"And for other churches-not under the name of Greek, as thofe of Antioch, or Syria, of Ethiopia and of Elcopti, or Ægypt,-have we teftimonies enough of them alfo, whence we may collect that they agree with us, in this anniversary celebration." P. 41. "And to conclude here, what greater teftimony can there be that it was received into the church, EVEN FROM THE DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES of OUR SAVIOUR, than this, that it was fo antiently obferved, and hath been ever fince fo generally received through Christendom?" And fo " fays St. Auguftine-quæ quidem toto terrarum orbe obfervantur, dantur intelligi vel ab ipfis Apoftolis, vel a plenariis Conciliis, quorum eft in Ecclefá faluberrima authoritas, commendata atque Statuta retineri." Sicuti quod Domini Paffio, et Refurrectio, et afcenfio in cælum, et adventus de cælo Spiritus Sancti, &c.-All fuch things he fuppofes either delivered by the Apoftles or ordained by General Councils : for Councils here, we have no teftimony that they ordained it: therefore it refts by this argument, that we derive it from the eldest tradition that may be in Chriftianity. But we end here" fays Selden, "this enquiry and refolve with that old Hymn of St. Ambrofe" Sic præfens teftatur dies," &c, P. 42. "Neither do I find ANY Chriftian church in the later ages, hath otherwife celebrated it, fave only that of the Armenians, who retained an antient custom of confounding it with the Ephiphany, and that to the time of Manuel Comnenus, which is about 440 years fince, and perhaps yet do, making a confufion of those feasts. Having thus extracted from the first four fections, whatever relates to the birth of Chrift on the 25th December, and thereby abundantly PROVED that to be the only proper day for its celebration, the remaining 3 fections, 5th, 6th, and 7th chiefly treat of the wrong calculations drawn from Luke -Zachary not being an high priest,-the course of the service being interrupted by Antiochus,-and their years being reckoned (as ours are in law,) by the reigns of Kings. The DAY therefore being more certain than the year," (which however, appears to be easily calculated, if any other proof could be wanted amid fuch a blaze of evidence, BY COMPUTING THE YEARS BACKWARD FROM THE DEATH OF CHRIST,) yet all amounts to this conclufion (p. 71.) that the yearly celebration or memory continued even from the eldest Chriftian time hath taught us THE EXACT DAY OF THE MONTH, therefore we have reafon enough still to refolve on it." Being therefore thus certified of THE DAY, let us be careful to observe it aright, and not only the day, but the whole feafon. Let us remember that it is fet apart by our church as a time whereon to celebrate the birth of our most bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. Let us keep it as a time "holy unto the Lord," and attend to our duty in public and in pris vate, in attending the fervice and facrament of the church, in prayer and thankfulness, "for the ineftimable love of God, in the REDEMPTION of the world by our Lord Jefus Chrift, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory," thus vouchfafed unto us, in this accomplishment of all the prophecies" from the foundations of the world." In ferious reflection upon the incarnation of our Lord, and this mystery" of God manifeft in the flesh." In obeying his will, and " doing good unto all men." Let" the rich" be mindful, to be "rich in good works." "That they be ready to give, and glad to distribute" to their poor neighbours. Let all "be merciful after their power," and "while they have time, do good unto unto all men." So fhall the poor, experience the effects of a lively faith, in their bodies as well as in their minds. And let THEM receive these good gifts with thankfulness from thofe whom God has made "their ftewards," and commanded "to difpenfe liberally. Let them not abuse them, but "be fober and vigilant," and apply them to the benefit of themselves and their families, and not wafte them "in rioting and drunkennefs, and every evil work." The abundant charities diftributed at this time will thus relieve the fick and needy, refresh the prisoner, and leffen every evil, whether of " mind, body, or eftate." Thus will the feafon be obferved aright, and all will partake of that general joy, which has fo univerfally prevailed at the celebration of fuch an important event, from whence all our other bleflings arife. Thus will the rich partake more cordially of the focial converfe of innocent mirth-as Chriftians! and the poor, ceafe to repine at hardfhips which they create for themselves, frequently finding the means for fin, though they neglect thofe of honeft induftry. The obfervance of holy days is of the utmost importance. Our church hath fo arranged them, that, if duly attended, we cannot fail to be thoroughly furnished," with that knowledge, which will affuredly "make us wife unto falvation." They are fo difperfed throughout the year, that they contain the history of our Lord, his incarnation, birth, life, doctrine and miracles, death, refurrection and afcenfion, with "the coming of the Holy Ghoft," according to his divine promifes: