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essential for conducting the services of a Christian society. I cannot but consider it as a very illiberal assertion, that the illiterate pastor is miserably ignorant both of what he is to convince, and of the art of convincing."

For myself I avow, that IT is from the hope of gaining proselytes, (I have little fear of losing converts,) that, in addition to my own best exertions, I would sanction the performance of religious services by a man in any situation in life whom I believed to possess strength of mind, knowledge of the truth, zeal for its diffusion, and a Christian character. I should expect the labours of such men to be peculiarly valuable among persons in their own class of life, but of different religious opinions, and I should consider them as extending my own means of usefulness. I must also say, that I should be very sorry if societies not having ministers were to follow the advice of your squeamish correspondent, and close places of worship which might be kept open upon Christian principles, through fear of the derision of bigots, or of having their ears offended by the illiterate piety and zeal of lay-preachers.

SIR,

W. HINCKS.

September 13, 1821.

I COULD wish, with your leave, the put the following questions to the Unitarian body of my fellow-christians:

Do they believe that the apostles baptized their converts in or into the naine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; or solely and simply in or into the rame of the Lord Jesus; or, ad libitum, and as it happened, sometimes in the one form, and sometimes in the other; or never in either form, but generally, and in various modes at their discretion, into the religion of Christ?

Do they, or do they not, believe that the apostles required of those whom they baptized, a specific and uniform profession of some faith or other?

If they do so believe, What in their opinion was the specific and uniform faith required? A faith in Jesus as the Messiah-the Son of God; or a faith in a religion which originated with the Father, was taught by the Son, and attested by the Holy Spirit?

SIR,

MAN.

Warwick, September 10, 1821. ITH high gratification and delight did I read the judicious and excellent address to the students of Manchester College; [428-431;] and sincerely do I wish, that the very valuable admonition it contains may be carefully observed, and sedulously reduced to practice; not only by those to whom it was immediately addressed, but also by every one who fills the important situation of public religious instructor. This wish arises from a conviction, to me the most rational, that, were this the case, were our ministers to act on the hints suggested, respecting the devotional part of religion, the composition of discourses, the instruction of the young, the admonition of adults, and constant and zealous activity; the most pleasing effects, the most happy consequences, would soon display themselves in not a few of our congregations.

The worthy addressor's remarks on the advantages that would, in many cases, result from extempore-speaking, merit particular attention. How very desirable it is that, "in the discharge of his private duties," a minister should be able, in proper language, to give that beautiful, engaging and instructive variety to his discourse, which each particular occasion will at the time suggest, but which can seldom, if ever, be effected by previous composition! But if any one particular subject alluded to in the address deserve more than another, especial consideration, it is prayer. It cannot be too deeply and solemnly impressed on the mind, that prayer is a direct address to

the DEITY! If much circumspection be necessary in addressing erring and sinful men, who happen to be elevated by their fellow-mortals to princely dignity or kingly power; what solemn care, what awful circumspection should accompany that religious act in which the being addressed, is the holy, unerring, eternalJEHOVAH, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS! This brings me to the point I have particularly in view,namely, to recommend extempore prayer, and to adduce some arguments in proof of its superiority to written forms. Its superior utility in visiting and administering religious consolation to the sick, is demonstrated thus: Every one who has been in the habit of ministering in "spiritual things" to the sick, knows that the views, the feelings, the circumstances of almost every individual are distinct from those of every other. The manner and method, therefore, of praying with the afflicted, should be as diversified as are the cases. But this cannot be effected by any forms of prayer. I would by no means depreciate those excellent devotional compositions, which do the greatest honour both to the heads and hearts of the authors. Yet I can, from my own experience, aver, that reading prayers to the sick rarely produces the desired effect. Something more is necessary; and to enter the house of affliction and mourning with a mind intent on doing all possible good; to examine, as far as necessity and prudence dictate, into the peculiar circumstances of the case; to read the Scriptures, give admonitions and advice; to soothe and lead the sufferer's mind into the best possible devotional frame; and then to breathe forth in solemn and fervent prayer to Almighty God, the spontaneous effusions of a devoutly animated, benevolent, sympathizing heart, seems to be pointed out by reason and revelation as the only proper manner of discharging this very important, this most sacred duty.

