Sir,

Evangelicana.

OLD LINCOLN versus NEW LINCOLN.

To the Editor.

In your last Number you inserted a comical kind of paper, entitled The Times are altered:' and I think your waggish correspondent made out his proposition pretty well. It would form an amusing sort of article for your Magazine, if you would print, in opposite columns, the opposing doctrines of the old and new school; it would shew plainly that if the church be not altered, many of the clergy are; it would prove also, at the same time, that those of the modern clergy who are nicknamed ‹ Evangelical' or Methodistical,' preach exactly as their predecessors two hundred years ago did, though perhaps not so coarsely.

As a proof of this, let me beg the favour of you to insert a paragraph of a sermon preached by a former Bishop of Lincoln, which your readers, who have noticed the present Bishop's Refutation of Calvinism,' will find is in direct opposition to it; and will therefore afford a further proof that The Times are altered.' Now, hear old Bishop Sanderson :

Sundry of the doctors of our church teach truly, and agreeably to Scripture *,- God's free election of those whom he purposeth to save of his own grace, without any motives in and from themselves t; the immutability of God's love and grace towards the saints elect, and their certain perseverance therein unto salvation ; the justification of sinners by the imputed righteousness of Christ, apprehended and applied to them by faith, without the works of the law §. These are sound and true, and (if rightly understood) comfortable and right profitable doctrines; and yet THEY OF THE CHURCH OF ROME have the forehead (I will not say to slander, my text alloweth more) to blaspheme God and his truth, and the ministers thereof for teaching them: Bellarmine, Gretser, Maldonat, and the Jesuits; but none more than our own English fugitives, Bristow, Stapleton, Parsons, Kellison, and all the rabble of that crew I, freely spend their mouths in barking against us **, as if we made God the author of sin; as if we would have men sin and be damned by a stoical necessity; ' sin whether they will or no, and be damned whether they deserve it or no; as if we opened a gap to all licentiousness and profaneness; let them believe, it is no matter how they live, heaven is their own cock - sure: as if we cried down good works, and condemned charity: Slanders, loud and false, yet easily blown away with a single word, Bhaconpepela. · These imputations upon us and our doctrines are unjust; but se75fice ενδικον, let them that thus misrepresent us know, that, without repentance, their damnation will be just.' Bishop Sanderson's Second Sermon, ad Clerum, on Rom. iii. 8, And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that good may come! whose damnation is just.'

*Acts xvii. 28. Isa. xvi. 12.

ΑΡΧΑΙΟΣ ΜΑΘΗΤΗΣ.

+ Rom. ix.

John xiii. 1. Rom. ii. 29. v. 9, 10. and viii. 35, 38, 39. Rom. iii. 28. Mark, reader, not of the Church of England! No. No bishop, or minister of the Church of England, then thought of refuting the doctrines of his own church, under the pretence of their being Calvinistic; but this is the old trick, dressing Christians in a bear-skin, and then bating them by barking and biting animals.

I See what company certain moderns have got into !!!

** See a fine specimen of what this blunt bishop so unpolitely terms barking, in a sermon lately preached before the University of Cambridge. Dr. Butler represents the evangelical preachers as telling a man that, as to him, Christ may in vain have shed his blood upon his cross; and that the God whose mercy is over

THE ADDRESS OF CHRYSOSTOM.

Mr. Editor, Permit me to request an early insertion in the Evangelical Magazine of the following pointed Address of Chrysostom; which I most earnestly recommend to the serious and candid attention of those who administer the Lord's Supper. The indiscriminate admission of persons to the table of Jesus Christ, is an evil of which many of his ministers frequently complain; and which every one who administers the holy Sacrament, should labour as much as in him lies to prevent. Some few years since, the communion at the place where I preside as minister was open; I soon detected persons of the vilest description of character who regularly approached the Lord's table,—and resolved to set about a reform, which I did, and succeeded. We have now a much greater number of communicants than we had before; and, in the judgment of charity, we hope that we have none who partake with us but those who are partakers of vital religion.