and alfo the hiftory of his Disciples,-in the respective collects, epiftles, gofpels and leffons. By adding the collects to our prayers, and reading the epiftles and gofpels with the leffons in rotation, and which may easily be done, "if there is first a willing mind," we fhould find ourselves armed against infidelity, depravity and fchifm;" ignorance would "not" abound, or the love of" fo many wax cold." We fhould be "able to give a reason of our hope," and " come off, more than conquerors." This can be done by all. But fuch as have opportunity can further improve it, by the help of Nelfon's moft excellent Companion to the Feafts and Fafts of the Church, and alfo by attending the public fervice, as they are bound. Our CATTLE alfo fhould be let partake of the general joy, by greater indulgence in reft and food, for they partake largely in our general carcity. They adminifter profufely to our comfort, our pleasure, our fupport, our health: and God has allowed us their proper ufe for thefe purposes. Gratitude to HIM for this, fhould teach us to exercife mercy, care, and attention to THEM. Even their fervices demand it for themselves. But when God has commanded it as a DUTY, who can difobey with impunity? He " regards the life of a beast,"*" takes care for oxen"+-forbids an unequal yokingt, and enjoins us to fhew mercy, as Chrift alfo did by his precept and example. Why then is not this duty more generally recommended, and from whence more forcibly or properly than the pulpit ?—as well as in the works of divines and others§. It highly criminates a Chriftian nation to connive at, and thereby encourge barbarity towards animals, who are ge*Prov. 12. 10. + I Cor. 9. 9. Deut. 22. 10. Luke 13. 15. c. 14 5. § See a most admirable and highly useful Tract, entitled, THOUGHTS ON THE DUTY OF MERCY AND SIN OF CRUELTY. Sold by Letterman and Co. Stationer's Court, London, price 1d. or 10s. 6d per hundred. It is with infinite pleasure we hear that a Society is going to be inftituted to prevent the abuse of animals, to be entitled THE ANIMALS FRIEND. nerally nerally much lefs brutal than thofe they ferve, and with whom they should exchange fituations-to produce conviction by-experience! "we' If then, we thus obferve the holy feafon of CHRISTMAS, we shall celebrate it like those who really do "look for the coming of their Lord.” We shall not imitate thofe SECTARIES who, by throwing off all regard to this (and every other like) facred day, inftituted on purpose to remind us whereon all our hopes depend, do difavow, as much as in them lies, all acknowledgment of their having any concern in this common right of Chriftians, or in those bleflings which Chrift hath vouchfafed to his obedient followers. We fhall contemplate his life and death, fo as "to follow his fteps," which will fecure our peace both here and hereafter. We fhall have that peace, from "the Prince of Peace," which "the world can neither give or take away," which "paffeth all understanding," and will fecure to us the favour of God while we remain on earth, and tranflate us when we die, into his prefence, and "the bleffed company of all faithful people," the "church triumphant," in Heaven. THERE thall fee, even as we are feen,"-" we fhall know, even as we are known,”. and thofe virtuous unions and fympathies began, but interrupted-here, fhall bloffom there, and bear fruit-for EVER! As therefore we now praife thee O God," in the words of the Church, "because thou didit give Jefus Chrift thine only Son to be born as at this time for us: who by the operation of the Holy Ghoft, was made very man of the fubftance of the Virgin Mary, his mother, and that without fpot of fin, to make us clean from all fin;* fo would we further call upon thee, and say "Almighty God, who haft given us thy only begotten Son, to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit, through the fame our Lord Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the fame fpirit, ever one God, world without end, Amen."+" Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of Heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praifing thee, and faying, holy, holy, holy Lord God of Holts, Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory; glory be to thee, O Lord moft high, Amen."‡ Newington-Butts, November, 1802. JUVENIS. TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, If the following remarks upon a part of "Mr. Fellowes's Religion without Cant," thould be thought worthy of a place in your valuable Theological Magazine, I fhall deem the time I have beftowed upon them well spent. H. H. B. ORIGINAL SIN A DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES AND EARLY FATHERS. ALAS, how many a mariner in endeavouring to fteer clear of the whirlpool of Charybdis has been dafhed upon the rock of Scylla! Such is *Proper preface for Christmas Day, in Office for H. Communion. + Collect for Christmas Day. The Trifagium, or Hymn of the Angels, in the Communion Office. the the unhappy cafe of the author of RELIGION WITHOUT CANT, who, from the abufe which Fanatics have made of the doctrine of the corruption of human nature, together with his just