The preceding arguments apply with nearly the same force to the use of extempore-prayer in public worship. It is generally admitted, that "what comes from the heart, reaches the heart," but it is very questionable, whether, while the eye and the tongue are engaged in reading the compositions of others, the heart can feel and send forth the sentiments so effectually

as when they have their origin in the mind of the speaker. "There are very few mere readers," says an elegant and judicous author, "who have the facility of penetrating the soul and awakening the passions of those who hear, as the man who seems to talk every word from his very heart.” * The amazing difference between the effects produced by a mere reader, and an animated extempore - speaker, is easily ascertained by a visit to the place of worship conducted by the former, and then to that served by the latter. Here, the speaker is heard with deep attention: the audience anxiously rest on his lips, catch the sacred fire that glows in his bosom, an holy flame is kindled in every breast, and thence ascends a sweetsmelling incense to heaven. There, the reader goes over his task unaffected himself, and consequently without affecting his hearers. His audience feel no interest in what is going on, unless indeed they now and then express a secret wish that it were finished.

But I suspect some will be ready to say, What! are rant and rhapsody the criteria of true devotion? Certainly not. On the contrary, all possible discouragement should be given to every thing unbecoming and irregular in the awful solemnities of religious worship. Clamorous unmeaning prayer, as well as the mere reading of refined composition, is doubtless disregarded, or indignantly rejected by Him who requires that the feeling sincerity, the rational sensibility of the heart, should be engag ed in the production, and have the direction of every sentence uttered in prayer. It might be imagined, that to attain that elegance of language and correctness of expression which are necessary to the right performance of extemporeprayer, is extremely difficult: but that this is by no means the case, I infer from the circumstance, that persons of but ordinary capacity do pray extempore, (as I have many times witnessed both in public and private,) in very appropriate, and not inelegant language. I am aware that this is commonly denominated "a gift of prayer," and so indeed it is from Him from whom proceedeth " every good and perfect gift," but then He hath given to every man, and the only difference

Watt's Imp. Mind, chap. xvii.

between him who utters forth his thanksgivings, praises and supplica tions before his God, extemporaneously and readily, and him who cannot, is, that the former has, by practice, improved his talent and turned it to proper account, while the latter has hid his in the ground, until the rust and canker have either destroyed, or rendered it useless. If, therefore, extempore-prayer be of such vast importance as has been endeavoured to be shewn; and if a facility to perform it be to be acquired by practice, (as I think it is,) surely no exertions for its attainment can possibly be too great.

H. CLARKE.

P.S. Some time since, it was thought necessary, by the Unitarian congregation in this place, to introduce somne new regulations into their public worship. These were, that each individual offer up a private ejaculation to God, on his first entrance; that the congre gation stand during singing, and kneel during prayer; and that a solemn pause should succeed the service, to enable every one again to breathe forth a short secret prayer. Should any, or all of these be esteemed worthy of adoption by other congregations, I shall congratulate myself on the recollection of having supplied the stimulus.

Dr. J. Jones on Dr. Smith's Critique

IN

on Phil. ii. 5.

N perusing Dr. Smith's critique on Phil. ii. 5, a few observations suggested themselves to me, which I cannot withhold from the Repository, though I have before made the passage a subject of discussion. That able and learned divine thus renders the verse: "Who (though) existing in the form of God, did not esteem it an object to be caught at to be on a parity with God." 1. I observe that a ε is a parallelism with ev pop εo; and is therefore but a varied expression of the same idea; and as the latter means a form or appearance of God, so the former means to be like God, and not to be equal with God, as rendered in the common version, or to be on a parity with God, as rendered by Dr. S. 2. The verbal nouns in pa or pos in Greek, denote not the action of their respective verbs, but an object or adjunct of that action. Thus Banticpa signifies

