little more than pagan ethics.' He further maintained, ' that by their fruits ye might know them; that one system was fruitful in good works, and the other productive of pride, self-righteousness, and attachment to the ways of the world.' To all which it should be added, that Mr. M. had never the least hesitation in owning,-that he himself, during the first years of his being in holy orders, was as deeply involved as any person could be in this charge of DEPARTING from the genuine religion of the Bible and of the Establishment to which he belonged;-that he had been active and earnest in corrupting the most important passages of Scripture and Articles of Faith-that, though his own conscience never in the smallest degree accused him of insincerity or hypocrisy, yet his " zeal had been without knowledge; " that the tendency of his warm addresses to the people, before his conversion, when he used often to bring forward the peculiarities of the gospel, must have been to explain away those peculiarities, and misguide his audience;-and lastly that, in fact, at that time, he did not understand the nature of Christ's salvation, had never experienced its humbling operation on the mind of a truly penitent sinner, but was building an edifice both of religious doctrine and practice on a selfrighteous foundation.

The reader is to observe, that the state of persecution above described, as well as the violent agitation of men's passions concerning religious subjects, did not continue during the whole of Mr. Milner's ministry. The storm subsided, a good deal, after the first seven or eight years; whereas the duration of Mr. Milner's serious and active ministry is to be reckoned from about the twenty-seventh year of his age to his fifty-fourth.

Many

causes concurred to abate the storm of prejudice, and to produce milder

sentiments of him and his ministrations.'

The circumstances which produced and attended this change in Mr. Milner, are stated at length in his Brother's Memoir, and they well deserve serious and careful perusal. They are however too long for insertion, and cannot be abridged without injury.

Mr. Milner was, during almost his whole career at Hull, diligently employed as Master of the Grammar School.

His ministerial avocations occupied also a considerable portion of his time, having not only to prepare Sermons, which he always wrote nearly at full length, but also to visit numerous sick persons. In addition to these labours, he frequently appeared before the public as an author. His first publication was entitled, Some remarkable Passages in the Life of William Howard.' In this pamphlet he described a very striking change produced in an individual of profligate character by the power of divine grace. This pamphlet has passed through several editions. Mr. Milner's next work was an answer to Gibbon, in which he ably vindicates Christianity against the subtle perversions of that deceitful historian. Mr. Milner next produced some Essays on the influence of the Holy Spi-. rit, occasioned principally by some observations on his former pamphlet, by Mr. Ludlam. But his most arduous and important work, was the commencement of a' History of the Church of Christ,' on a new plan. Of this he only lived to complete three volumes. Three

more

were gradually produced, partly from his own MSS. but chiefly by his lamented brother, the Dean of Carlisle. The pen which fell from his hand, was resumed by the late Rev. John Scott, who also produced three volumes, by whose early death the work is still imperfect.

Inq. Well, my good friends, what is to be the subject of our discussion to-day?

Rom. Let our friend here indicate it. He has gone through two of the points which he proposed to establish, touching the Rule of Faith; and has endeavoured to prove, and perhaps has proved to his own satisfaction, that our opposition to the reception of the Scriptures as the sole rule, leads to infidelity;-and that the difficulties suggested by Dr. Wiseman are not insuperable. But he promised, I think, a third argument, the establishment of which will, I believe, prove more difficult than either of the former,-to wit, that our principle, "that God has appointed HIS CHURCH the infallible and unfailing depository of all truth, " is "beset with not only the same, but ten times greater difficulties" than those which have been pointed out in the Protestant Rule.

Prot. You are right; that is the remaining branch of my argument, and we will, if you please, proceed with it this morning.

Inq. But how do we commence its consideration? To make a just and strict comparison, it will be necessary to pass again in review all Dr. Wiseman's objections to the use of Holy Scripture as a rule.

Prot. I think we may manage this, with ease, much more briefly. Let our friend here go over, as succinctly as possible, the leading points of objection taken by Dr. W. to the of Scripture; and do you take a pencil and a slip of paper, and then give them out, afterwards,

* Wiseman's First Lecture, p. 20. JANUARY 1838.

use

C

one by one; when, I think, a very little consideration will show the entire correctness of my allegation, that the Romish rule is beset with far more serious and insuperable difficulties, than even those which are erroneously attributed to the Protestant principle.

Inq. Well, proceed. But may I ask, before we begin, what is the chief point to be inquired into: I mean, what is the chief feature, touching which, the comparison must be made?

