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have had their full proportion of the virtue of the times, and that, in the best and happiest ages, the number of virtuous and eminent among the clergy have exceeded those of other classes. Even in the most degenerate ages, when religion has degenerated farthest from its original design, it is evident that the clergy, instead of deviating with the rest of mankind, have exhibited still more burning and shining lights. Thus the names of Taylor, Barrow, More, Cudworth, and many others, were neither overawed nor contaminated by the loose manners and the depraved court of Charles II.

But the ministerial office, it must be granted, leads to privacy and retreat; and, as it too often happens, that the abuses of it are the only means of staging its professors to public view, its enemies have a decided advantage over them. Hence the vices of those clergymen, who have departed from the spirit of their calling, render such persons conspicuous, and perfectly open to the censure of the times and their particular factions; while others, who have been uniformly guided by the meek and quiet spirit of the gospel, have passed through life in an humble obscurity, with virtues forgotten at farthest within a generation or two, their tranquillity and obedience alike escaping the eye of the historian or the biographer, his humblė imitator. Among those ecclesiastics who have obtruded themselves in secular affairs, the genuine character of the order ought not to be looked for; yet it is from such persons that Hume and the rest of their adversaries, are the readiest to take the dimensions of the whole body. They do not, or will not distinguish between the vices which have sprung from them as clergymen, and other crimes or failings, the genuine result of their adventitious occupations. This has been undeniably the situation of several bishops and religious in the Roman church, who have exchanged the mitre for the helmet, and the pastoral staff for the pointed spear. It is strange indeed, and the result of no small share of prejudice, that infidels should suppose the clerical character more obdurate and untractable than others. Is it nothing that the clergyman, from the nature of his office, must bear the shafts of ridicule, the scoffs of ignorance and incredulity? Is it so desirable, that, instead of enjoying the brightest prospects of human life, the minister of religion must confine his views to the dark and sombrous side of the picture? Do infidels envy his frequent visits to the house of mourning, and his occasional attendance at the bed of death? Surely the sight of virtue supporting the sufferer under the agonies of pain, or that of vice seizing those who have successfully eluded its grasp, must produce something by which the heart may be made better; and, while these instructive opportunities are so frequent, that the impressions made by one instance can scarce decay before it is struck deeper by another. Those therefore, who, instead of being ameliorated by these habits of life, degenerate below the rest of mankind, must certainly forfeit the character of humanity altogether; but as this is more than their enemies contend for, their principal objection falls to the ground.

I shall, in the last place, consider the particular most strongly insisted upon by the enemies of the clergy, and most obnoxious to their notions of liberality; namely, the office of a clergyman in his

censorial character. As well might they censure that of a judge, because he pronounces sentence upon a criminal, according to the forms of law, without regard to the ties of consanguinity or character. As well may they contend in one case as the other, that this office naturally banishes love, pity, and benevolence, from the heart, without considering the support that virtue and public happiness receive from this temper and conduct in the ministers of jus tice. In fact, they might with equal candor suppose odium legis, as well as odium theologicum; since it would be impossible for the generality of mankind to live more at variance with the human than they actually do with the divine law: both, notwithstanding, originate from the same sacred source, and therefore the inimitable Hook. er, speaking of the former, pronounces, with the tongue of an angel: "Of law, no less can be acknowledged, than that her seat is the bosom of God; her voice, the harmony of the world. All things in heaven and earth do her homage; the very least as feeling her care, and the greatest as not exempted from her power." And now, till the sophistry of our enemies shall be able to separate this law from the gospel, and divide these two, which God has joined together in their end and object, let them suppress their cavils against a Protestant clergy; cavils, which have no doubt arisen from the narrow. ness of their views, and their ignorance of the nature of subordination in society, and the inseparable connexion between religion and polity.

FROM THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

A new History and Illustration of the Common Prayer. [Continued from page 191.]

