Faith, in his noble work, the "Apology," thus declare the doctrine of the Church, "We receive and embrace all the Canonical Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament: and we give our gracious God most hearty thanks, that He hath set up this light for us, which we ever fix our eyes upon, lest by human fraud, or the snares of the devil, we should be seduced to errors or fables; we own them to be the heavenly voices by which God hath revealed and made known His will to us; in them only can the mind acquiese; in them all that is necessary for our salvation, is abundantly and plainly contained, as Origen, St. Augustin, St. Chrysortom, and St. Cyril, have taught us. They are the very might and power of God unto salvation: they are the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets, upon which the Church of God is built; they are the most certain and infallible rule by which the Church may be recovered, if she happen to stagger, slip, or err: by which all ecclesiastical doctrines ought to be tried. No law, no tradition, no custom, is to be received or continued, if it be contrary to Scripture; no, though St. Paul himself, on an angel from heaven should come and teach otherwise."

Here then, Brethren, is the difference between the two Churches, that of England and Rome. The one is for the Bible, the other against it. The one contends for the Bible only, as the guide of man to the other world, and as authoritative in matters of faith: the other contends for Tradition besides the Bible. The one says, 'the Church itself

must be brought to the Bible to be judged: the other, that the very Bible must be brought to the Church, and made to speak only that language which the Church by her Tradition may give it. Which think you, wears the most Scriptural character? Which looks most like a true and faithful Church? That which exalts the Word of God to the rejection of human Tradition, or that which exalts human Tradition to the virtual rejection of the Word of God?

I would now apply, in as few words as possible, this important fundamental article of our Church, to the case of every individual. And 1st. Let me say, that if Holy Scripture is thus sufficient for salvation, you should go to it in all simplicity of mind, and carefully study it with a view to that blessed end. You have souls to be saved, and their salvation should not be a matter of doubt. The Scriptures tell you all that you require to know on that important subject. There there is no ambiguity, no concealment. If some parts are dark, those are not that bear upon the means of human happiness. If some things are high, so high that the most acute and philosophic mind cannot understand them, there are, as the author of our Homily on that subject has beautifully said, "low valleys, plain ways, and easy for every man to use and to walk in." "Time was," as Bishop Jewell has remarked, "when the Word of God was not counted hard, and dark, and doubtful." It was never a prohibited book till the Church of Rome found it inconvenient to trust the people with it for the

ye

examination of their doctrines. The Fathers, from whom they profess to have learned what they now hold, venerated the Scriptures above all things, and urged their general perusal in a way that might surprise and offend even many modern Protestants. "Would to God (said Origen) we would all do accordingly as it is written, 'Search the Scriptures." The godly Chrysostom thus speaks, "Hear me, ye men of the world: get the Bible, that most wholesome remedy for the soul. If will nothing else, yet, at the least, get the New Testament, St. Paul's Epistles, the Gospels, and The Acts, that they may be your continual and earnest teachers." He declares, "This is the cause of all ill, that the Scriptures are not known. To know nothing of God's laws is the loss of salvation; ignorance hath brought in heresies and vicious life: ignorance hath turned all things upside down." And then, again urging the reading of God's Word, he says, what I would affectionately say to you, "Hearken not hereto, only here in the Church, but also at home: let the husband with the wife; let the father with the child, talk together of these matters; let them both inquire, and give their judgments and would God they would begin this good custom." And Jerome, the author most in repute with the Church of Rome, expounding those words of the Apostle, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly," saith, "Here we are taught that the lay people ought to have the Word of God, not only sufficiently, but also with abundance, to teach and counsel one other." These

testimonies are important; and the Fathers of our English Church, agreeing with those in more ancient times, open the fountain of eternal life, contained in the Scriptures, and say to the people every where, "come and draw water out of the well of salvation." My Protestant Brethren, you are still in possession of your birthright; you have the free, unrestricted, use of your Bibles. Great, on that account, is your responsibility. O! then diligently read the Scriptures, and pray with all humility of soul, that they may answer their end in you, making you "wise unto salvation."

2nd. Let me say, Admit nothing to your creed that is not found in them, nor may be proved by them. This is agreeable to the great principle of your Church which would not have you believe even what her divines may teach, if there be no warrant for their doctrines in God's written word. Well saith one of our Homilies, in its plain and strong language, "Let us diligently search for the well of life in the books of the Old and New Testaments, and not run to the stinking puddles of men's traditions, devised by men's imagination for our justification and salvation." These are times, Brethren, in which it peculiarly behoves you to be exceedingly careful how you receive doctrines that are proposed. There is much error abroad in the world, and error that is made to appear like truth. Do not, therefore, believe a thing just because this or that man says it. Respect your teachers, your appointed guides, the expounders of God's word-but listen to them, receive, and act on their teaching, only as they

speak the language of the written Revelation. "What saith the Scripture?" must be the great inquiry that must decide every thing.

Lastly. Let the free access which you enjoy in the Protestant Church to the Word of God, that guide of human action, lead you to a course of life agreeable to the Scriptures. What highly moral, religious, and exemplary persons you ought to be; how far superior, in your general habits and mode of life, to those who, through the tyranny of their Church, that impiously interferes with God's prerogative, and unjustly tramples on the liberty of man, are denied the right that God gave them of studying His Word. Those who do study it, and make it their guide in all their actions, exhibit every Christian virtue; and the reason that there are so many belonging to our Church, who are any thing but what they ought to be, is, that they either read without attention, or do not read at all, that Book that is open to them. This is a sad inconsistency; and the Church, so scriptural in its foundation, and, therefore, a Church so justly to be loved, is suffering from it to an extent far greater than I can describe. Go then to your

Bibles, and learn how to live; and as you read, live accordingly: and thus, by the best of all arguments, that of a holy and religious life, will ye shew the superiority of the faith you profess, "put to silence the ignorance of foolish men," and lead those, who now look upon you as heretics, to love your faith, and to leave a corrupted religion for the pure creed of ancient Christianity.