Prot. It is that of inapplicability. Dr. W. asserts that the Protestant rule is "fraught with so many difficulties, as absolutely to render it in practice inapplicable, and void of fruit." And I shall endeavour to show that this objection attaches in a much greater degree to the Romish rule, than to the Protestant. But this I must do by passing in review all the supposed difficulties," arrayed by Dr. Wiseman against the use of Scripture, and inquiring whether they do not apply far more decidedly to the rule and standard which he himself proposes.

Inq. Will you then, on Dr. Wiseman's part, recapitulate the heads of his argument, and I will endeavour to note them down for our further consideration.

Rom. Willingly. Dr. Wiseman, desirous to submit himself to whatever rule Christ really meant to establish, contends that the books of Scripture cannot have been intended to constitute that Rule, for the following reasons :

1. That the adoption of such a rule implies a necessity, on the part of every individual receiving it, of a long investigation into the

genuineness and authenticity of those books:

2. Also, of a further enquiry, as to whether no other books of equal authority have been lost or excluded, so as to leave the Rule incomplete :

3. Also, whether it be beyond doubt, that these books were not only the real productions of their alleged authors, but were actually given by Divine Inspiration.

And, considering that these three points include a vast field of enquiry and laborious investigation, the Doctor asks, "Can a rule, in the approach to which you must pass through such a labyrinth of difficulties, be that which God has given us as a guide to the poorest, the most illiterate, aud the simplest of his creatures?"

4. But the supposition that "God gave his Holy Word to be the only rule of faith to all men," leads to another difficulty; it must "be translated into every language, that all men may have access to it." Now, says Dr. Wiseman, are you aware of the difficulty of undertaking a translation of it? Whenever the attempt has been made in modern times; in the first instance it has generally failed, and even after many repeated attempts, it has proved unsatisfactory."" And we cannot suppose that God would stake the whole usefulness and value of his rule upon the private or particular abilities of man.

5. Again, consider the paucity of copies of the Bible, until modern times. "God could not mean, that for 1400 years man was to be without a guide; and that mankind should have to wait until human genius had given efficacy to it by its discoveries and inventions. Such cannot be the qualities or conditions of the rule."

6. Lastly; "To be the rule of faith, it cannot be sufficient that men should possess and read it, but they must surely be able to comprehend it. In fact, who ever

heard of the propriety and wisdom of placing in men's hands a code, or rule, which it was impossible for the greater portion of them to comprehend?"

"Such, then,” says the Doctor, "are the difficulties regarding the application of this rule: a difficulty of procuring and preserving the proper sense of the original correct translations; a difficulty of bringing this translation within the reach of all; a difficulty, not to say an impossibility, of enabling all to understand it."*

Inq. Well, I have noted down these several points, upon which Dr. Wiseman rests his conclusion, that the Scriptures were not intended as a sole or sufficient rule of faith. You are now to show, I think, that the same or still greater difficulties attend the admission of the Romish rule.

Prot. That will be my endeavour. But let us understand, distinctly, what we are to bring into comparison with the scriptures, as furnishing mankind with a safer and more unerring guide than God's own revealed word?

Rom. I think I may describe it in Dr. Wiseman's words, as "the Church of Christ, which has been appointed by God to take charge of, and keep safe, those doctrines, committed to her from the beginning, to be taught, at all times, to all nations." +

Prot. Then let us proceed at once to consider Dr. Wiseman's first objection, and to inquire whether his own rule is free from the difficulty which he professes to find in the use of the Holy Scrip

tures.

Ing. Dr. Wiseman's first objection is, that, "if all men, even the most illiterate, have a right to study the word of God,-if it be not only the right, but the duty of even the most ignorant, to study that word, and thence to draw his

*Wiseman's Second Lecture, p. 48.

Wiseman's Third Lecture, p. 61.

belief;-it is likewise his duty to satisfy himself that it is the word of God." And " in the first place, before any one can even commence the examination of that rule, which the church proposes to him, he must have satisfied himself that all the books and writings which are collected together in that volume, are really the genuine works of those whose names they bear."*

Prot. Keep this practical difficulty, then, fixedly in view, and endeavour to follow me while I shew that the rule which Dr. Wiseman proposes as 66 a more excellent way," is far, very far, more difficult of application than that to which he himself objects.

The Doctor himself is dealing with the case of one who is in your own circumstances; that is, of one who has not yet finally received the Scriptures as the word of God. And he argues that if, instead of first submitting himself to the Church, and then receiving the Scriptures on her authority, the inquirer begins by endeavouring to satisfy himself as to the divine authority of the sacred writings, he will find the difficulties so great, and the investigation so tedious, as to make it manifest that this was not the course intended by God; but that the Church is to be first submitted to as our guide, and then the Scriptures received on her guarantee and recommendation.