I am yours affectionately,

J. H.

To you who administer the mysteries, it is needful that I should discourse, inciting you, with diligence and zeal to distribute this gift of Heaven. Dreadful will be your doom, if ye permit any one to partici pate, conscious that he is stained with guilt; for the blood of Christ at your hands will be required. Should a general, with his military pomp,

a consul, with his dignified authority,—an emperor, with his diadem, approach, and approach unworthily, restrain him. Thou art invested with a power more pre-eminent than his. If a stream of water were given thee in charge, that thou shouldest preserve it pure and unsullied for an unsullied flock, and thou wert to perceive a multitude of sheep approaching, their mouths distained with mud, thou wouldst not suffer them to bend down their heads, and pollute the fountain: and now that thou art entrusted, not with rivers of waters, but with the stream of his blood,-with the fountain of his Spirit,-when thou beholdest a sinner Jaden with impurities most foul, and yet approaching, art thou not indignant? dost thou not reject him? For this purpose hath God ennobled thee with so high an honour, that thou shouldest distinguish such men as these. This is thy brightest crown, this thy unfading wreath,this the ornament thou shouldest wear, not glittering in gold, not decked with jewels. But you will say, How can I know such an one, or such a one?'-I speak not of those you are ignorant of, but of those who are well known. Shall I declare a truth most awful? It is not so grievous, that the man possessed by a dæmon should kneel before the altar, as that they should kneel before it who, as Paul declares, have trampled upon Christ, have made common the blood of the covenant,

all his works, may have secretly and irrevocably doomed him, even before his birth, to everlasting perdition, from which no contemplations, however serious, upon the attributes and works of the Deity; no belief, however sincere, in his revealed word; no thanksgivings for mercies already received, no prayers for protection and succour, no remorse for sins past, no resolutions or efforts for amendment in time to come CAN rescue, I had almost said, the hopeless, helpJess, guiltless victim:-and that nothing but certain tumultuous, irresistible, inexplicable intimations, can afford him any safe and well-grounded assurance of pardon or reward.'

6

[See a sermon, entitled Christian Liberty,' preached before the University of Cambridge, at the Installation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, June 30, 1811. See also a full and able review of it in the Christian Observer, for Jan. 1812.]

We think we never heard of so gross a misrepresentation of evangelical doctrines before; and that this should be made on such an occasion, and before an audience comprising so great a number of noblemen, gentlemen, and students, is greatly to be lamented. The best apology that can be made for such defamers is, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!'

and insulted the grace of the Spirit. He who sins, and yet frequents this table, is worse by far than the man possessed. The one, being subject to a dæmon's power, will not be consigned to chastisement; but the other, since he participates unworthily, will be doomed to punishment eternal. Wherefore, let us not reject these alone; let us exile all who unworthily may approach. Let no one be a partaker who is not a disciple: let no one receive, like Judas, lest he should suffer as Judas suffered. This assembly is also the body of Christ. Be careful, therefore, thou that dispensest the mysteries of God, lest thou shouldest offend thy Lord, preserving not his body pure; lest thou shouldest give it a sword instead of nutriment. If any one from ignorance of his condition should seek to be a partaker, forbid him. Be not afraid. Fear God, not man. If thou fearest man, by man wilt thou be contemned; but if thou fearest God, then by man wilt thou be reverenced. If thou hast not the courage, to me consign the office; for never will I permit such deeds of daring I will yield up this mortal body, sooner than I will impart the body of my Lord unworthily. I will pour out my blood upon the earth, sooner than I will impart unlawfully that sacred blood. If, after a studious inquiry, there be any nefarious persons you still are ignorant of, to you no crime will be imputed, my words have reference to sinners un- . disguised.'

THE POOR NEGRO.

Sir,

To the Editor.

The reading of one of the pieces lately sent me from the Tract Society, The Negro Servant," brought to my recollection a remarkable anecdote which I met with in a volume of Sermons on the Epistle to the Ephesians, which I received from the excellent author, Dr. Josepla Lathrop, of West Springfield, North America. I doubt not of its being acceptable to all your readers, and therefore send you the following copy in the author's own words. Hackney.

