days necessary to our faith; but still it behoves us to be cautious, lest we should injure our holy revelation in attempting to sustain its character by assumptions not warranted by its text. Inspiration differs in kind and in degree, and is no longer manifest in the same manner as erewhile. The inspiration of the Bible is broadly distinguished from that of a later date; the Spirit then worked in prerogative instances, now withdrawn, because now needless. Addressing a gross and idolatrous people, the seers of old were permitted to enforce their words by signs and prodigies; for the evidence of miracles was indispensable while the senses remained the adjudicators of truth. God then revealed himself in the midst of terrors, of earthquakes, of thunders, and of lightnings; and the office of his prophet was testified by supernatural attributes. An ultra-intellectual age, however, required more intellectual appliances. Miracles have lost their credit even with the dull million; and instead of testing the cause by the wonders, we now test the wonders by the cause. Inspiration is still present; but, consequently, instead of enabling His servants to call down fire from on high to consume the ungodly, the Almighty endows them with clearness of perception, with eloquence of lip; He blesses their words with persuasion, and their hearts with constancy and hope; He invests them, not with the qualities that incredulity and imposture have combined to desecrate, but with an intellectual illumination and an unction from the Holy One, before which the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, fall prostrate and powerless.

An objection may, perhaps, be urged to our views of inspiration, on the authority of Luther himself. We may be told that the mighty Reformer disclaimed all extraordinary illumination-all peculiar gifts; that, so far from demanding belief, by virtue of any special call, he invited it solely upon the ground that the doctrine he advanced was consonant with Holy Writ. His own words may be quoted with some plausibility: "Many believe on my account," he said; "but they alone are in the way of truth who would remain faithful, even though they should learn-which, God forbid that I had denied Jesus Christ. For myself, I care not for Luther: whether he be a saint or a knave— what is that to me? It is not him I preach-it is Christ. If the devil can take him, let him! But let Christ remain to us, and we shall remain also." But when said he this? Even when his indignation was aroused, that the people should look upon him as the exclusive author of a work, "in the least details of which," to adopt the expression of D'Aubigné, "he recognised the hand of his God." spake not his own words, for then his words would have been worthless; neither bore he testimony of himself, for then his testimony would have been false. The pious Luther could permit no kind of creature

*2 Kings, chap. i.

He

† A strange contradiction is perceivable throughout D'Aubigné's work: denying the continuation of direct inspiration in words, he is ever admitting it in deed. How could the historian of "God in History" do otherwise? His objection evidently refers only to the term; which has apparently been irretrievably ruined in his estimation by the lamentable extravagancies of the Anabaptist and divers other "mystical" (?) sects.

worship-no idolatrous deference to names and men; he subverted not the papacy at Rome, to erect another at Wittemberg. And so will it always be with those who have truly received the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Fear not that such will usurp rule, or aspire to office or dignity; their very privileges will abase them, in their own eyes, to the least in the kingdom of heaven. They will be found among the humblest members of the Christian fold; unceasingly lamenting their own unworthiness, and proclaiming themselves "unprofitable servants." Obedient to authority lawfully exercised, and willingly amenable to ecclesiastical discipline, they will be guilty of no stiffnecked fanaticism; nor dare, in the presumption of superior spiritual privileges, to despotise over the consciences of weaker brethren. From their lips will issue no crushing dogmas, no haughty assumptions of infallibility; and much less will they surrender their reason and judgement, to become the followers of blind impulse. They will "try the spirits," and test the revelations; and how? Why, by the one effectual test afforded by the greater and prerogative revelation vouchsafed in the Scriptures, which God himself has stamped as authentic, and established as rightfully pre-eminent. Allowing the possibility of inspiration, even in the person of the meanest pietist, they will yet unhesitatingly reject all teachings not in harmony with the declarations of the prophets and apostles of old; and for this all-sufficing reason, that in God there is no contradiction, no mutation, no variableness, no shadow of turning.

We hate fanaticism; but more than fanaticism do we hate-the heartless and soul-benumbing materialism, now so prevalent, which would deprive pastor and congregation of the certain presence of the Spirit of God, and encourage a vain reliance on the efficacy of the forms, disjoined from the power, of Godliness. No word shall escape our pen in depreciation of forms; for, in the existing condition of mundane affairs, a purely spiritual religion is a sheer impossibility, and would be tantamount, with the multitude, to an abrogation of all worship. Men, in religion, as in other matters, require to be directed to something tangible, and obvious to apprehension; in order to be understood, the Invisible must be imaged in sensuous types. Still, these types are dead, unless vivified by the Spirit, through whom alone they can be sanctified and rendered effectual. As man is composed of a threefold nature -sense, understanding, and reason he is unfitted for any religion that does not provide for the necessities of all; but, to address merely the sense, and encrust it with the venomous scales of a fictitious righteousness, is the madness of hypocrisy, not the zeal of the restorer of Catholicity. The spirit must use means, which means it is the office of the visible Church to supply; yet we must recollect that they are only means, and, if used in any other light than that of faith and sincerity, will be used in vain.