HAVING concluded our observation upon the Psalms, the lessons, as they are appointed to be read in churches, naturally demand our attention. Our recitation of the Psalms must generally tend to elevate, or at least to tranquilize our affections; and having celebrated the praises of God, we are much better prepared to listen with attention and reverence to the history of his Providence, the dispensation of his grace, the display of his glory, or the declaration of our duties. No human panegyric can possibly do justice to the vast utility of the solemn practice of reading the holy scriptures as a part of our public worship. This important duty, when well performed, like charity in another case, may be said to cover a mul titude of sins. And that it was the study of our pious forefathers to give it every advantage, is evident from the regulations which have been made in its favor from time to time. The rubric, in this case, enjoins," that he that readeth shall so stand and turn himself as be may best be heard by all such as are present." For some years af ter the reformation, the minister performed these offices, as well as the communion service, in the choir, or chancel, near the altar. In the prayers he turned towards the altar, but when he pronounced the absolution, and read the lessons, he turned to the people. A curious faet illustrative of the care of the superior clergy, relative to the per

A new History and Illustration of the Common Prayer. 269

formance of this duty, is to be inferred from the observation, that in many of our old parish churches, the chancels are nearly as long as the church; and of course the east end of the chancel, where the minister officiated, is at a great distance from the nave or body of the church. In some churches also, the voice was so impeded by obstructions, that the people at the west end, and at the northern and southern extremities, could not hear distinctly from the chancel; so that for the accommodation of both minister and people, some of the bishops, by virtue of the rubric made in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, dispensed with the reading of the morning and evening service at the altar; and in many places, reading pews were erected for the minister in the body of the church; a practice which became general in the reign of James and Charles I. Many of these reading pews had two desks; one for the book of common prayer, and another opposite to it for the bible. When the minister read the prayers, he nocessarily looked towards the altar; but when the bible was read, by turning towards the people, he was "best heard of all such as were present." The office of the holy communion is still expressly appointed to be performed in the chancel, and is thought to add considerably to the solemnity of the service.

Relative to the matter of this part of our worship, it may be seen that a very small number of the lessons are taken out of the Apocrypha; and which, though not canonical, are excellent doctrines and ensamples in life. Our selection of lessons from the old and new testaments was, no doubt, contrived to show the harmony between the law and the gospel; for what is the gospel but the law fulfilled? What but a completion of things in the latter, in the former only prefigured! It is by a very just pre-eminence, that the bible is called The Book. It it in fact the best; and in importance the very first of books. It has been truly called the grand instrument of our illumination, by which the mind is really elevated above its natural condition. It is the principal source of all our information, both of God and ourselves. In point of comparison with the best of human compositions, it is as health to sickness, or eternity to time. They only afford us a transient amusement or diversion during our afflictions; but at this trying period the word of God is a well of living water and in fact, it is on this account that, with that of blind impenitence, it is the last and final resort of humbled and disappointed philosophy.

The two different covenants of the law and grace, are the sum and substance of the Old and New Testaments; and though these differ in language and form, yet in sentiment and substance they agree. They are in fact but two different parts of one and the same system, the former being introductory and preparatory to the latter; no christian being free from obedience to the commandments of that law which is called moral. "Between the two covenants, (says Chrysostom) there is neither repugnance nor contrariety of meaning; the difference is merely verbal. I have repeatedly said, that two covenants, two hand-maids, and two sisters, are the attendants on one Lord. Christ is announced by the prophets-Christ is preached in the New Testament-The Old declared beforehand the things of the New; and the New interpreted those of the Old; still the

morality of the gospel requires higher degrees of excellence than the doctrines of the law. The first prescribes rectitude of action, to which the latter adds purity of principle; the one curbs the licentiousness of action, the other extends to the thoughts and the secret motives of the heart.

Our Savior's doctrine as to the manner of reading the scriptures, has been particularly attended to in our church. After the opening of his mission, he entered into the synagogue and into the temple, and taught; yet there was something so original and striking in his manner, that when he first addressed the Jews in the synagogue of Nazareth, all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth....Luke iv. 22.

