1

• Permit me, in conclusion, to remark, that I have ever been scrupulous (by some thought foolishly so) in the observance of the rites and ceremonies of the Established Church-but I am well convinced, that had 1, (instead of preaching, and I trust I may, without presumption, add, living as I do) been a jovial fellow, a hunting or shooting Parson, I should never have had occasion to address this letter to your lordship.

Pying, that if it be God's will, the Holy Spirit may take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto you, give you a right understanding in all things, and keep you through faith unto salvation.

I remain, with respect for the Bishop of Bristol,

"Your Lordship's obedient Servant,

THOMAS C. COWAN."

In a subsequent letter, in which he announces to the Bishop bis resolution to withdraw from the Church, after mentioning his objections to the practice of Infant Baptism, as constituting the most prominent of his reasons for so doing, he adds,

While stating (Infant Baptism as the leading point of objection to the Establishment, I have long had others of a minor nature, if, indeed, minor they ought to be called which, though not deemed of sufficient validity to cause me to come out from among her, have yet often given me a great deal of pain; among these, I will, at present, only mention two-her Baptismal Service, and, the connexion between Church and State. As to the former, I will content myself with observing, (what has for some time been my opinion) that Dr. Mant and his coadjutors have much to say for themselves, being, as I conceive, argumentatively right, but theologically wrong. With respect to the latter, however excellent in a political point of view such an union may be accounted, I have long considered it as unscriptural in its principle; and permit me to observe, your Lordship has now shown, it is equally so in its practice.'

On the subject of sponsors in Baptism, we may just bring Mr. Cowan and Mr. Biddulph face to face, and so leave them. The former of these gentlemen remarks:

If I were unable to find a scriptural warrant for substituting the "God Father and God Mother" in the room of "the precious faith of God's elect," which alone entitles an individual to this ordinance, my difficulties increased, when I brought the engagements of these Sponsors to "the Law, and to the Testimony." Oh, how often has my mind shrunk back upon itself, when putting the interrogatories of that service to the Sponsors! The Third answer in the Catechism, enumerates these engagements in a distinct manner; but on "looking into the perfect law of liberty," the solemn queries seemed to meet me, "Who hath required this at your hands?" and "Who is this that hath engaged his heart to approach unto me?"

The idea of any individual not actually believing at the time, but engaging to believe at some future period, seems to me a palpable contradiction of the highest authority, which declares faith to be "the gift of God." Those, indeed, which "are of faith, are the

Children of Abraham," Gal. iii. 7. but, before faith is come, I am at a loss to know how we can promise to believe, even for ourselves, seeing it is God who gives a seed to Abraham, Gal. iv.-18. Now, fully convinced of the incapacity of man to enter into a bond of this na ture for himself, I was, of necessity, led to see how unscriptural it is in any Church to require the subscribing of it as surety for another, The wise man says, "He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it." Prov. xi. 15. The other terms of this contract I found to be as unscriptural as the part already stated. To" renounce the Devil and all his works, and to keep God's holy will and commandments, and to walk in the same, all the days of our lives," now appear to me wholly irreconcileable with the fallen state of man, who is breaking those commandments in thought, word, and deed, during his whole course, with the body of sin and death hanging to him. The engagement is not, that "he will endeavour to renounce," &c.-but that "he does renounce," &c.-not that " he will endeavour to keep," &c.-but that "he will keep," &c. Now, my dear friends, as I am fully sensible the performance of such a contract would be utterly impracticable in my own person, I could not justify myself, were I, with this conviction, to be accessary in enabling any person to enter into it for another; and I am again brought to the conclusion of the wise man. "Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay." Eccles. v. 5.

The yoke is, indeed, heavier than I can myself bear; and, therefore, every sound principle of action, whether emanating from humanity, or springing from that "faith which worketh by love," deters me from contributing to place it on the necks of others.

