"But, besides this, the ordinary heat of the climate is extremely dangerous to the blood and lungs, and even to the skin, which blisters and peels from the flesh, affecting the eyes so much that travellers are obliged to wear a transparent covering over them, to keep the heat off."

2 CHRONICLES XXviii. 3.

Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen.

THE following extract from Sonnerat's Travels in India, will afford a correct idea of this idolatrous and inhuman practice of passing over, or through fire.

"A still more astonishing instance of the superstition of the ancient Indians, in respect to their venerated fire, remains at this day in the grand annual festival holden in honor of Darmah Rajah, and called the FEAST OF FIRE; in which, as in the ancient rites of Moloch, the devotees walk barefoot over a glowing fire extending forty feet. It is called the feast of fire because they then walk on that element. It lasts eighteen days, during which time, those who make a vow to keep it, must fast, abstain from women, lie on the bare ground, and walk on a brisk fire. The eighteenth day, they assemble to the sound of instruments; their heads crowned with flowers, the body bedaubed with saffron, and follow in cadence the figures of Darmah Rajah, and of Drotede, his wife, which are carried there in procession. When they come to the fire they stir it to animate its activity, and take of the ashes with which they rub their forehead, and when the gods have been three times round it, they walk either fast or slow, according to their zeal, over a very hot fire, extended to about forty feet in length. Some carry their children in their arms, others lances, sabres, and standards.

"The most fervent devotees walk several times over the fire.After the ceremony, the people press to collect some of the ashes to rub their forheads with, and obtain from the devotees some of the flowers with which they were adorned, and which they carefully preserve."-Sonnerat's Travels, vol. I. page 154.

It is evident that the abomination of which Ahaz was guilty, consisted in a practice somewhat similar to that which is here described, and not that he sacrificed or destroyed his children, as he was succeeded by his son Hezekiah, and another of his sons, Maasaiah, was slain by "Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim." See verse 7, of this chapter.

FOR THE CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

Remarks on Dr. Miller's Letters on the Christian Min

MR. EDITOR,

istry.

THOSE who are attentive to the concerns of our Zion have doubtless witnessed the extraordinary exertions which are making to sound forth the praises, and to promote the circulation of a work against episcopacy, entitled "Letters on the Constitution and Order of the Christian Ministry," &c. by the Rev. Dr. Miller of New-York. The zeal thus displayed loudly condems the apathy of churchmen, who, too much disposed to confide in the goodness of their cause, neglect those means by which alone it can be advanced. Were the friends of our apostolic church as zealous in promoting the circulation of works written in her defence, as her opponents are in extolling those which attack her, we should soon witness a change in the aspect of our Zion. She would become a joy and praise throughout our land. The cause of truth is great, and will prevail. The evangelical doctrines, and worship, and the apostolic ministry of our Church need only to be candidly examined and considered. They will be embraced by all who are zealous for the faith once delivered to the saints, and who revere that ministry and worship which, in the first and purest ages of christianity, martyrs consecrated with their blood.

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In the work to which I have alluded, the reverend author, addressing his congregations, laments that "the order of Christ and his apostles respecting the Christian Ministry, is a subject which has received less of your attentien, and is, by many of you, less understood than it ought to be by those who profess to be members of that holy communion, which ministers are appointed to serve and govern.' That the important subject of the christian ministry is indeed, generally but little understood, no proof more conclusive need be required, than the unqualified praises which are bestowed on Dr. Miller's work. It is said to be absolutely conclusive, unanswerable, and to have laid the cause of episcopacy forever in the dust! Risum teneatis! That cause, which, founded on scriptural facts and primitive testimony, has withstood the shock, with which for these three last centuries the champions of presbytery have assailed it, which in our own country has recently derived additional strength and glory from the assaults of the Rev. Dr's. Linn and Mason, (certainly men of "no mean powers") is now to be forever laid low by the pen of Dr. Miller! I mean no disrespect for this gentleman, when I assert that he has condescended to usher to the world a performance which merely retails the fallacious reasonings and misrepresentations of writers, which have been repeatedly refuted and exposed. Reasoning indeed it contains. But it is the false reasoning of Stillingfleet in his Irenicum, and of Campbell in his Ecclesiastical Lectures, and which Stillingfleet himself, in his later writings, and bishop Skinner, the antagonist of Campbell, in his "Primitive Truth and

