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day, on the one hand; and to supply any omissions which may imperceptibly creep in, on the other. By dangerous errors I would understand all approaches to the Socinian heresy, or to the opposite and fatal downfall of Antinomianism. Our Church is a bulwark against both. The Deity and atonement and propitiation of the Son of God; the personality and Deity and operations of the Holy Ghost; the certainty and eternity of future punishment, are involved in all our established doctrines. With respect to the Antinomian heresy, we have seen of late how rapidly the rising danger faded away before the steady and unbending truths of the Church. The holiness which all our documents breathe, soon dispersed the threatening cloud. But these heresies are so glaring, and so abhorrent from the feelings of all sincere members of our Church, as to require less notice. It is in guarding against omissions in Christian doctrine, that the dissemination of our Homilies may be of the most essential and permanent benefit. I am sure I am speaking what the recollection of many persons before me can confirm, when I say that twenty or thirty years back the doctrine of the blessed Spirit of God was frequently omitted, comparatively speaking, in our public instructions. The truth was not denied perhaps, or opposed, but it was practically disregarded. The fear of enthusiasm, and of claims to direct inspiration

and apostolical powers, prevented men from giving to it its fair importance. Thank God, the wider diffusion of our Homilies, together with our Liturgy, and Articles, and Ordination services, have been the means of recalling men's attention to the infinite moment of this doctrine. Our Church teaches us in her Liturgy that the Holy Spirit is "the Lord and Giver of life," that he "cleanses the thoughts of our hearts by his inspiration," that he "gives a right judgment in all things," that we are "to rejoice in his holy comfort:" and in her Ordination Service, she implores his special aid in a Hymn consecrated in all our memories. And if any doubt rests on the minute details of what our Church maintains on this Article of Faith, let the Homilies remove it. Read that for Whitsunday, mark the prominence given to this great truth in the other parts of the Book; and then say whether the success of all our ministrations is not considered by our Church as dependant on the effectual grace of the Holy Spirit.

But I check myself, my Lord, in this course of remark. I will only further observe, that one circumstance noticed in the Report with regard to the Homilies much struck me; I mean, that the Society had begun to publish the separate Homilies with little cuts prefixed. Small as this circumstance may at first sight appear, I

think it is of great moment. It will endear them to children. The first time I showed my own little girl these pictures, they much attracted her attention. And in circulating them amongst my schools at St. John's, I find they are exceedingly liked by the children. Whatever attaches servants, children, young people, and cottagers, to what is good and pious, becomes important. These pictures also will make the Homilies more acceptable to hawkers. This is no inconsiderable point. There is a multitude of persons travelling your country, and carrying their books and tracts to the cottages in your villages, What these books and tracts often are, how destructive to the moral and religious habits of the poor-in short, the wretched ribaldry of a hawker's basket, I will not describe. I will only say, that if I can put a Homily on reading Holy Scripture, on Salvation, or on the Death and Passion of Christ, into this basket instead of such dangerous and seductive publications, I am not only excluding a great evil, but also communicating a great good.

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DISCOURS prononcé à la séance du Comité de la Société Biblique Protestante de Paris, le Mardi 10 Septembre, 1822.

APPELE' par le président de ce Comité à avoir l'honneur de vous adresser quelques paroles, je suis assuré, Messieurs, que je puis compter sur votre indulgence lorsque je tâche, quoique étranger et très-imparfait dans la pratique de votre langue, de vous témoigner les sentimens d'estime que m'inspire votre noble institution.

Votre dernier rapport nous a vivement touchés; nous voyons la France Protestante presque entière, entourée de vos institutions; nous suivons avec un intérêt toujours croissant le cours de vos travaux. Les membres de la Société Biblique de Londres surtout éprouvent une véritable joie à mesure que vous avancez dans la carriére vaste et magnifique que vous a ouverte cette entreprise si simple mais si efficace, de répandre parmi vos frères les Saintes Ecritures.

Tout ce que j'ai vu, dans le cours de mon voyage de Weymouth à Paris, m'a réjoui l'âme.

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Dans l'île de Guernesey, j'ai rencontré ce vénérable vieillard, M. Pierre Bellanger, dont la touchante libéralité a rempli d'admiration toute la France Protestante. Il m'a dit que Seigneur lui ayant ouvert le cœur par sa grâce, il avait résolu d'en montrer les fruits par un don si convenable à son état. Vous voyez, Messieurs, que ce qui pénètre le cœur et qui produit vraiment de bonnes œuvres, c'est la grâce puissante de notre Sauveur Jésus Christ.

Dans l'île de Jersey, j'ai éprouvé un vif plaisir en trouvant florissante, sous la conduite de Madame Le Couteur, cette Société de dames à laquelle vous avez fait de si nombreux envois de livres sacres. Déjà plus de 2000 Bibles et Nouveaux-Testamens y ont été répandus.

Arrivé dans votre belle Normandie, je me hâtai de goûter les prémices de ces heureux momens que je m'étais promis en France. Nos Sociétés Bibliques ont des découvertes à faire; partout nous déterrerons des frères épars qu'on doit unir avec nous, et que nos Bibles soulageraient dans leur solitude pénible. En Angleterre, l'expérience nous ouvre toujours de nouveaux chemins pour notre marche bienfaisante, où on l'attendrait le moins. La parole de Dieu est la nourriture des âmes; elle crée d'abord la faim de salut, et ensuite elle la satisfait.

La ville de Caen a déjà une Société dont les commencemens, quoique faibles, inspirent la

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