that, whatever be the circumstances of the

case, such publications as these fail in gaining that attention which intrinsically they may deserve.

After depicting the aspect of the present age, in its onward movement, the ceaseless energy of men, and the activity of Popery and infidelity, in their endeavours to subjugate the minds of a population which must be occupied either by the fear of God or the enemy of men,-the author of this pamphlet proceeds to examine the position and influence which the Church of England exhibits and exerts, for the right direction of the teeming mass of human souls.

Our "working clergyman" is not content to rest in the assumption—like too many of his brethren-that the Church in its present condition is capable of making head, either against the irreligion and Popery of the times, or the manifold evils which threaten the existence of the Establishment it

self. At page 5 he thus faithfully declares

"But the claim upon Christian exertion is yet stronger. The opponents of the Abuses Church of England are urgent. have been proved, and more, it is assumed, yet lurk in concealment; and professed enemies of the Church parade these abuses, and urge a full and an immediate reform. The premises are undeniable, the charges are indisputable, the abuses complained of are patent, gross, and to the last degree injurious to the efficiency of the establishment and the spiritual welfare of the people. But reforms pressed and carried out by the opposers of the National Church will issue in her overthrow; the cleansing will be by fire, a purgatory not for purification, but destruction. This consideration, then, yet more urgently forces upon members of the Church the danger of present apathy to her condition, and the necessity of applying themselves to the task of cleansing their sanctuary from all abuses, and thus making their position secure.

"Still more strongly are the cries of dying thousands urgent, calling to the servant of Christ, Come and help us.' Multitudes yet spiritually dead in our own land demand our care;-multitudes who never yet heard that only Name whereby man can be saved, or were cheered by the glad tidings of God's love, which alone can make wise to salvation; and those who,

REVIEWS—ENGLAND'S WANTS.

under the enlarged efforts of the last few years, have been roused from the spiritual lethargy, are reviving from the cold indifferentism, and are shaking off the heartless formalism of bye-gone days, become hourly more urgently clamorous for increased consideration and a larger measure of spiritual assistance."

With regard to the most important feature, the present provision for the spiritual wants of the people, the case is thus strongly stated, and ample facts are given in its support:—

"The spiritual condition of England is but too well understood by those to whom these remarks are addressed. Statistics have been constantly brought before them on the subject during the last ten or fifteen years. The Bishop of London's appeal for Bethnal Green, the reports of the Education Commissioners on the State of the Manufacturing Districts, the Bishop of Winchester's appeal for Southwark, the reports of the London City Mission, the Church Pastoral Aid Society, and the Scripture Readers' Association, have put the Evangelical body in possession of the leading features of the case. The statistics of crime confirm the truth of the impression these documents are calculated to leave upon the mind. And what are some of the more distinct portions of that impression? There are districts of vast extent or dense population with no adequate provision for pastoral superintendance. Masses are unprovided and uncared for; they grow up in ignorance of God, and, consequently, have no sufficient motive to induce the right observance of their duty to man: they live without God, they die without hope, and the cause of this, even where the clergy are resident and are all that could be desired, is plain. Yet large individual efforts are daily presented to notice. A noble band of devoted Christians is ready to every good work. Funds from private sources, for enterprises worthy of the nation's greatness, are forthcoming whenever solicited; and therefore, while appalled by the presence of great evils, we are not hopelessly discouraged for lack of tokens for good. But large and systematic, and, if possible, national efforts are required. Union is strength."

After pretty accurately detailing what duties should be embraced in

the daily life of a real working clergyman, the author of this pamphlet very properly concludes that

[blocks in formation]

469

the lay and nonconforming aid they can enlist to co-operate in the service of their common Master, they will find their hands always full."

We are happy to see that, while this author very properly asserts the responsibility of the Church to provide for the religious wants of the people, he is far from being a thankless recipient of all the aid that the dissenting ministry affords.

"One remark appears necessary, lest it should seem the exertions and existence of the nonconformists are ignored. But for their efforts, the spiritual condition of the country had been far worse than it is at present, and the burden laid upon the working evangelical clergy far greater than even now."