Order," have fully answered. Does it contain just views of the order of the primitive Church, and of the sentiments of the primitive fathers concerning the order of the christian ministry? Exactly those partial views and those misrepresentations which King, Clarkson and Baxter, sought to impose upon the world; and which SLATER in his "Original Draught of the Primitive Church," and MAURICE, in his View of Diocesan Episcopacy, have with admirable clearness of evidence, and pungency of argument detected and exposed. That Dr. Miller should have advanced nothing new on a subject which has been so frequently discussed, casts no reflection on his ingenuity or talents. But when his work is boldly extolled as unanswerable, the public ought to be informed that it contains no arguments which have not been fully answered. The principal and distinguishing characteristics of his book, are, a plausibility of manner and confidence of assertion, which are often employed to give currency to error and to cast odium on truth.

To Sir Peter King's "Enquiry," Dr. M. is principly indebted for his views of the primitive Church, and of the opinions of the early Fathers, and concerning this book, an episcopal divine, who is represented by Dr. M. as hostile to certain episcopal pretensions, makes the following remark: "It is indeed surprising that a gentleman who lived to fill the first law office in England, should, even in his early years, have sent forth under his pen a book so full of mis-quotations and mistranslations."* Is it not more surprising that this book, which has been answered by Slater should be the basis of Dr. Miller's singular theories concerning the order of the primitive Church? These theories represent Dr. M. not as the advocate of presbytery, but of the Congregational form, in which a single congregation, with its pastor and assistants, possesses the whole power of the Church.

But for a refutation of this performance, the candid enquirers after truth need not be referred to the able writers of former times. Its fallacies are detected, and its sophistry in great part refuted, in two performances, which appeared about the time of its publication, entitled "Two Letters to the Editors of the Christians' Magazine, by a Churchman," and "An Apology for Apostolic Order and its Advocates, &c. by the Rev. John H. Hobart, of New-York." These works have anticipated and refuted the chief of Dr. M's. arguments. In the 9th and three following letters of the "Apology for Apostolic Order," will be found a refutation of all his principal arguments from scripture, of great part of his testimony of the fathers, particularly Jerome, and of his testimony of the reformers and concessions of episcopalians. In the 13th letter will be found an exhibition of the argument in favor of episcopacy, from its universal and immemorial prevalence, which argument, to the powerful mind of the immortal CHILLINGWORTH, appeared a demonstration, but which the more vigorous mind of Dr. Miller contemns, as mere "declamation!" and the 14th letter of the apology refutes Dr. M's. remarks on the practical influence of prelacy.

* Bishop White's charge to his Clergy.

†These books, published by T. & J. Swords, New-York, are for sale at N. Haven, and the other principal towns in the different States.

Before then, those who reject episcopacy indulge in their ardent triumph, let them have the candor and independence to peruse the above works. Let them have patience until they hear the other side. Dr. Miller's work, there is good reason to believe, has been the labor of some years. We shall not demand as long to answer it; and if it cannot be proved to be full of palpable sophistry, inconsistency, misstatement, and misrepresentation, let episcopacy forever hide her head. The subject is acknowledged by Dr. M. to be "important and worthy of our serious attention." The advocate of episcopacy fears only that prejudice, which hears one party, and turns a deaf ear to the other. AN EPISCOPALIAN.

On Preaching.

BY THE LORD CHANCELLOR BACON.

IF a preacher preach with more care and meditation (I speak not of the vain and scholastical manner of preaching; but soundly indeed, ordering the matter he handleth distinctly, for memory, deducting and drawing it down for direction, and authorizing it with strong proofs and warrants) it is censured as a form of speaking not becoming the simplicity of the gospel, and they refer it to the reprehension of St. Paul, of the enticing speech of man's wisdom.

