much more reasonable to suppose, that if you erect and authorize a standard of doctrine, the faith will be better kept than without one: in fact, you have otherwise no security for the principles of public teachers: they may teach the truth to-day, they may advocate the most monstrous errors to-morrow. We have, in our own country, a proof of the fearful peril of that body of men which ventures to launch thus rudderless upon the stormy ocean of the world. The Presbyterians of England are now chiefly Arians, or Socinians. 'Woe,' says the late Dr. Buchanan' to the declining church which hath no gospel liturgy!' But if a scriptural standard be retained, even though the practice become corrupt, there is hope that a church may revive: it may cast off the slough of ages, it may resume its beautiful garments, it may again be decked with glory. "Yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten as a teil tree and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." The preservation of the Syrian church in India is a remarkable example of this. Separated from other

churches, surrounded by idolatry, it had, centuries ago, in all human probability, expired, had it not enjoyed the advantages of daily prayers, and daily portions of the scripture in its liturgy. It has survived; and now the long smouldering embers of the Syrian altar are beginning to burn anew; the form of religion, which their recognized liturgy and ecclesiastical jurisdiction had preserved in the darkest of times, is becoming again animated with the power.'1 May we then neglect the means, which, under God, have proved so beneficial to the preservation of divine truth? No: we are bound to make those provisions which are most likely to convey the blessings we enjoy to future generations. We are bound to leave memorials, and to set up waymarks for posterity. The love we bear our children demands it of us; the welfare of the church demands it of us; the order of God's dealings, bringing about his purposes by human instrumentality, demands it of us.

1 Wilks.

ON LECTURE II.

NOTE D. Page 35.

26

Our church, in beginning her service with confession, follows the example of the earliest ages. 'To begin morning prayer with confession of sins,' says L'Estrange, 'I may call the catholic custom of the primitive church.'1 De nocte populus surgens antelucano tempore domum precationis petit, in labore, tribulatione, et lachrymis indesinentibus, facta ad Deum confessione, saith Basil, early in the morning, at break of day, the people rising, go straight to the house of prayer, making confession of their sins to God, with much sorrow, sobs, and tears.' Which custom, lest it should be thought a peculiar of his own church, was, he tells us, consonant to all other churches. Nor is he only a witness for confession, but for confession so qualified as ours, the congregation repeating the words after

1 Alliance of Divine Offices.

2 Epist. 63.

the minister, suis quisque verbis resipiscentiam profitetur, 'every man pronounceth his own confession with his own mouth.' 1

ON LECTURE III.

NOTE E. Page 55.

The doxology is of very great antiquity. S. Basil derives it very high, cites Irenæus for the use of it, calls it antiquam vocem, a phrase of great antiquity. Justin mentions it,' οὐκ ἀπλῶς ἡ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ τὸν ἅγιον πνεῦμα δοξολογία την σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν πορίζει, glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, without a sound confession of the Trinity, is not enough to save us.o

It is worthy observation that the Arians. altered this hymn of glory; whereupon there ensued, about the year 349, a dissension in the church of Antioch. In their choirs, say the old

1 Expositio fidei.

2 Vide L'Estrange.

ecclesiastical writers, while they praised God together, as the manner was, at the end of the psalms which they sung, it appeared what opinion every man held: forasmuch as they glorified, some the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; some the Father, by the Son, in the Spirit; the one sort thereby declaring themselves to embrace the Son's equality with the Father, as the council of Nice had defined the other sort, against the council of Nice, his inequality. The variation, had it not become the touchstone of party, was of little consequence. S. Basil, considering it indifferent, occasionally adopted it; and was accused of suspicions and heretical innovation. 'How hath the world,' says Hooker, 'forsaken that course which it sometime held! How are the judgments, hearts, and affections of man altered! May we not wonder, that a man of S. Basil's authority, and quality, an archprelate in the house of God, should have his name far and wide called in question, and be driven to his painful apologies, to write in his own defence whole volumes, and yet hardly to obtain with all his endeavour a pardon; the crime laid against him being but only a change