We have not room to extract the various sources of weakness which the author rightly judges prevent the Church from acting with efficiency; but the following is certainly a painful feature, though, we fear, far from exaggerated:

"A third source of weakness arises from the great ignorance of the very first principles of revealed truth prevalent among even the educated classes of society, and, it may be added, among many who are truly pious and desirous of strengthening Christ's cause among the people. Numbers who offer themselves as candidates for the office, not only of Scripture reader or schoolmaster, but even of the Christian minister, discover a most lamentable deficiency of an acquaintance, not only with the niceties of Biblical criticism or the subtleties of difficult controversies, but the distinguishing doctrines of the Church of England, and the fundamental verities of the word of God. An indistinctness of apprehension of truth characterises a large majority of Christian professors of the present day. It were well if this charge were one which could not be said to affect the evangelical clergy of our Church. But it is greatly

to be feared this fault is to be traced to the mild, lukewarm, indecisive, undogmatic tone adopted by very many of them; and the absence of a large, comprehensive, and commanding view of the Bible, and a vigorous, manly tone of

preaching, such as would show the man to be himself thoroughly persuaded of the certainty of the doctrines he proposes for the acceptance of his flock. There is a dwarfish littleness about the divinity

now current, which is ill calculated to establish believers in the faith, or enable them to give to every one that asks them, a reason of the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear. And how can it be otherwise, with men whose daily routine of duties, half secular, half religious, are such as have been now described ?"

We cannot afford space to extract at any length the remedies which our author suggests for the evils from which the Church is suffering, but they are set forth somewhat as follows:

1. The exercise of vigilance on the part of all, "to keep out of the ministry, all unconverted men, of whatever age, station, character, education, ability or party."

2. "In the case of worldly and unsound clergy," not to hesitate to seek the fullest and most authoritative redress.

3. The care to obtain a "due supply of godly and well qualified men to serve God in the ministry of His

Church."

[ocr errors]

4. The withdrawal of all "pecuniary support" "from all societies which are not in principle and practice thoroughly evangelical, and the strengthening the "position of those institutions which are based upon the strong foundation of God's written Word."

In Church Reform the following points are briefly touched on :

"1. The application of cathedrals to the support of a body of learned clergy, the education of schoolmasters, lay agents, and clergy, and the repose of aged and exhausted ministers of the Gospel.

"2. The Commissioners for the Subdivision of Parishes have stated, in their Second Report, that about 600 new churches, with separate parishes, are at this time requisite, in order to reduce the over-grown parishes within manageable dimensions. They recommend the sale of the greater part of the Chancellors' livings, in order to raise a fund for the better endowment of small benefices and the erection of the 600 churches abovementioned, Now, it will be the duty of Evangelical Churchmen to make an effort for the purchase of these benefices, and take such precautions as are possible for securing in future the appointment of faithful, laborious, and Evangelical ministers to these incumbencies.

"3. The applications being now made for the erection of Popish schools far outnumber those urged in behalf of schools under Protestant management. This must not continue. Let every one in his own neighbourhood endeavour to procure the erection and due working of schools, in which pure religion shall form the solid basis of education. Let every one promote the employment of an evangelical lay agency wherever the want or the opportunity for such an instrumentality occurs.

"4. Such a modification of the rubrics as would supply a third service in those churches where three services are solemnized on the saine day, would adapt the existing morning and evening services to the wants of the people, and tend greatly to popularize the Church.

"5. As to patronage, the variety allowed in our Church appears to afford the strongest security for the maintainance of sound and faithful pastors. But at present an increase of trustee patronage appears most desirable.

"6. For a suppression of superstitious practices lately introduced by the Romanizing Tractarians, we may look to the exercise of the Royal Supremacy; or, should that fail, we must have recourse to Parliament; while we individually endeavour to counteract their influence and discourage their adoption by the dissemination of Gospel truth, the exposure of the danger of the whole system, and the publication of information of an authentic kind respecting the sayings and doings of the party."