Now try this course for a few moments, and see if you have really changed for the better.

The very instant you set out, you find that you have not improved, but considerably deteriorated, your prospects of success.

I had proposed to you THE BIBLE as your rule and guide. Now at least there was a remarkable concurrence of testimony in behalf of this book. There is but one Bible in the world, and in

* Wiseman's Second Lecture, p. 32.

every corner of the carth this one book is known, and is accepted by all sorts and kinds of Christians, as God's own revealed word.

All the visible churches, of every description, unite in this one great point. The Romish church, whether in Italy, in Belgium, inIreland, in Mexico, or in Malabar, declares this book to be the word of God. The Greek churches, from St. Petersburg to Athens, from Armenia to Alexandria, all unite in the same testimony. The ancient Syrian churches, the Maronites, and the Waldenses, alike agree with all the daughters of the Reformation; and wherever a professing Christian is to be found, no matter of what nation or of what communion, there you have a witness to the fact, that all Christendom accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed word of God.

But mark how woefully you have darkened your prospect, when you turn away from this proposed Rule, on the score of the supposed difficulty of ascertaining its genuineness, and take up, instead, the pretensions of either the Romish, or any other visible church.

I presented to you a Bible;-which you could see, and lay hold upon, and read, and consider. Here was something tangible, and something as to the divine character of which you had the united testimony of all Christians, throughout all ages, and in all places. Now what does my opponent offer to you, as a preferable guide? I ask him to state his own position.

Rom. I can only repeat what I just now told you. Our rule is "The Church of Christ, which has been appointed of God to take charge of, and keep safe, the doctrines committed to her from the beginning."

Prot. Then you see at once how materially your position is changed for the worse. The Rule

or Guide I proposed to you, was one which you could yourself consult, peruse, consider; and in the truth of which all Christendom, of all churches, and all nations, were agreed. Instead of which Rule you now have one offered you which is an impalpable shadow; a mere ideal thing; which you can neither see nor hear, nor in any practical way consult; and respecting the truth and authority of which, Christendom is greatly divided.

Inq. How do you mean that the Romish rule is one which can neither be seen, nor heard, nor

consulted?

Prot. I mean that the Bible is here, and you may at once sit down and study it; but where is the Church,' which our friend here recommends to you as a more safe and eligible guide? Where can you see or hear this Church; and in what mode or by what channel does she speak? In a word, my opponent tells you of a RULE,-a GUIDE:-ask him to put you in possession of it, and to give you a practical example of its use and of utility.

Inq. Well, I ask you, then, who offer me this Rule, more easy of application, more simple, and more intelligible than the Bible.--I ask you to enable me at once to apply it to a practical use. I wish to receive, as soon as possible, satisfaction on several important points. Tell me, then, where is your Rule; that I may first investigate its claims, and then proceed to apply it to practice. What is it, that, instead of this Bible, you offer me as a guide to my enquiries?

Rom. Why I must confess that there is a little difficulty,-if you require a document, a book,-to furnish you with any substitute for the Bible. The description given by Dr. Milner of our Rule will explain to you this difficulty. He says, "The Catholic Rule of Faith

is Scripture and Tradition; and these propounded and explained by the Catholic Church." Now, Scripture you can easily have, but that taken alone we hold to be an imperfect Rule, and its use in this way we consider to be dangerous. And tradition has never been reduced to a system, -a second Bible; nor can we put it into your hands, or direct you to any single work in which you can find it.

66

as

Inq. Well, but you add, propounded and explained by the Catholic Church." Now where has the Church propounded this Rule? By the Dr's. language one might almost suppose, that the Church had added Tradition to Scripture, by way of a Commentary or Appendix, and that thus a perfect Rule was obtained.

Rom. No, I am sorry to say that there is no such work. The Church has never put forth any Commentary; nor any system or code of faith and morals, on infallible authority; although many individuals, upon their own private responsibility, and without pretending to infallibility, have written such treatises.

Inq. Well, of course it is useless to refer to mere human productions; as we are now seeking for something better than what you admit to be the word of God. But surely you will tell me, as she has not spoken, authoritatively, by a written work, where and how I can "hear the church ;"-as you seem to think I must hear her, to be in the safe road to salvation.

Rom. I confess I feel a degree of difficulty here. I know that some of our brethren have argued that "He who established his church, has appointed her pastors to rule, govern, and teach in his name; and has promised that he will watch over these his ministers, and be ever with them, and that his Spirit shall lead them into all truth. He has therefore commanded all to follow their guid