Bable æra of their commencement, and by means of this to ascertain the data of the prefent Continents, which, if they conftituted the bottom of the fea previous to the deluge, as M. De Luc fuppofes, were by that catastrophe in particular, firft delivered over to man, and firft fubjected to the action of fuch caufes. It is difficult to do juftice to a work of this nature, so full of detail, and where fo many facts are adduced in proof of the fame point, by fo fummary an account as our limits compel us to adopt, but we truft we fhall fufficiently dif charge our duty to the public, by declaring that the conclufions drawn by M. De Luc, as well in confirmation of his own hypothefis as in refutation of his opponents, feem to us to flow regularly from the data and facts which he has been at the pains to collect. ART. VI. A Chargé delivered to the Clergy of the Diocefe of London, by John, Lord Bishop of that Diocefe, at his primary Vifitation in 1810. Published at the Request of the Clergy. Evo. 32 pp. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1810. THIS HIS Charge is diftinguished by the mafculine fenfe and found principles, which have characterized every other production of his Lordfhip's pen. Defpifing the ornaments of a meretricious eloquence, which, though it delights many an ear, is fometimes employed to conceal barrennefs of fentiment, the Bishop of London enters at once, and without ceremony, on matters which come home to every Clergyman's bufinefs and bofom. After affigning the reafon, and a moft important reafon it is, for calling the Clergy of his Diocefe together, without affording to them what fome might confider as fufficient notice, he pays a handfome compliment, and in the handfomeft manner, to his predeceffor's attention to the caufe of religion and the. duties of his ftation. He then proceeds directly to fuch confiderations as the prefent ftate of the Church at large, and of the Diocefe of London in particular, feems to require; apologizing for fuch things, if he fhould fall upon any fuch, as might feem lefs appropriate than they fhould be, by the fhort period of his acquaintance with the fate of the Diocefe. In adverting to the prefent ftate of our Church. and his own Diocefe, he truly obferves, that it is impoffible not to combine it with that of the whole nation, and even of Europe. This leads him to fpeak very briefly of the convulfed ftate of the European nations, and of the comparative happiness of Britons, who have been spec. tators, rather than partakers, of the mifchief which has devaftated the reft of Europe. Then animadverting with juft feverity on the conduct of thofe who, as if not convinced by the example before them, that exceffive liberty has a natural tendency to end in extreme defpotifm, ftill agitate the public, he adds, "For ourselves, alone preferved amidst the general wreck, and not only preserved, but raifed to an unrivalled and unexampled profperity in commerce and naval glory, it fhould feem that we might be contented, and even proud of our lot. If the preffure of the times has been, and ftill is, great upon us, and has caufed many fevere exactions, and rigorous laws, and many a bitter domeftic lofs, all which is not to be diffembled, we fhould confider not fo much what we once were, before thefe days of trouble and calamity and protracted war, as what others are now. We fhould then fee and feel by comparison the value of the bleffings which remain to us, in the immunity from domeftic war, the Security of our lives and property, the enjoyment of a free government, equal juftice, and uninterrupted commerce, private and public." The Bishop then traces the difcontent which, notwithHanding thefe undeferved bleffings, by which the people of this land are diftinguifhed from all the nations around them, ftill prevail among us, to its various fources; pointing out the means by which the parochial Clergy may, without deferting their proper fphere or character, contribute to heal fuch diftractions: and to enforce the conduct which he recommends for this purpose, he adds that, "The duty of the Clergy is the more concerned in this, be caufe the fame general revolution has caufed, and in return receives increase from, the errors in religion which have arifen. These alfo havé a fhare in our diftractions. The infidelity which was ftudioully propagated at the beginning of thefe troubles, though it has fince declined, and never had many followers compacted into any formidable body, yet ha's contributed We have fome doubt of the truth of this obfervation, though we earneftly with that it were true. Such impious fcenes were, at the beginning of the troubles, acted among the lower orders of the people in fome parts of this ifland, as could have been produced only by a body of infidels compacted, as the French Encyclopædifts were compacted, for the purpofe of eradicating from . ; contributed to unfettle the minds of many, and to incline them to a dangerous licentioufnefs of opinion, or indifference in religion. The extreme into which others have run, shocked at this growing evil, has been equally prejudicial to fober and found religion. Men have fought for feparation, when the circumftances required the ftrictest union; and to rebuild the fhaken faith of Chriftians on the fluctuating bafis of enthusiasm and to heal the wounds which Chriftian obedience had received from corruption of mind, profligacy of manners, and viciousness of life, not by the evangelical doctrine of grace and repentance, as the Gofpel teaches, but by new and unheard-of converfions, the inventions of men of heated imaginations or ambitious views. They have bewildered themfelves and their followers in the myfteries and depths of Calvinifm, in diftruft or contempt of the fimplicity of the Gofpel. Hence has there been engendered a new fchifm, halting between the Church and diffenfion from it, which, whilft it profeffes to follow the purity of our Church, or even to refine upon it, is continually undermining the establishment, and acts alfo occafionally at the head of the most discordant fects in oppofition to it. By nothing more than this has the peace and credit of our Church been difturbed, whilft the most refpectable minifters, if they