Antiquity is to be honoured; neither is learning to be despised : each, properly subordinated, is lovely, and of good report. What Christian, however, shall be bold enough to substitute either for the revelations of the Spirit in his own heart? and what Church shall

openly affirm either, or both, sufficient for her guidance? Heresy, worse than heresy, is the assumption, that we are now dependant upon mere historical records, for the certainty which heretofore hath been immediately secured to us by the witness of God himself. Utterly contemptible is the evidence of human wisdom, unilluminated by Divine grace; for, hath not God "made foolishness the wisdom of this world?" Hear St. Paul! "It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man that is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now, we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God: which things, also, we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual, judgeth all things; yet he himself is judged of no man: for who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."* And this sublime spiritual insight doth the true Catholic Church still possess; ay, and every sincere Christian. It is unlimited, save by our faith; falsified only by our hardness of heart. Nor doth it affect the argument, that the operations of the Spirit are now somewhat varied. Hear St. Paul again! "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administration, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal: for to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another, faith, by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." It is true, we have allowed that some of the above gifts are withdrawn, as being needless, and consequently prejudicial; but the others will remain with the Church for all ages. The same Spirit that gave the gifts of prophecy and of miracles, still inspireth with "the word of wisdom," with "the word of knowledge," with "faith," the breast of the sincere believer; and wherever these are found, there is likewise found the indwelling presence of the Holy One.

We are well aware, that, in the quarter to which it most stringently applies, our argument will be parried by a charge of misstatement.

* 1 Cor. ii. 10-16.

† 1 Cor. xii. 4—11.

"Who," we shall be asked, "is guilty of this impiety? who denies the possible presence of the Spirit in the bosom of the Church? All we assert is, that, unlike the apostles, we have no means of ascertaining such presence-no means of being sure that it is vouchsafed." Alas! alas! What assertion can be more fatal? If we are not sure that we possess the presence of the Spirit, we may be sure that we possess it not. It is a matter which can admit of no doubt-of no equivocation. The real and regenerate Christian is sure: though he fears and trembles, yet he trusts, for "it is God which worketh in him both to will and to do."* We anticipate the confident reply: "Is not man frail and peccable, liable to error, and easily deceived? He may believe that he possesses the above privileges, but he may, notwithstanding, be mistaken." Ay! as a man he errs, and must err; but, as a Christian, he can challenge perfection. Although, as men, "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us," yet, as Christians, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that Wicked One toucheth him not." Either our pregnant distinction must be conceded, or the Beloved Disciple convicted of inconsistency. And only so far as we are Christians do we claim.these high privileges-only so far as we are humble and contrite followers of the Redeemer of mankind.

This doctrine is one full of comfort and consolation to the believer. His daily experience demonstrates how weak he is of himself-how imperfect his obedience, how slack his piety! But he must not despair! Let him struggle manfully in faith, and hope, and charity, and God is pledged to accord him victory. "God is not mocked," saith St. Paul; "for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary of well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Words that every Christian should treasure up as precious cordial to his soul!

THE EUCHARIST.§

"WHERE the foundations of faith are

shaken, be it by superstition

or profaneness, he that puts not his hand as firmly as he can to support them, is too wary, and hath more care of himself than of the cause

* Phil. ii. 13.

+ See the first General Epistle of St. John. This argument is very clearly stated in “The Life and Times of Savonarola," published by Whittaker & Co.

Gal. vi. 7-9.

The Holy Eucharist a Comfort to the Penitent. A Sermon preached before the University, by E. B. Pusey, D.D., Regius Professor of Hebrew, and Canon of Christ Church.

Oxford: Parker.

of Christ." ""* Such was the opinion of Archbishop Laud in reference to his controversy with Rome, and it can be no matter of doubt that it is equally true in our case. The desire to abstain from disputation, can only be laudable when men have new theories to propose, or else desire to recall from their cenotaphs some long-departed shapes of affected truth. We must in these days be very far removed from the din of the world around us, "if nothing is further from our thoughts than controversy." Scarcely is it more rational in a man, to seek concealment by the envelopement of his views in cloudy mysticism, than for one to enter a powder magazine with a lighted torch, even though his eyes are blindfolded. There is a something which Tractarians call depth, in this age, which surely is not hidden from the leaders in the new School. Men, whether disciples or opponents of the Tractarians, have learnt a lesson from them; and if they have set the example by "fixing their critic's chair in the wide regions of Catholicism, from it boldly and irreverently to examine, to question and censure, if they do not finally condemn, that Church to which they owe and in general terms profess to pay loving obedience and filial respect," surely they should be the very last to complain when their own views are attacked.

The time of silence has passed, and the very essence of verity is in danger; and let not those persons whose chief fear concentres itself against Sacramentarianism, view with pleasure the recurrence of erroneous terms and doctrines, which yet seem efficacious to overthrow that error; for truth sits upon her exalted throne, and as it were revenges herself for any slight done to her supremacy. We may oppose error by counter-error, but the reaction will assuredly approach, and truth will the longer withdraw herself in consequence. That restless spirit of humanity which in the dark ages found a safety-valve in the logical subtleties of Scholasticism, exists in our own age. You may condemn it, you cannot destroy it; you may denounce it, but you will never quench it. There is but one means of extracting its sting, and this is by directing its ceaseless energies into the mould of inspiration. You can never silence it by Patristicism. Nay, rather you rouse its dormant power; for you present it with material for its exercise. If you quote Jerome, no power can refuse your opponent the dusty tomes of Augustine; if you rest your dogmas upon Chrysostom, another will place his notions upon the hazard of a Tertullian. If a Puritan quotes Tertullian, we may yet allow Hooker to except against his authority by alleging his open and rising choler. law which loosens the one, can fetter the other. They are common ground, debateable land," which rouse many a feud, and seldom mitigate the heated strife. The ink shed upon parchment fertilises a harvest of bitterness; and the olive of peace produces the juice which increases the flames of hidden hate.

No

We may, without fear of offence, presume that Dr. Pusey remembered

*Laud's Conference with Fisher, p. xxvii. Ed. 1829.

† See Bishop of Salisbury's Charge, p. 17.

Hooker, ii., ch. v., sec. 7.