about a reconciliation between the Church of England and the Church of the Pope. Yet the "Eirenicon," published since the work on Daniel, aims persistently at proving there is no real difference between the Protestant Church of Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley, and the Great Apostacy. Dr. Pusey's recent letters in the Times have the same object in view, though not couched in quite such plain language. One sentence in his second letter incidentally confirms what the writer has long felt is the hidden purpose of the Anglo Catholic sect. Writing on the subject of auricular confession and priestly absolution, the Doctor protests against the removal from the Ordinal of certain words which he perverts into a scriptural warrant for his sacerdotal pretensions, and says: "Their removal would break the Church of England in pieces, but it would not diminish confession; the same persons would confess, only they would confess elsewhere." That is: drive these Papists out of the Establishment, and they would go over to Rome. Now, the drift of this is to show that Dr. Pusey and his party are not anxious to hand over perverts to Rome, although that many of the sect do secede is notorious matter of fact. That, however, is not the object of the movement. It is, briefly, so to indoctrinate the Church multitude with Romish teaching, and to drill the people in Popish ceremonial, that in due time it may popularly be urged: "See, there is no practical difference between the two Churches, let us cordially unite, and agree to sink that national Protestant prejudice which has unhappily severed us since the so-called Reformation." Under the above astute leadership, what wonder that the less cautious promoters of the Jesuit movement should boldly proclaim to the world such a statement as the following: "It is perfectly true that in the case of the Ritualists it is the Mass which is being celebrated." Or again, "Our present Communion Service is to all intents and purposes a Missal, and not an Order of the Supper only." Hence, we find they adopt the entire vocabulary of the Roman system, and boast of their copes, tunicles, dalmatics, birettas, chasubles, thurifers, crucifers, maniples, piscinas, sedilia, coporals, tabernacles, amices, albs, of the Agnus Dei, the Confiteor, the Credo in Deum, the Sursum Corda, the Gradual, the incense, the altar lights, and the elevation of the host. All these terms, with many more, are contained in a Puseyite work lying on the writer's table. By habituating people, and especially the young, to such things, the conspiracy to Papalize the Church goes on steadily and surely, and the dire consequences of a triumphant success can alone be averted, under God, by an united, prayerful determination on the part of all who value the blessings of civil and religious liberty, to purge the Church of this "superstition and idolatry," these "blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits." LETTERS TO THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON FROM THE REV. JOHN FLETCHER. (FIRST PRESIDENT OF OUR COLLEGE, AND VICAR OF MADELEY, SHROPSHIRE.) [There have been some in most ages of Christianity, and in most countries where it is professed, who have emulated its primitive and genuine excellence. Amongst these exalted few Mr. Fletcher is unquestionably to be ranked. In whatever period he had lived, to whatever department of Christians he had belonged, he would have shone in the religious hemisphere as a star of the first magnitude. Whatever difference of opinion may be entertained respecting some important points of doctrine which he maintained, I believe that there is but one opinion as to the exalted piety of this eminent man of God. His humility, disinterestedness, affection, zeal, and heavenly-mindedness have, perhaps, been seldom equalled. The character which the late Rev. Henry Venn, Vicar of Huddersfield, gave of this truly apostolic man, is the more valuable, as there were several points of doctrine in which he differed from Mr. Fletcher. But difference of opinion in points respecting which good men, probably, never will be all agreed on earth, could not close the eyes of the great and good Mr. Venn against the extraordinary excellencies of Mr. Fletcher; and therefore he spoke of him with all the rapture and affection which pre-eminent graces will always excite in the breast of a true Christian. With an expression in his countenance which could not soon be forgotten by those who witnessed it, Mr. Venn, when making mention of Mr. Fletcher, exclaimed, "Sir, he was a luminary! A luminary, did I say?—he was a sun! I have known all the great men for these fifty years, but I have known none like him. I was intimately acquainted with him, and was under the same roof* with him once for six weeks, during which time I never heard him say a single word which was not proper to be spoken, and which had not a tendency to minister grace to the hearers." In Mr. Benson's "Memoirs" of this extraordinary man, Mr. Wesley's "Narrative of his Life," and the Rev. Mr. Gilpin's "Biographical Notes,” we have scarcely any mention of the circumstances connected with his presentation to the vicarage of Madeley, with the exception of two short. extracts from his letters to Lady Huntingdon and Mr. Charles Wesley. The following letters, addressed to the Countess, and never before published, are intended to supply that vacuum in the history of Mr. Fletcher. They are faithfully transcribed from a large number of originals long in the possession of the individual who now presents them to the readers of the