The author has thus concluded:

"EFFICIENCY and FAITHFULNESS are the present just demands of the lay people of England; and unless conceded by Church authorities and Church legislators, Church spoliation will become the order of the day, and a national desertion of that righteousness which exalteth a nation will speedily be followed by a fearful development of that sin which is a curse and reproach to any people. It is not a radical change in the Church's constitution, but a more efficient working of the present system that is necessary to satisfy the cravings of earnest Churchmen. It is not a revision of the Liturgy so much as more earnest faith, and more of the spirit of prayer in the use of it, that men really require. It is not the invention of a new, or the revival of an obsolete order of ecclesiastics that will meet the case. It is not simply an extension of the episcopate, or the creation of any given

REVIEWS WILBERFORCE'S FAREWELL LETTER.

number of stereotype deacons that will answer the demands of the age. But more working clergy, bishops, priests, and deacons,-men of spiritual minds, and devoted and consistent lives, having an unction from the Holy One,-are wanted to render the agency of England's Church adequate to England's Wants, and make her spiritual appliances commensurate with the spiritual exigencies of the population. These means, however, must be regarded as only ancillary to the supplications of God's servants. Then let Evangelical Churchmen lift up the prayer for the remnant that is left, that He who reigneth in righteousness, mighty to save, will stretch forth the right hand of His power, and pour down the rich abundance of His Spirit upon the people of His choice, that they confessing, with shame and confusion of face, that their works are not perfect before God, may strengthen the things that remain, and are ready to die, that so iniquity shall not be our ruin."

This is a pamphlet which deserves to be read and pondered over as well by the clergy as by all sincere members of the Church of England. We trust, that when this "working clergyman"again publishes, he will not only go deeper and more in detail into the Church's wants, but that he will give his brethren the benefit arising from the influence of his name and sphere of duty.

REASONS FOR SUBMITTING TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. A FAREWELL LETTER to his Parishioners from a Clergyman of the Established Church. By HENRY WILLIAM WILBERFORce, M.A., late Vicar of East Farleigh, Kent. Fifth Thousand. pp.48. Burns & Lambert.

In a former number we noticed a pamphlet put forth by the present Vicar of East Farleigh, the Rev. T. Watson, as a reply to, and safe-guard for his parishioners against, the "farewell letter" of his predecessor. We now have the fifth thousand of the latter document before us, and, from its perusal, can only wonder at the temperate and forbearing manner in which Mr. Watson has dealt with its writer. In the first nine or ten pages of his letter, Mr. Wilberforce recapitu

471

lates the doctrine he had taught at East Farleigh as "necessary for the happiness and salvation" of his parishioners, and to the summary he there gives of what he so taught, we not only have no objection, but can only compare the contents of its succeeding pages to the famous creed of Pope Pius the Fourth, in which the first half is nullified by the other.

In the middle of the tenth page of this letter the stream of delusion begins to manifest itself, taking its rise in that false view of those two ordinances of our Lord which man has exalted into a 66 sacramental scheme," and by which exaggerated view is virtually overthrown the whole essence of the Gospel. Mr. Wilberforce turns from the simplicity of the faith of which he was once a minister, and says God the Holy Ghost is himself dwelling and working only in and through sacraments and rites of the Church, and "he who would be saved must see that he is a member of the one true Church. He must seek by the sacraments of that one true Church the presence and the mercy of God, the forgiveness of sins, power to live a new life and die a good death."

This "sacramental scheme" is at the very root of all the mischief under which the Church has suffered since the Tractarian party began their work of discord; it is that system by which these "hollow Church Papists,' Lord Bacon called the High Churchmen of his day,-seek to propagate opinions which must lead every man

-as

who embraces them either to remain a dishonest member of the Church of

England, or to abandon its communion for that in which they can be carried out to the fullest and most consistent extent.

Mr. Watson, in his reply to this letter, dealt sufficiently with the marks with which Mr. Wilberforce has satisfied himself, and which he seeks to persuade his late parishioners are indisputable evidences that the Roman Church is the only true Church of Christ. He begins by giving as his first reason for leaving the Church of England, the discovery which stole upon him, "little by little, that the Church of England is not the true

« VorigeDoorgaan »