the absurdity of their fastening all the different opinions, which prevail among them, upon the Book of Common Prayer, and thus making this book speak almost as many languages as the builders of Babel.

When he traces out the consequences of any of the doctrines contained in the Prayer Book, it does not appear, that he would be understood as charging churchmen with believing these consequences; but on the contrary, as showing from this very circumstance of their not believing them, that they ought not to retain a fixed rule of faith, which will admit of such consequences, and of contradictory interpretations. This object is apparent throughout his remarks on the forms and doctrines of the Episcopal Church; and from the whole he infers, that no rule of faith is either expedient or profitable but the Bible alone. His arguments are stated with plainness, good temper, and, as far as we can judge, with accuracy; and we do not expect to see them overthrown by any weapons, which ridicule, malice, or misrepresentation may afford. Whoever will confute them to the satisfaction of any candid, reasonable or inquiring mind, must show that he goes about the work with a christian spirit and honourable intentions; that he is resolved to meet argument with argument, and appeal to the justice, good sense, and understanding of his readers.

Illustration of the Sixth Chapter of the Gospel of

St. John.

"THIS is a hard saying, who can hear it," was the language of the Jews in relation to the expressions made use of by our Saviour, which are recorded in this chap

ter. The obscurity of these expressions has not been diminished by time, and it is only by a diligent attention to the circumstances under which they were used, the character and feelings of both speaker and hearers, and the meaning of language somewhat similar in other parts of the Scriptures, that we can obtain any expla nation which shall be at all satisfactory. If our readers will peruse the chapter, they will perceive that immediately after the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, the multitude followed our Lord to Capernaum and accosted him in the language of surprise, at his having crossed the lake of Galilee without their knowledge,-"Rabbi, when camest thou hither?" It is to be remembered, that this was the same multitude, who, astonished at the miracle which Jesus had lately performed, and satisfied by it, that he was "that prophet that was to come into the world," had been desirous, in conformity to their notions of what ought to be the Messiah's character, "to take him by force, and make him a king." Our Saviour not choosing to satisfy an idle curiosity, instead of replying to their question, tells them that they sought him, not because they had seen the miracles, not that his mighty works had wrought their proper effects on their minds, and made them docile and obedient, but because they had "eaten of the loaves, and were filled," because they expected him to supply their wants in future, as he had done the day before.

He then exhorts them "to labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." This is parallel with the exhortation in Matthew, not to lay up treasures on earth, "where moth and rust doth corrupt," but in heaven "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt”—and no one can mis

take the meaning of either. Our Saviour proceeds"Which the Son of man will give unto you." The Messiah will point out the means of obtaining this food, of laying up this treasure, "for him hath God the Father sealed." The miracles which he is empowered to perform are the seal, the proof of his divine mission. "What shall we do then," said the Jews, "that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." This expression occurs very frequently in the Gospel of St. John, and seems to have been used by our Saviour, and understood by the Jews, as referring to the Christ. "They said therefore unto him, (apparently relapsing into disbelief of his Messiahship, from his declining to be made a king, and from the character of his conversation,) What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? What dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." To establish your pretensions, you must perform a greater miracle than we have yet seen; you indeed have once fed multitudes with a few loaves; you have supplied their wants with earthly food; but Moses supported not only a few thousands, but a whole nation, not for a day, but for a series of years, and brought down for them the food of angels. Jesus replies to them, that manna deserved not the appellation of bread from heaven; it merely supported the animal necessi ties of the Israelites; "but my Father giveth you"-is now offering to you "the true bread from heaven," that which "giveth life unto the world." By this we understand him to mean, that God was now offering to men the means of obtaining eternal life, not by eating or drinking any thing, for in a subsequent verse he calls

himself the bread of life, and adds, "He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Can any other meaning be fixed upon these words than this? He who believes in my divine mission, and obeys my instructions, acting conformably to his belief, shall obtain eternal life. "All whom the Father hath given me," he proceeds, "will come to me; and him who cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" [reject.]

"To be given of the Father," says Whitby, "cannot here signify to be absolutely chosen by him to eternal life; for then the Jews could not be reasonably accused for not coming to Christ, or not believing in him, seeing, that upon this supposition, it was impossible they should believe, who were not thus elected, and so it could not be imputed as their crime, that they did not do a thing which it was impossible for them to do; whereas it is certain that our Saviour represents it as their great sin, telling them, that the Spirit would 'convince them of sin, because they believed not in him,' and that they had 'no excuse for their sin,' whereas, what better excuse could be made for them than this, that they could not come to him, as being not elected by God to that life he offered to induce them to do so?" Again, the same commentator says, "To be given of the Father is to be convinced by the miracles which God had wrought by him, to testify the truth of his mission that he was the Messiah; and to be willing on these testimonies to own him as such, laying aside all those unreasonable prejudices and carnal affections which obstructed their coming to him." And after some proofs of this interpretation, he goes on; "This we may learn from a like expression in Deut. xxix. 2, 3, 4. 'Ye have seen all the Lord did before your eyes

in the land of Egypt, the great temptations, signs, and miracles, which there he wrought; yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, cyes to see, ears to hear unto this day.' Here it is manifest, that the way of God's giving them an heart to perceive, was by working those signs and miracles before their eyes, which might induce them so to do; and yet, for want of this improvement of them to this end, it is admitted that the Lord hath not given them this heart, or is imputed as their great fault that he had not given it, i. e. that after all he had done to produce it in them they had it

not."

The next verses have less of obscurity. "This is the will of him that sent me-that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing;—that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." We think there can be little doubt that the meaning is, that every one who receives the truth with a willing mind, and obeys it with a perfect heart, shall be raised to a future and endless life of happiness,

(To be continued.)

SIR,

Remarks on the Doctrine of Human Merit.

To the Editor.

As your publication is open to the insertion of articles from any party, if “written with moderation, candour, and a spirit of charity," it would be unreasonable to hold you responsible for the opinions and modes of expression, which may from time to time be found in its pages; but when a writer is giving an account of