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consequences affecting future generations, in a religious as well as in a civil point of view, to an incalculable extent. He was fully convinced of the beneficial influence, on the community at large, of a dignified hierarchy; and was firmly persuaded that no other system could adequately supply the place of the established church. He believed that if unhappily it were, for a season, to lose the pre-eminence it has so justly attained, and used with so much moderation, wisdom, and candour, and were even to be crushed by the violence of its adversaries; yet her servants would think upon her stones, and be filled with pity to see her in the dust: God would arise and have mercy upon her; heal her breaches, build up her ruins, and cause his glory again to appear in her. Yet he did not aver that the church of England was either perfect or infallible. He mourned for the blemishes which might appear in its administration, while he considered its theory to be, in the main, strictly in accordance with scripture; as well as admirably adapted, from the simplicity and purity of its principles, to promote a spirit of religious order, peace, and devotion among its members. A few extracts, from his correspondence at this period, will manifest his sentiments more clearly than extended remarks.

"Dec. 12, 1831.

"That troublous and afflictive times are coming upon our country must be apprehended, I think, by all those who observe the portentous signs of the times, or who form their judgment upon the word of God. The prevalence of the democratic spirit, seems to be the prelude to changes and revolutions in the constitution of the

country, both in church and state. That some reform and change is desirable and necessary, none can deny; but our modern reformers are not the men to accomplish it. They may bring about revolutions, which will introduce the dreaded calamities to take place previous to a better and more holy order of things, connected with the glory of the church in its last and best days. The established church may probably undergo privations and trials, or even for a season be overturned; but if it be cast down, it will rise again, purified by the furnace of affliction: it will not be destroyed, because in its general principles it is indestructible. The edifice will remain solid and firm, after many of the systems now erected in opposition to it are crumbled to the dust. But in the prospect of trials and calamities, it would be well for believers now to attend to the advice given to the people of God, when in expectation of divine judgments from the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians: 'Come, my people, enter thou (individually) into thy chamber, and hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.' If we retire to the chamber of separation from the world, of devotedness to God, and of the divine protection, we shall be safe and secure, whatever trials may come upon the church and state."

"The people at *have now an earnest desire for an efficient evangelical minister; and the dissenters there are described to be in general a set of worldly, political religionists. Is it not then mysterious, that a man should be sent to them who is said to be anything but religious? These are the subjects which in the church require reform; and if the professed patrons of the church refuse to become the instruments of accomplishing it, the arm of the Lord will, in his own time, effect it in some other way; and perhaps by means that may be distressingly afflictive and severe. Is it any wonder that many become dissenters, that some grieve and lament, that others cry out for reform, and that the church being desolate sitteth on the ground,' and mourns for the distractions, the errors, the sophisms, and the sins of her children? In the midst, however, of all this confusion, we may rest satisfied that it will be well with the righteous individually, and that better days await the church, when she will appear bright as the sun, fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners.'"

And again, in February 1832:

"We seem as a nation to be arrived at that degree of wickedness and infidelity, as to require judicial inflictions from the Almighty Ruler, in order to lead men to thought and reflection. May God preserve us from this tremendous and afflictive disease (the cholera), and if it be his blessed will, stop its progress in our beloved, but apostatizing country. The latter epithet is a strong one, but I believe it is correct; although there are doubtless a large number of godly and devoted people among us. If our country is spared, it will be spared for their sakes, for they are the preservers of nations and the salt of the earth."

In the autumn of this year (1832) this dreadful malady appeared in Olney, and it produced an appalling sensation in the minds of the inhabitants. Their pastor recommended a parochial fast, and assembled the people for public humiliation and prayer. The burials for about three weeks were very frequent; and amid the stillness of midnight, and the additional gloom thrown around death and the grave, by the peculiarly awful nature of the visitation; solitude sometimes unbroken by the presence of a single mourner; and darkness unrelieved but by the glimmer of the lantern; my father committed to their long rest, the bodies of many of his congregation, in the stedfast hope of their glorious resurrection to eternal life. How wonderful in extent and combination, are that wisdom, power, and love, which from the ruins and corruption of the fall, can renew, purify and save; recal from the dark and silent chambers of the tomb, a countless multitude, who in radiant and immortal beauty, shall rise and for ever shine in that new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness!

In a letter of this year, to one of his sons, after noticing the anniversary of his birthday, he adds— "With respect to happy returns of one year after another, the hopes of the young are generally graduated too high on the scale of expectation of human felicity. The only way in which such a share of it may reasonably be hoped for, as we are warranted to expect in the present state of our existence, is from an experimental acquaintance with that religion, which influences us to serve God and our generation according to his will; and to live in the assured expectation of entering a state of perfect felicity, when we finish our chequered course here. * * * May God, my dear S., give us grace to fix our confidence and hope on the Rock of ages, which will remain immoveably secure, in the midst of all the storms and tempests with which it may be surrounded."

The following extract is from a letter written to one of his daughters, in reply to a question respecting the propriety of the form of absolution in the service for the Visitation of the Sick.

"MY DEAREST E.

66 As your letter to me contains an inquiry on a subject which has often exercised the casuistical talents of theologians, clerical and lay, I am not surprised at your asking some questions respecting it. In giving you my opinion, I must premise that I have never used the form of absolution in the office for the 'Visitation of the Sick.' The fact is, that I seldom use any part of that service except when I administer the sacrament to the sick. My practice is to converse and offer up prayer extempore, according to circumstances. The form does not suit all cases; and although one has been provided, it was not intended to prevent a clergyman's using his discretion. I occasionally use the prayers, or parts of them, as circumstances may

require, without confining myself to them.

With respect to the Absolution, it has been defended by Comber, and other writers on the Liturgy; as it has been objected to by Dean Tucker, my late friend Sir James Stonhouse, and others. It is said, I believe on good authority, that Calvin did not object to it.

"It must be observed that the terms absolve and forgive, are not exactly synonimous. If you look in Johnson's Dictionary, you will see that he defines absolve in the ecclesiastical sense, 'to pronounce sin remitted. The declaration, therefore, to the sick person in the form of the Absolution, if he truly repent and believe, amounts to this By Christ's authority, pronounce all thy sins forgiven, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' You will remember that our Lord said to his apostles, 'Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whose sins ye retain, they are retained.' But the apostles could not forgive sins absolutely, for this is the prerogative of God only; neither could they discover who were and who were not true penitents and believers. The general principle seems to be, that they had authority committed to them to pronounce sins forgiven or not forgiven, according to the method of God's grace in the gospel; and according to the character and experience of those on whom the forgiveness would or would not be conferred. While they thus acted in conformity to the command and direction of Christ, what they did on earth would be confirmed in heaven. But perhaps you may say, that any person may pronounce the sins of the penitent and believing forgiven. This is true; but the difference is, that the apostles (and I suppose all scripturally authorized ministers who were to succeed them in the doctrine of Christ) were divinely commissioned to make this declaration of forgiveness or non-forgiveness, by a solemn, religious, and personal act, by virtue of the office and authority with which they are invested by Christ. Your remark, that the declaration of absolution as the 'word of reconciliation' committed to the minister as the ambassador of Christ, is quite correct.

"There are many things in the scripture which will not bear the hair splitting reasonings of logic or metaphysics; but which we must take on trust, and receive by faith, and 'Thus saith the Lord,' must silence our objections."

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