whole. Our Church Service begins with a most humiliating confession, in which the total depravity of man, in consequence of his fall in Adam, is plainly set forth, and strongly expressed. The same humbling truth is acknowledged in many of our collects; in one of which we beseech God to "create and make in us new and contrite hearts." In another, we acknowledge that "we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves." Again, we pray to each Person in the "holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity," and beseech them, as "three Persons, and one God, to have mercy upon us, miserable sinners." The Absolution, which follows the Confession, preaches peace through the remission of sins, from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to all who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel; and also leads sinners to look to God, to give them repentance, and his Holy Spirit, both being his gift. (See Absolution.) As the Church of Christ is exhorted to enter into his courts with thanksgiving, so our church, in her public services, ever offers up her praises to God, in the devout aspirations of the sweet Psalmist of Israel. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are also regularly read, and a pure and apostolic confession of faith in the ever-blessed Trinity, is also made by those who are present in her assemblies. All these show forth the purity of her faith, the

Scriptural ground of her hope, and loudly call upon all her members to give heed to what they have professed to receive, to attend to the blessings for which they profess to pray, and to walk worthy of the holy vocation wherewith they are called.

If now we examine into the constitution of our church, we shall find that, under the good providence of God, much, nay may say, every thing has been done to establish peace within her walls, and to secure that peace.

In all public bodies and societies of men, nothing tends so much to harmony and peace, as unity of sentiment and design. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity”—but "a house divided against itself, cannot stand." Now, as the Church of England has, in her constitution and forms, provided for her quiet government and order, so she has also made provision, that that quiet and order should not be interrupted or disturbed. We have only to look to the Act of Uniformity, and Preface attached to our Book of Common Prayer, to understand the pains which have been taken, to preserve in our church a uniformity of worship, to prevent any omission, to guard against any innovation, and to provide that all things respecting our Divine service and ceremonies, should be done decently and in order: every minister in any cathedral,

collegiate church or chapel, or other place of public worship within this realm of Ireland, being bound to say and use the morning and evening prayer, celebration and administration of both the sacraments, and all the other common and public prayers, in such order and form as is mentioned in the Book of Common Prayer, &c. And every minister, when promoted to any benefice, is obliged openly, publicly, and solemnly, to read the morning and evening prayer; and afterwards, openly and publicly before the congregation assembled, to declare his unfeigned assent and consent, to the use of all things in the said book contained and prescribed. Again, concerning public preaching and teaching in the Church of England, in order to avoid diversities of opinions, and for the establishing consent touching true religion, the Thirty-nine Articles were agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole clergy in convocation; which Articles were pronounced, by the King's declaration prefixed, to contain the true doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to God's word; "which continues his Majesty in his declaration, "we do ratify and confirm, requiring all our loving subjects to continue in the uniform profession thereof, and prohibiting the least difference from the said Articles; and that no man hereafter shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any

way, but shall submit to it, in the plain and full meaning thereof, and shall not put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense." Surely nothing could be better adapted to prevent controversy, and preserve uniformity of doctrine and of worship in our church, than these very wise regulations; and we have abundant cause for thankfulness, that the service to which our clergy are obliged to declare their unfeigned assent and consent, is a pure and Scriptural, and a reasonable service, a service in which we may join with our heart, and with our understanding also; and that the Articles of Faith which they are required to subscribe, contain the fundamental doctrines of the religion of Jesus Christ, expressed in the plainest possible manner, and also in such a manner, as will be found on examination, to oppose every heresy which has been brought into the church of Christ. Yes, every sincere friend of truth, and of the Church of England, has cause to be thankful for this; for if it so happen, that any person of unsettled or doubtful principles, should intrude himself into the ministry of our church, he is firmly bound to conform himself, at least outwardly, to the established forms of prayer, and confessions of faith; and in his preaching, to the doctrines contained in the Thirty-nine Articles of our church.

And were

it possible that any person could be found, so totally lost to every honest feeling or upright principle, as to subscribe to Articles and Creeds he had not inquired into, or did not believe; and after having subscribed them in the manner required by law, should profess principles contradictory to them, or preach and teach doctrines directly subversive of them ;-I say, could such a character be found intruding within the sacred pale of the ministry of the Church of England, it would not be difficult to convict him of his dishonesty; nay, any man in his congregation · of common sense and sober judgment, might, from the Book of Common Prayer alone, convict him of his dereliction of principle; and it would become the bounden duty of those in authority to call upon him, publicly to renounce his heterodox opinions, or withdraw from a church, whose foundation he would undermine, and whose best interests he would betray; "teaching things which he ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."

But the manner in which the heads of our church, and our inferior clergy, are called and set apart for the duties of their important stations, would appear, as far as any human institutions could be so, abundantly sufficient, to secure a compliance with these wholesome regulations, or to enforce their observation. In the form of consecrating Bishops, and those of ordaining