not an act of baptizing, but the right of baptism; parious, illumination and not the act of illuminating; deoμos, (from dew, to bind,) a thing that binds, a bond, and not the action of binding; eopos, (from Sew, to lay,) a thing laid down, a law, and not the act of laying. And though instances of equivocal meaning may doubtless occur, this is the genius of the language through its whole extent. Analogy therefore requires the term prays to mean a thing to be caught or seized, and thus Dr. S. has properly translated the word. But what is most material to observe is, that the passage is elliptical; and the supply of the ellipsis will render the whole at once obvious and natural. Ος εν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπαρχων εχ' άρπαγμον ἡγησατο το ειναι ἴσα Θεῷ ὡς θανάτου απορῥύσατο) αλλα (τοῦ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ KOLL ... εταπείνωσεν auTOY EXEYWOE ... ἑαυτον . . . μεχρι θανατου: i. e. who being in a form of God, did not think his being like God a thing to be caught at, in order to rescue himself from death; on the contrary, he divested himself of that divine form, and hum

bled himself to death."

Now a form of God can only mean a divine or splendid form; and thus it stands opposed to the "form of a slave," or a mean and humble form. The question then is, Whether there before his death assumed a splendid was any occasion in which our Lord form calculated to inspire those around him with the hopes that he should not die? If such an occasion existed, to this the apostle must allude. After he had fully assured his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer, we read that he went up to a high mountain with three of his disciples, and there assumed an appearance before them bright as the sun, and was seen to converse with Moses and Elias. Peter was distressed at the prospect of the fate that awaited his Divine Master; and he instantly seized the present occasion as a happy omen of his deliverance from the impending evil, exclaiming, "It is good for us to be here, let us make three tents, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias:" which means, "Let us stay here, and not now go to Jerusalem; for when the report of this noble appearance will go abroad, the whole nation will gather here; and even the rulers, when they

shall witness thy splendour, and see Moses and Elias bearing testimony to thy claims, will all receive thee, and thus the necessity of dying on a cross will be done away." Thus we see that a Jew and a disciple regarded the splendid scene on this occasion as a happy means of saving his Master from death. Peter grasps it with avidity; and this conduct in seizing an object so desirable, seems to have suggested, by association, the language of the apostle. Mr. Belsham, in his Calm Inquiry, pp. 128-144, has given a fair and full account of the manner in which this passage is explained by different interpreters. With the majority of Unitarian divines, he takes the "form of God" to mean the being invested with miraculous power. The ellipsis above pointed out, renders their interpretation more pertinent and forcible than they are aware of; "Jesus being invested with miraculous power did not consider this power as a thing to be caught at to avoid death; but declined the use of it for his own sake, and voluntarily submitted to death." The truth and importance of this meaning might make it worthy of being asserted by the apostle; but two circumstances render it demonstrable, that it was not the idea which he meant to inculcate. There is no analogy between the possession of miraculous power, and the phrase "form of God," to warrant the metaphor; and a writer who paid the smallest regard to distinctness and congruity in his ideas, or propriety in his language, would not have adopted it. If the form of God means miraculous endowment, the form of a slave must denote the absence or disuse of that endowinent; and in this sense Jesus never assumed the form of a slave; for from his baptism to his crucifixion, he remained in the full and uninterrupted possession of his miraculous power. Besides, the form of a slave means the death of a slave, which usually was that of crucifixion. In this sense and in this alone, Christ as sumed the form of a slave; and the context sufficiently manifests that it was the death of a slave which Paul had in his mind.

J. JONES.

GLEANINGS; OR, SELECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS MADE IN A COURSE OF GENERAL READING.

No. CCCLXXXII.

Lipsius and the States of Holland. (From the "Baltimore Unitarian Miscellany.")

Lipsius, who wrote a work on steadfastness, and, notwithstanding, changed his religious creed four times, declared in his book on Politics, that one religion only ought to be tolerated in a state, and that all persons who would not profess themselves to be of the Established Church, should receive no mercy, but be persecuted with fire and sword. Johann Cernheert refuted these intolerant principles, and gave rise to various controversial publications. To prohibit these, Lipsius attempted to have a mandate issued, that his own book on Politics should not be refuted. The states of Holland, however, refused his prayer on the following very wise grounds: Either the asserted principles are true, and then they cannot be refuted; or, they are false, and then the state has no injury to expect from such a discovery.