FREE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE. Whilst tutor to the two sons of Thomas Hill, Esq., of Tern Hall, Shropshire, he publicly dedicated himself to the work of the holy ministry in the year 1757, when he received deacons' orders on Sunday, the 6th of March, and priests' orders on the following Sunday, from the hands of the Bishop of Bangor, in the Chapel Royal, at St. James's. In the interval between his * Brislington, near Bristol, the hospitable residence of James Ireland, Esq., the friend of all good men. Mr. Venn was at that period supplying Lady HuntingJon's Chapel in Bristol, and Mr. Fletcher preaching for Mr. Wesley. ordination and acceptance of the living of Madeley, he appears to have been occupied chiefly in assisting Mr. Wesley, preaching in his chapels, celebrating the Communion in the drawing-room of the Countess, and preaching to the nobility in her house when opportunity offered. The circumstances connected with his appointment to the parish of Madeley are remarkable and characteristic. This living he accepted in preference to another of about double the value, which was offered him about the same time, his previous intercourse with the people having excited within him an affection which would not suffer him to be then separated from them, and which remained unabated till his death. One day Mr. Hill informed him that the living of Dunham, in Cheshire, then vacant, was at his service. "The parish," he continued, "is small, the duty light, the income good (400l. per annum), and it is situated in a fine healthy sporting country." After thanking Mr. Hill most cordially for his kindness, Mr. Fletcher added, "Alas! Sir, Dunham will not suit me; there is too much money, and too little labour." "Few clergymen make such objections," said Mr. Hill; "it is a pity to decline such a living, as I do not know that I can find you another. What shall we do? Would you like Madeley?" "That, Sir, would be the very place for me." "My object, Mr. Fletcher, is to make you comfortable in your own way. If you prefer Madeley, I shall find no difficulty in persuading Chambray, the present vicar, to exchange it for Dunham, which is worth more than twice as much." In this way he became Vicar of Madeley, with which he was so perfectly satisfied, that he never afterwards sought any other honour or preferment.] Tern, September 6, 1760. My Lady, I had the misfortune of leaving London before Lady Gertrude had heard from your Ladyship, so that I share still in the uneasy suspense you felt before you left Padington. Nevertheless, my uneasiness is balanced by the consideration of that steadfast promise of the Lord: "All things work together for good to those that love Him." Whatever have been the circumstances of your journey into Yorkshire, or whatever are those that attend your stay there, the end must be the glory of God, and consequently to your Ladyship's greatest good. You cannot but follow Christ in the regeneration; and though sometimes the way may be dark, and the end darker still, He that is the light of the world, when He has tried our faith, and made us go, as Abraham, not knowing whither (or why) we go, will shine on our steps, and give us to see light in His light. I make no doubt but this is now the case with you, Madam. You see by this time what the Lord has called you to do, or to suffer, where He has permitted you to go, and you feel that the God you served at Padington is at Aberford,† and fills heaven and earth. As for me, though I have been at Mr. Hill'st country-house but a * Lady Gertrude Hotham, sister to the celebrated Earl of Chesterfield. + The residence of the Rev. Benjamin and Lady Margaret Ingham. THE FREE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE. THE FREE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. "Essentially one with the Church of England, of which we regard ourselves as living members.”—DR. HAWEIS, Rector of Aldwinckle. "The Basis of the Religious Doctrine and Tenets to be professed and subscribed by the members of the Free Church of England is the Bible."-DEED POLL OF THE FREE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.* The first quotation above will show the character of the religious association which was gathered by the clergy of the Church of England, and other faithful ministers, under the auspices of the Countess Dowager of Huntingdon, in the remarkable revival of religion during the last century. The second quotation will show what the Free Church of England is, which has grown out of that association. Further information may be obtained in the two circulars, which have been printed for the public, showing the history and constitution of the Free Church. Let us mention at once in what respects we are Free. We are free from State control. This may, or may not, be an advantage, according to the opinion of the reader. No theory on this subject is required to be believed or professed among us, we merely state it as a fact. We are, therefore, free to use the Book of Common Prayer revised and freed from those phrases which are appealed to by some as countenancing priestly power and sacramental grace. Priestly pretension, founded upon the fiction of the Apostolic succession, is increasing in the land, and it is high time it were rebuked by the public voice of the country. The great Dissenting communities have been treated with opprobious contempt and contumely; their ministers have been denounced as unauthorized teachers, their congregations have been stigmatized as sects and schismatics, and their places of * For full quotations see end of article. B |