Mr. Biddulph thus speaks of the same service;

Yet let it be carefully observed, that the sponsion makes no essential part of Baptism, according to the practice of the Church of England; for her private Baptisms, in case of illness, when no spon. sion is required, are as complete as those which are public. She does not consider the sponsion as a part of the rite itself; but as an important appendage to it. It is a judicious provision which she makes in her character of a Christian society, for the education of her infant members" in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." As an affectionate mother, she appoints them guardians and tutors, from whom she demands a pledge for the fulfilment of the duty they undertake. Parents are bound by a natural obligation; but parents may die, become incapacitated, or neglect their duty. In an affair of so much importance the Church is anxious to meet contingencies; and therefore, without any design to relax the duty of parents, she provides this additional security for the Christian education of all her members, who are baptized in their infancy. If her precautions are abused, let the blame rest where it ought to do, on those who abuse them; but let not the propriety of so wise a provision, meet with unmerited condemnation.3

With respect to the particular circumstance which seems the most directly to have necessitated Mr. Cowan's secession from the Church, we really imagine that had we room to detail the

reasons which he states to have wrought the change in his opinion, there would be as little of dismay excited in the minds of one class of our readers, as of triumphing in another class.

There are others, whose honesty, zeal, and piety, would ever make them esteemed members of any communion, but whose rashness, intemperance, and apparent weakness of judgement must, when they transfer themselves from one party to another, take from them the power of exciting perplexity and regret in the body from which they withdraw, or exultation and triumph in that to which they are joined.

Of the publications before us, perhaps, the "Serious Re"marks" of Dr. Ryland,* are the most likely to effect that sort of good which it is alone reasonable to hope for in the case; we mean, the settling of the minds of persons, (especially of young persons,) who, from temper, or external circumstances, are exposed to the seduction of the spreading Heresy.

Dr. Ryland judiciously directs his remarks, in the first instance, against the primary error of Antinomianism, namely, its lessening the ground of the sinner's unfeigned humiliation before God.

'Salvation by grace must imply, that our danger was the consequence of guilt; and, therefore, as we must be convinced of our guilt, before we can realize our need of it; so our admiration of the riches of grace, displayed in our deliverance from deserved condemnation, will be excited, in proportion to the sense we entertain of the greatness of our guilt. It is an important, though almost self-evident axiom, That there can be no more of grace in our salvation, than there would have been of justice in our damnation. Yet, to my great astonishment, I have found some professors, that would be accounted very fond of salvation by grace, who are almost fired with rage, if a minister insists on the latter subject; though with an avowed and sincere concern to be subservient to the illustration of the former. Hence, I fear there are those who talk of grace, whose ideas essentially differ from mine, and, I think, from those which are taught in the Scriptures. On the one hand, some treat it as almost the same thing with justice, or, at least, as that exercise of goodness, the want of which would expose the Divine Being to the suspicion of cruelty: and, on the other hand, some seem so to overlook its connection with infinite wisdom, as to make it resemble unbounded caprice. Both these ideas are utterly foreign from the representation made of grace in the Holy Scriptures; which teach us to consider it as goodness, sovereignly but wisely extended to the unworthy and hell-deserving, and displayed in pardoning those that had merited eternal punishment; and in renewing those who had totally lost the Divine image, effectually inducing them to return to God in a

A Second Part is just published,

way honourable to himself, but to which they had been obstinately

averse.'

Towards the close of his second Part he says,

But let him who wishes to connect impunity with impurity; who desires deliverance from the wrath to come, but not deliverance from the power of sin; who disregards the object our Redeemer had in view in giving himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, bring us to God, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; let him, I say, tremble, lest God should give him up to strong delusions, to believe a lie; that he may be condemned for not believing the truth, because he takes pleasure in unrighteousness.

And O let all Christian ministers be concerned to be clear from the blood of all men. It is a great pity inadvertently to rob an heir of glory of his present comfort; but it is more awful still to buoy up the confidence of a self deceiver, who may die with a lie in his right hand, while in hell he will open his eyes, and see himself lost for

ever.