enlift not themselves under this fect, are vilified by the uncharitable reflections and arrogant preten fions of thefe new Puritans. Nothing more than this has contributed, in aid of other civil caufes, to fhake the juft fubordination of ranks amongst us; whilft it exalts the meaneft and moft ignorant of men into a fpiritual fuperiority; teaches them to defpife others, and to draw around them a train of fol. lowers as ignorant as themselves. Add to this, that the notions of fudden converfion, abfolute election, and the utter inefficiency of our own exertions and righteoufnefs (whatever they be of themselves, as I hold them to be moft unfcriptural) are certainly not the means of producing Chriftian innocence and fimplicity of life, but contain within them the feeds of pride, separation, diffenfion, and mutual animofity; and for that reafon, if for no other, are juftly to be fufpected. Speculative perfons, on the deep things of thefe queftions, as deep things there are, may lean to the one or other fide without blame, and perhaps without danger; but the gofpel to be preached to the poor, is not of this guife or fort.” from the public mind the first principles of revealed religion. Even at this day literary journals, which, whatever be the intention of their authors, tend to the fame end, are widely circulated and very generally read; and literary journals cannot be regularly conducted but by a compact body of men of letters. We believe, however, with the Bishop, that the spirit of infidelity is mot now fo prevalent as it was feventeen years ago. Rev. His Lordship justly confiders thofe fchifnatics, who today hold forth from the pulpit of the Church, and to-morrow perhaps from the tub of the conventicle, as much more dangerous to the establishment than the old Diffenters, fuch as Prefbyterians, Independents, and Anabaptifts, because the ground of the old diffent was diftinctly marked and well known; whilft of thofe modern diffenfions it is not easy to make out any affignable limits. He then traces thofe fanatical preaches, who arrogate to themfelves exclufively the title of evangelical minifters, through all their jefuitical tergiverfations; and animadverts with great propriety on fome late attempts to introduce preachers of this ftamp as Lecturers into the London Churches. The general conclufion which he draws from all this is, that the times particularly demand from the Clergy firmnefs and unremitted vigilance, which, as he justly obferves, may infenfibly accomplish more than the prefent circumftances may feem to promife. One favourable circumftance, which affords a good foundation for hope, is the fenfe which the ftate at large, and our prefent rulers in particular, have lately difplayed of the. value of the labours of the establifhed Clergy, by a liberal donation in aid of Queen Anne's bounty for the augmentation of fmall livings. The bifhop having fhown, at fome length, the care that has been taken for the equitable dif tribution of that bounty, adverts to the general and too well founded complaint of the want of Churches, or of fufficient accommodation in them in proportion to the number of inhalants. This he jufly confiders as one caufe, and the principal caufe, of the increafe of fchifmatic meetinghoufes among us; but, "However this be, it is a difgrace to the country that many of its inhabitants fhould have no means of public worship, or be driven to fuch, rather than lofe all public exercife of religion, as neither they themselves, nor the ftate for them, approve of. The more fo, fince we fee the meeting-houfes and tabernacles of thofe who diffent from us fpring up on every fide, as soon as their congregations are gathered." Then obferving that the preffure of the times may have. retarded the building of new Churches, where they are wanted, at the public expence, he adds, with great truth, that where the population is opulent, the burden would be light when divided among the inhabitants E RIT, CRIT. VOL. XXXVII. JAN. 1811. "In "In the mean time," continues he, "I have even a fplendid example to lay before you in what has lately been done in one of the parishes in this Diocefe, that of Hackney; where, befides the late erection of a spacious new parochial Church, the inhabitants, without any foreign or public aid, of their own free will, and at their own coft, have undertaken to build two new Chapels for the convenience and accommodation of their increafing numbers, and have actually finished one, and have furnished the fame unfparingly with every proper decoration externally and internally, and have provided a permanent endowment for the Minifter *.' The laft thing on which, in this valuable Charge, the Bishop animadverts with becoming feverity, is the practice, too prevalent among the Clergy in London and its fuburbs, of having recourfe to Regifter Offices, as they are called, for the occafional fupply of duty. "Confidered in itself, it is furely disgraceful, that a Clergyman fhould fend into his Church, to adminifter any one of the facred offices given to him in charge, a perfon, of whofe character he has no knowledge, nor any proper recommendation; he cannot tell to what unhallowed hands he may commit them.-- -He can have no means of ascertaining whether the perfon hired be fit to officiate, or even whether he be in facred orders; of a defect in which qualification, I am told, there are frequent examples; fo that the very validity of the fervices fo administered becomes queftionable." Thefe are falutary obfervations, and fuch as would have been made on the fame fubject by Sherlock and Gibson, when Bishops of London. Indeed the whole Charge is worthy of its author's talents and ftation, and deserves to be read by every parochial Clergyman of the United Church of England and Ireland. For this permanent endowment, the congregation which affemble in the Chapel at Hackney is chiefly indebted to the munificence of an individual, well known to us; but as his name is not mentioned by his Diocefan, we likewife forbear to mention it : "Who builds a Church to God, and not to fame, and yet it is a pity that the name of this refpectable man is not made public, for the general benefit which might refult from the example. Rev. ART. |