No. CCCLXXXIII.
Sign of the True Faith.

When Henry the Fourth of France was reconciled to the Church of Rome, it was expected that he should give some remarkable testimonial of his sincerity in returning to the true faith. He accordingly ordered a cross to be erected at Rome, near the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, with this inscription, In hoc signo vinces, on the principal part of it. This passed at first as very Catholic, till it was observed that the part in which the inscription is put is shaped in the form of a cannon, and that he had really attributed only to his artillery what they had taken to be addressed to Heaven.-(On the authority of Ficoroni, at Rome, from Spence's Anecdotes, (Malone's edition,) 8vo. 1820.),

ART. I.-Practical Sermons. By Abraham Rees, D.D. F.R.S. &c., Editor of the Cyclopædia. Vols. III. and IV. £1. 48. Pp. 560 and 550. Longman and Co., and Hunter. 1821.

R. REES is not more remarkable

a

than for his maintaining for more than half a century his popularity as preacher amongst the Protestant Dissenters. The bare statement of this fact cannot but excite curiosity with regard to his pulpit compositions, which, allowing for the influence of character, person, voice and manner, must have contributed in no small degree to the effect. The venerable preacher who has so long occupied an eminent ministerial station, connects the age of Chandler and Foster with our own; and his Sermons partake of

the excellencies of those and other ce

lebrated divines of the last century, while they are in some degree accommodated to the altered taste and habits of the present times. They are in truth specimens of the best style of sermons that for the last seventy or eighty years has been acceptable to the English Presbyterians. They are not moral essays or controversial lectures: they are scriptural and evangelical discourses, simple and unpretending in their plan, embracing the more general views of divine truth, of a moderate and catholic spirit, adapted to all classes of hearers, but supposing a certain degree of information and refinement, even in their tenour, sparing of figures, elegant by being perspicuous and eloquent by being impressive. In 1811, Dr. Rees published the two first volumes, * a second edition of which was soon called for. Both editions are, it appears, disposed of, and thus encouraged, the author dedicates to the congregation of the Old Jewry Chapel these two additional volumes, “as his last public tribute of gratitude,

affection and best wishes." We bore our willing, though humble testimony, to the merits of the two first volumes, [Mon. Repos. VII. 104-107,] and we are prompted no less by a sense of duty to our readers, than by the feelings of private friendship, to recommend to

cently published.

The following are the contents of the volumes: Vol. III. Serm. I. The Connexion between Just Sentiments of Moral and Religious Truth, and its practical Influence. Dan. xii. 10. II. The Origin and pernicious Influence of an Evil Heart of Unbelief. Heb. iii. 12. III. A Caution against Infidelity. Prov. xix. 27. IV. The Expectation of a Future State, as a Principle of Conduct, founded on the most satisfactory Evidence. Luke xvi. 31. V. The peculiar Excellence of Christianity. Matt. xi. 11. VI The Guilt and DanVII. The Prevalence and Subsistence ger of despising Christ. Luke x. 16. of Christianity urged in Proof of its Divine Origin. Acts v. 38, 39. VIII. Our Saviour's Victory over the World instructive and encouraging. John xvi. 33. IX. Reflections on the Close of our Saviour's Life. John xvii. 1. X. The Belief and Profession of Christianity vindicated from Reproach. Rom. x. 11.

XI. The Reasonableness and Utility of the Exercise of Private Judgment in the Province of Religion. Rom. xiv. 6. XII. The Conduct of the Beræans stated and recommended. Acts xvii. 11. XIII.

The Insufficiency of the Form, without the Power, of Godliness. 2 Tim. iii. 5. XIV. The Inutility of Religion, an unfounded Apology for the neglect of it. Deut. xxxii. 47. XV. The Folly of making a Mock at Sin. Prov. xiv. 9. XVI. Difficulties in the Contemplation of the Moral Providence of God, stated and resolved. Eccles. ix. 2. God an impartial Sovereign and Judge. Rom. ii. 11. XVIII. Reflections tending to produce Fortitude and Resignation in a Season of Trial. 1 Pet. i. 6. XIX. The Evils of Life directed and overru

XVII.