Imitating our Lord's example, in Acts xi. we find the Apostles, after reading the law and the prophets, exhorting the people, and instructing them in the leading duties of the gospel dispensation. In the public meetings of the first Christians, it is probable that por. tions from the whole canon of scripture were occasionally read, and afterwards explained; though at this period the books of the old testament were the only canonical scripture; however, the different parts of the new testament were likewise read in the churches, as soon as ever they were published. Thus much is inferred from St. Paul's charge to the Thessalonians, ch. v. 27. His epistle to the Collosians was ordered also to be read in the church of the Laodiceans; and hence to Moses and the Prophets, the primitive and apostolic Christians added the Epistles and Gospels, portions of holy writ, which makes so conspicuous a figure in the public service of our excellent church.

[To be continued.]

Thoughts on a Church Organ.

By the Rev. WILLIAM JONES, of Nayland, England.

THE structure of this instrument is not unlike that of my bodily fran, with its different powers and faculties-the marvellous work of God, who buildeth all things. which it is composed were taken from the earth; when the work The materials of was complete, it left the world and was brought hither to be dedicated as long as it lasts to the service of God. And here it remains abstracted from all earthly concerns, and enclosed within the walls of this sacred building; it keeps company with none but those who come to worship God, together with the departed, who in the days of their flesh did the same, and never refuses to join in the sound of his praise, either by day or night. But yet of itself it is a machine dead and silent, incapable of acting, till it is first acted upon, for it hath no voice, unless the air supplies it with breath, of which men hear the sound, bui see not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth.— Such, Oh my soul, is every one that is born of the Spirit. God hath taken thee out of the world, and given thee a place in his holy catholic church; the temple of Jerusalem, whose walls are called salvation, and her gates praise. This organ by its situation is become christian ; it might have been appropriated like many others to a profane use; it might have been fixed in some garden of plea

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sure, to bear its part in nightly songs of praise to the god of this world-and it might have been thy lot, but for God's grace, to have stood in the way of sinners, devoted to the pleasures of this world, the paradise of fools, where thou wouldst have yielded all thy members servants of iniquity; and nought but filthy communication would have proceeded out of thy mouth. There is not a pipe of this organ that spends its breath in boasting of its privileges; it came not hither of itself, neither doth the organ sanctify the temDo thou practice the like huple, but the temple sanctifieth that. mility; for it is no honor to the church of Christ, that thou hast taken up a place in it: thou comest not hither of thyself, it was the grace of God that brought thee to this place and state of salvation, and all the honor thou hast is borrowed from the Lord's mystical body whereof thou art a member in this station, be not useless to him who hath chosen thee as an instrument fitted for his service. The pattern thou hast here before thee is always prepared to answer when the master touches it. Oh, mayst thou be as ready to join at all times with the great congregation in uttering the voice of blessing, and honor, and glory, and power unto the Lamb that hath redeemed thee from the world by his own blood. When thy master calls upon thee, be it in the evening, in the morning, at noon-day, or at midnight, do thou answer, "Oh God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready, I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have. Awake up my glory, awake lute and harp; I myself will awake right early." But the organ sounds not, till the "Every thing that hath breath wind communicates a voice to it. may praise the Lord"-nothing that is without breath can do it. Yet such is the organ of man's body. An instrument dumb and lifeless, till God that formed it breathes into it the breath of life. Look down therefore, O Lord, with compassion upon the emptiness of my nature.

Come Holy Ghost, eternal God,
Proceeding from above,

Both from the Father and the Son,
The God of peace and love!
According to thy promise made,
Thou givest speech with grace,

Though through thy help, the praise of God

May sound in every place.

Thus prepared, assisted, and fixed in the church of the living God, O my soul, it is good for thee to be here; and mayst thou go out no more for any profane purpose. The way to keep thy place is to preserve thy use, to be serviceable in returning to God the praises he put into thy mouth, and leading others forward to Thou must be content to do this by intervals, with do the same. the church below, till thy voice shall sound in that other congregation, where they rest not day or night.

It is but too notorious that in many, (not to say most) congregations, the time of the voluntary is a time of trifling chat and dissipation. It is to be wished that organists would always play such short and solemn pieces of music as might gain some attention. But where this is not the case (and where persons have not much' taste for music) perhaps it might tend to kindle some serious re

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