As to the errors I have opposed, I charge them on no individual who disavows them. Blindness, in part, may have happened even to truly good men, who will be shocked as soon as they perceive the genuine consequences of their own system. I am very willing to indulge the hope, that some, who express themselves, at times, incautiously and injudiciously, are far from intending to give encouragement to sin; but I do earnestly beseech them to examine the tendency of their expressions, and to examine if the apostles ever talked as they do, of the dear children of God, who are wallowing in their sins, but who are nevertheless as safe as if they were in glory." Did they ever represent the falls of David, or of Peter, as evidences that no believer was bound to personal obedience? Are these things recorded in scripture as way-marks, which we should follow? or not rather as sea-marks, to point out what we should carefully shun?'

These two pamphlets we recommend to the Reader's pe

rusal.

Mr. Simeon's plain good sense, and piety, are well known to our readers. His Sermon on the True Test of Religion in the Soul, from Ps. cxix. 128. is judicious, and seasonable. It does however make no more than a general allusion to recent circumstances.

The Pamphlet of Mr. Bidlake is directed against the opinions of an individual, who can now no more reply for himself.

Perhaps the manner in which religious controversy is at present conducted, is altogether considerably improved, comparing it with the style of small wit, and Punchinello-retort, so offen sive, and so unedifying, which prevailed forty or fifty years ago, during the agitation of the Arminian and Calvinistic question. There are two things, most excellent and appropriate in religious discussions; the first of them is, Sense; the second, Seriousness.

१

If Antinomians were truly and anxiously desirous to learn, they would highly value such assistance as Mr. Biddulph proffers to them in his Search after the Truth in its own field, the Holy Scriptures. He has adopted the plan of passing regularly through the Acts and the Epistles; remarking upon every passage, (or at least the most prominent of them,) which he conceives to bear upon the novel opinions, whose contrariety to Scripture it is his object to expose. These opinions he states as follows.

Eternal Justification,-Imputed Sanctification,-That the consciousness of believing is the only evidence necessary, or possible, to satisfy the soul of its safety,-That sanctification is not a progressive work,-That the Holy Spirit is not the author of conviction of sin,and, finally, That the Holy Spirit is not a party to the covenant of grace, involving, as the author conceives this opinion does, a denial of His Personality,-together with a few minor points This last position, in the author's view of things, clearly shows the awfully dangerous character of doctrinal error, the smallest beginning of which, as well as the beginning of practical evil, is like removing a slight portion of a dam confining a body of water; which, when an opening is once made, soon forces a passage for the whole mass, Doctrinal error, at first perhaps of little apparent importance, has often led the human mind into the endless mazes of deistical confusion.'

There is reason, however, to fear, that a profitable perusal of this rather laborious publication, implies more of patience, and diligence, and humility, than the parties most directly concerned appear at present disposed to exercise.

The Letters of Mr. Cooper, addressed to a serious and humble enquirer after Divine Truth, bear, only in part, upon the subject of the present article. They might, indeed, have claimed a fuller consideration than we can now afford to them. Mr. C. states the design of his present publication to be twofold:

First, to assist the serious and humble Enquirer in his search after truth; and, secondly, to promote the peace and harmony of the Christian Church.

The Writer has long been of opinion that the present state of the religious world opposes some considerable and peculiar difficulties to those who are anxiously seeking "the Truth as it is in Jesus:" difficulties, which, if they do not altogether divert them from their pursuit, yet greatly impede and retard their progress. It therefore occurred to him, that an attempt to assist such persons in surmounting these dif ficulties, and thus to facilitate their advancement in the acquisition of the Truth, might prove, through the Divine blessing, no unprofitable émployment of the time and thought which the execution of such a work would necessarily require. This was the suggestion which induced him to make the attempt. The execution of it has unvoidably led him to touch on some of those controversies which of late have so greatly distracted the Christian Church: but in touching on them he trusts that he has not manifested a controversial spirit, nor expressed