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    lical or Oal y inistic party are the only individuals in the kingdom who are sincere members , for conscience' sake , of the Established Church / 1 pre-supposes in your correspondent a power of * ' searching- the reins and the

    heart , " which I thought had been delegated to Christ alone . This assertion may be met by another . It is from motives of conscience , from attachment to what they believe sound doctrine and decent order , that the

    regular Churchmen oppose the Evangelical invaders of their pulpits , at the risk of endangering their own popularity among those who , " having itching ears , heap to themselves teachers . " In Dr . Marsh ' s " Comparative View of the Churches of England and Rome , " there are sentiments " on the

    subject of Christian Liberty" which ought to rescue him from this sort of fretful suspicion , this uncharitable imputation of a ** want of charity /' Whether the Evangelical party be " . the only members for conscience * sake " of the Church Establishment , I shall not discuss : but God forbid that the

    time should ever arrive when they would be the only members . JOHN BUNGLE .

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    Uncharitable Spirit of Dr . */ . P * Smith towards Mr . Betsfmm y fyc . 715

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    Uncharitable Spirit of Dr . J . P . Smith towards Mr . Belsham , in his " Scripture Testimony . " ( Concluded from p . 642 ) Sir ,

    FROM Bishop Hall I proceed to Bishop Hopkins , whose works have been re-published by Mr . Pratt , and dedicated to Mr . Wilberforce . In his Dedication , Mr . Pratt says , * ' Such a publication appears to me to be peculiarly seasonable . There is now

    a daring attempt , especially among men of letters , to misrepresent real Christianity , and to expose it to ridicule , by identifying it with the imbecilities and extravagancies of all who profess it . That author is of especial value whose works supply , within a moderate compass , the most complete refutation of

    whatever can be urged against true religion , by exhibiting her in her most beautiful proportions . Such an author is Hopkins . Reason is here seated in hqr majesty , while she promulgates the decrees of divine truth ; and eloquence is employed in her legitimate province , while she enforces these decrees , "

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    In Bishop HQpkins we may expect , then , surely , to find every requisite qualification of an orthodox Christian advocate , one who shall in no instance

    " misrepresent real Christianity / ' oj : advance sentiments and expressions bearing any resemblance to those for which Mr . Belsham is so severely lashed . Let us hear him :

    Glorious , in the very same degree with his eternal Father : co-equal and co-essential with him , &c . And yet , this bright and glorious God was pleased to eclipse his light , lay aside his rays , and immure himself in a house of clay .

    He who was in the form of God , took upon him the form of a servant . He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God , thought it no shame to be inferior to the angels , by becoming man ; yea , and inferior to men , by becoming a curse for them .

    " And , certainly , if our love be commended and heightened by the great advantages we quit for the sake o ? f others , how infinitely inexpressible must the love of Christ towards us be ! Who being the ever-blessed God , by whose power all things were created arid do subsist ,

    dwelling m unapproachable light and glory , attended with legions of angels- —that he should be pleased to forsake his palace , discard his retinue , -shrink up himself into a poor , helpless infant , shrowthantl veil all his godhead , but only what

    sometimes displayed itself in the miracles which he wrought , and scarce more in these than in his patient suffering—what could persuade him to sq great an abasement , but only the greatness of his love ?" Discourses on the Law , II . 78 , 79 .

    His Sermon on the Nativity commences thus : " In this chapter ( text , Luke i \ . 13 , 14 ) we have a most wonderful history of the nativity of the Son of God : and tt is described both by the me ^ an entertainment that earth and the glorious attendance that heaven afforded him .

    " His own , appearance was but despicable , but the appearance of his retinue was most magnificent , and astonishing ; he who was the ancient o days , became a helpless infant : he who was the light of the sun , conies into the world in the darkness of the night : he who came that

    he might lay us in the bosom of the Father , is liimself laid in the mauger of a stable . The inn is full , and Joseph the carpenter , and Mary , though big with God , . ni . ust t al * e up with a stable ; and she must lay her Weasedburdw among beasts and horses * far mor $ hospitable than their owr rs / WVyortss , IV , 274 ,

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1821, page 715, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2507/page/19/