Now for their own manner of preaching, what is it? Surely they exhort well and work compunction of mind, and bring men well to the question, Viri, fratres, quid faciemus? But that is not enough, except they resolve the question. They handle matters of contro versy weakly, and as before a people that will except of any thing. In doctrine of manners there is little but generality and repetition. The word (the bread of life) they toss up and down; they break it not; they draw not their directions down ad casus conscientia, that a man may be warranted in his particular actions, whether they be lawful or not; neither, indeed, are many of them able to do it, what through want of grounded knowledge, what through want of study' and time. It is a compendious and easy thing to call for the observa tion of the sabbath-day, or to speak against unlawful gain: but what actions and works may be done upon the sabbath, and what not; and what courses of gain are lawful, and in what cases; to set this down, and to clear the whole with good distinctions and decisions, is a matter of great knowledge and labor, and asketh much meditation and conversing in the Scriptures and other helps, which God hath provided and preserved for instruction. They forget that the left; and that

there are sins on the right hand as well as on the word is double edged, and cutteth on both sides, as well the profane transgressions as the superstitious observances. Who doubteth but that it is as unlawful to shut where God hath opened, as to open where God hath shut; to bind where God hath loosed, as to loose where God hath bound? in this kind of zeal, they have pro nounced generally, and without difference, all untruths unlawful; notwithstanding that the midwives are directly reported to have been blessed for their excuse to the Egyptians; that Rahab is said by faith

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to have concealed the spies; that Solomon's selected judgment proceeded upon a simulation, and that our Savior, the more to touch the hearts of the two disciples, made as if he would have passed Emmaus. Farther, I have heard some sermons of mortification, think, with very good meaning, but apt to breed in men rather weak opinions and perplexed despairs, than the filial and true repentance which is sought. Another point of great inconvenience and peril is, to entitle the people to hear controversies, and all kinds of doctrine. They say no part of the council of God is to be suppressed, nor the people defrauded; so that the difference which the apostle maketh between milk and strong meat is confounded, and his precept, that the weak be not admitted into questions and controversies, taketh no place.

But, most of all is to be suspected their manner of handling the scriptures for whilst they seek express scripture for every thing, and have deprived themselves and the church of a special help and support by embasing the authority of the fathers, they resort to naked examples, conceited influences and forced allusions, such as do mine into all certainty of religion. Wheresoever they find in the scriptures the word spoken of, they expound it of preaching; and they have made it, in a manner, of the essence of a sacrament of the Lord's Supper to have a sermon precedent; they have in a sort annihilated the use of liturgies, and forms of divine service, although the house of God be denominated principally domus orationis, a house of prayer and not of preaching. As for the life of the good monks and hermits in the primitive church, I know they will condemn a man as half a papist if he should maintain it as otherwise than profane, because they heard no sermons. In the mean time what preaching is, or who may be said to preach, they move no question; but (as far as I see) every man that presumeth to speak in a chair is a preacher. All these errors and misproceedings they fortify and intrench by an addicted respect to their own opinions, and an impatience to hear contradiction or argument: yea, I know some of them who would think it a tempting of God to hear or read what may be said against them. God forbid, that every man who can take unto himself boldness to speak an hour together in a church upon a text, should be admitted for a preacher, though he mean never so well. I know there is a great latitude in gifts, and a great variety in auditors and congregations; but yet so as there is below which you ought not to descend. For you must rather leave the ark to shake as it shall please God, than put unworthy hands to hold it up. When we are in God's temple, we are warned rather to put our hands upon our mouth, than to offer the sacrifice of fools. And surely it may be justly thought, that amongst many causes of atheism, as schism and controversies, profane scoffing in holy matters, and the like; it is not the least, that divers do adventure to handle the word of God who are unfit and unworthy. Herein I would have no man mistake me, as if I did extol curious and affected preaching; which is as much on the other side to be disliked, and breedeth atheism and scandal as well as the other: for who would not be offended at one that cometh into the pulpit, as if he came upon the stage to play parts or prizes?