abhorrence of Fanaticifm, has been carried into the oppofite extreme, and has fallen into the Pelagian herefy. Throughout the work under confideration our author labours to prove that original fin is a doctrine unauthorised by Scripture, and more than once he has affirmed, that it was unknown in the Church prior to the time of St. Auftin. I am willing to fuppofe that Mr. F. before he ventured to make the above affertions, both read the scriptures with ferious attention, and carefully perufed the writings of the early fathers, and, if he did, I am much puzzled to conceive what interpretation he could put upon the paffages I am about to produce from the fcriptures and the fathers. The most remarkable texts in the O. and N. T. upon this fubject are the following: 1 Kings, 8, 46. Job. 14, 4. Eccles. 7, 20. Ephes. 2, 3, Jas. 3, 2. 11, 66 "There is no man that finneth not." "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean." "For there is not a juft man upon earth that doeth good and finneth not." 66 Except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of God *." "There is none righteous, no not one: there is none "that understandeth; there is none that feeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together "become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no All have finned and come thort of the glory "not one. "of God." "Wherefore as by one man fin entered into the world, " and death by fin; fo death paffed upon all men, for (ip "in whom, Marg.) all have finned. By one man's dif "obedience many were made finners." "The wages of fin is death." "I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good "that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not "that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I "that do it, but fin that dwelleth in me." "The Scriptures hath concluded all under fin." "The flesh lufteth against the spirit, and the spirit against "the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other; fo "that ye cannot do the things that ye would. "We are by nature the children of wrath." 1 John 1-8, 10." If we fay that we have no fin we deceive ourselves, and In my mind this conference of Chrift with Nicodemus is of itself sufficient to prove that original fin is a fcripture doctrine: the neceffity of a new birth to fave us, implies that we are in a loft condition, the children of wrath, by the old. Vol. III. Church. Mag, Dec. 1802. Z Z prove exchange ftuations-to produce conviction by one whor nerally much lefs brutal than those they ferve, and with who Original Sin a Detrine of de fe of the author of RELIGION unauthorifed by s unknown in the Cour of the early fathers, dus 1 the feriptures and he father If then, we thus obferve the holy feafon of brate it like thofe who really do "look for the We shall not imitate thofe SECTARIES who, by thro this (and every other like) facred day, inftituted or whereon all our hopes depend, do difavow, as acknowledgment of their having any concern Chriftians, or in thofe bleffings which Chrift dient followers. We fhall contemplate his low his fteps," which will fecure our peac fhall have that peace, from "the Princ can neither give or take away," which, will fecure to us the favour of God w late us when we die, into his prefer faithful people," the "church triu thall fee, even as we are feen,' and thofe virtuous unions and f fhall bloffom there, and bear "praise thee O God,” in the give Jefus Chrift thine only the operation of the Holy the Virgin Mary, his m clean from all fin ;* fo mighty God, who haf upon him, and as at being regenerate, a be renewed by th who liveth and world without and with all th name; ever Holts, Her moft high Newingt pent, ناه earth thai duh nneth not " out of an "en" 2. N. T. upon this fubject are heat .17. pon it. blameless, true, one that ne condemns himself and fays, no not tho' his life be but of the cum Tryphon. p. 94. Ed. Stephens 1551. s baptifm in the river Jordan, he fays, "he did d, which by Adam was fallen under death and under the ferpent, befide the particular cause which each man had of Irenæus adv. Hæres. Lib. 4. c. 5. Men are by no other means faved from the antient wound of the ferbut by believing in him, who by being crucified after the fimiliude of the fin of the flesh, both draws all things after him and quickens the dead." Orig. Homil. 8 in Lev. c. 12. "Hear David fpeaking; I was, fays he, conceived in iniquity, and in fin did my mother bring me forth: fhewing that every foul that is born in the flesh is polluted with the filth of fin and iniquity.". From the baptifing of infants be infers that "if there was nothing in infants which required forgivenefs and mercy, the grace of Baptifin "would be fuperfluous to them." 66 See Origen again, Comment. in Epift. ad. Rom. lib. 5. "And alfo in the law it is commanded that a facrifice be offered for every child that is born; a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons; "of which one is for a fin offering, the other for a burnt offering. For "what fin is this one pigeon offered? Can the child that is new born "have committed any fin? It has even then fin, for which the facrifice |