I am respectfully yours, &c. S. P.

، God answers prayers in ways that we think not of. I remember to have heard, on good authority, a remarkable story of an African, which will illustrate this thought. The poor negro, in his own country, was led, by contemplation on the works of nature, to conceive that there must be, though invisible to him, a supreme, all-powerful, wise, just, and good Being, who made and governed the world. Impressed with this sentiment, he used daily to pray to this invisible Being, that he might, by some means or other, be brought to a more distinct knowledge of him, and of the service due to him. While he was in this cou templative and devout state of mind, he with a number of others, was treacherously and perfidiously taken by some of his own countrymen, and soon after was sold for a slave. Now his faith began to waver; for, thought he with himself, If there is such a just and good Being as I have supposed, who governs the world, how is it possible that fraud and iniquity should be successful against innocence and integrity? Why am I and my fellow - prisoners, who have acted with openness and simplicity, made to suffer, while our enemies are permitted to triumph in the success of their deceit and violence? The poor fellow, after several changes of masters, was finally sold into a pious family in New England; where he was carefully instructed in the Christian religion, which he embraced with great appearance of sincerity and joy, and obeyed with exemplary dingence and zeal; and in the relation of his story, he often made this pious reflection:-That while he was perplexed to see the triumph of fraud over innocence, God was really answering his fervent prayers, and bringing him to the enjoyment of the means of

religious knowledge and eternal salvation; that what he had thought was an objection against the justice of Providence, was really a wonderful and merciful compliance with his daily supplication.'.

If these

THE claims of the Catholics to a perfect equality with the Members of the Church of England, lead one to wish for information concerning the priests, and their places of worship in Ireland. I wish to know, 1. Whether the Catholic Priests in that country are under the necessity of requesting a licence from the Protestant Magistrates? and, 2. Whether the Places in which they say Mass must be registered, or not? requisitions are not made, it will appear that the Papists already enjoy greater liberty in Ireland than the Protestant Dissenters do in England. I wish for information on another head: -3. Are the Catholic Priests who officiate in England, and their places, licenced? I shall be thankful for information on these heads from some of your intelligent correspondents. Yours, A. B.

JUVENILE DEPARTMENT.

Sir,

HAPPY EFFECT OF PARENTAL INSTRUCTION.

To the Editor.

In the Evangelical Magazine for Jan. 1810 (page 14) you inserted a remarkable dream, the perusal of which deeply affected my mind. I thought that though it was but a dream, it would be awfully realized at the great day by many godly parents; and what if it should be my lot to behold my children at the left hand of the Judge? The painful thought drew tears from my eyes. I read the dream to my children, with a desire that it might have the same effect on them which the first relation of it had upon the children of the good man above referred to. Probably, such was the practice and the prayer of many of your pious readers. What the result may be, time will discover.

Some, perhaps, of a sceptical turn of mind, and others who are strangers to parental feelings, may have read the relation of that dream with indifference or contempt. To such persons I would say, Give that dream another reading;' and as it may afford satisfaction to T. D. (the person who sent it) and to yourself, that the insertion was not useless, I shall state the following circumstance:

A good man of my acquaintance, who has many children, for whom he feels the most solicitous concern, related the above dream to one of his sons, soon after its insertion. That night he slept at the house of his son, and engaged in prayer with the family. The good man was particularly earnest in prayer, that as God Irad blessed his son in providence, he would also bless him with his spiritual blessings; and alluded to the conversation of the evening, and especially to the dream. This dream, and the father's prayers, made a deep impression on the mind of the young man; and from that night he has been led to see himself a guilty sinner, and to cry, What must I do to be saved?' Since that period, I have frequently conversed with him; and have reason to believe he is a growing subject of the grace of God; and he has since become a member of the church of which I have the honour to be pastor. Truly we may say of God, How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Here is an additional argument for prayer, and encouragement to godly parents not to be weary in well-doing.

I remain yours, &c.

Obituary.