prevailing upon them to adopt the practice under a deep sense of personal responsibility, and to throw themselves into it, not as a perfunctory exercise, but as a spontaneous earnest act of vital piety, and an essential means for the advancement of personal, social, and public Christianity. The Bishop of London would, in our opinion, do more by urging this point than by throwing open all the churches of the metropolis for the celebration of daily service, and we would humbly warn him against a hasty zeal on this latter point, under the peculiar circumstances which have forced it into notice. More frequent public service, connected to some extent with catechetical instruction or pulpit exposition and lectures, is doubtless desirable, especially in the denser populations; but a detached celebration of daily public worship seems to us neither practicable nor safe under all the circumstances of our present position.1 Let any one visit our Tractarian churches at daily service, or take a peep into Tractarian families; let them read with care the sermon to which we have referred in a note, and compare it with all that has been written of late on priestly ministration, and then let them say what is profitable and safe in the present emergency. We are bold indeed to confess that the Church of England would appear to us to pursue a wiser course, were she just now to abate somewhat of her priestly attitude, and recognize with greater distinctness the social claims and character of Christianity-the office of the Christian people-and their capability of serving God by the exercise of their gifts and graces in social ministration as effectually as their consecrated brethren in the more public services of the Church. This, however, is not the direction which we seem inclined to take; and if we have any fault to find with Mr. Dale's most laudable endeavour to provoke attention to the duty of family worship and to assist in the discharge of it, it is that he assumes too stately a gait, and appears to us needlessly to restrict and fetter the social exercise of devotion. Appreciating as we do his zealous piety, and, in the main, his sound discretion, we feel reluctant to criticise a passing remark with any thing like severity, nor do we wish on such an occasion to raise a controversy. It is possible too we may misunderstand Mr. D.; but we would just submit in conclusion whether it might not have been safer to guard himself a little in regard to the doctrine of absolution-the

"The necessity of reading the Liturgy, aud nothing but the Liturgy, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, is an invincible obstacle to the opening of the churches with any effect, except on a Sunday. It is doubtful whether our arrangement of time, and the universal pressure of business, would allow of the attendance of a large congregation at church on week-days, under any circumstances: but it is certain that in order to overcome those disadvantages, something more attractive is needed than the mere uniform reading of the same prayers, and going through the same forms day after day, both in the morning and the evening."-Dr. Arnold. The remark touching uniformity applies a fortiori to family worship.

use of the term priest--the proper limits between free and absolutely constrained prayer-and the true nature of consent and agreement in that blessed exercise as indicated in the gracious proImise to which he refers. The remarks we have quoted from his Preface as touching on these points have not wholly satisfied us, or left us without fears that our valued brother, as one who is set in slippery places, may be less useful than he might in guarding us against the evils which threaten to come in upon us as a flood, and are already overflowing our borders. But we must not enter upon these wide and important questions. We believe that Mr. Dale sincerely desires to be instrumental in diffusing through the homes and households of England "the pure apostolical spirit of her Church;" and rather than hazard unseemly contention, we would pray for more of the same mind ourselves, and unite with him in doing what we may to call attention to the object of his work "the reasonable service, the bounden duty, and the invaluable privilege of COMMON PRAYER." We may have another opportunity of expressing ourselves more fully on this subject, and should be glad to do it without the appearance of personality.

One remark, however, we must just add,-which is, that the following prayer in Mr. D.'s Selection for Daily Use (adapted from the Confirmation Service) appears to us highly objectionable.

'Almighty and everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given unto us forgiveness of all our sins: strengthen us, we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter," &c.

We are aware that it would not be difficult by an abstract argument to put a favourable gloss upon this unusual mode of invocation; but practically it appears to us to admit of no justification, and is utterly repugnant to the tone and style of our public services as intended for the purpose of common prayer. The only approach to it is the Collect for Christmas-day, which, however, in the Table of Collects attached to our old Prayer Books (as Mr. Faber reminds us) is said to be a prayer for Regeneration, and ought, in our opinion, to be so used, not, of course, on the ground that none in the congregation are regenerated, but on the ground that there may be some present who have received the outward sign of baptism without the inward grace." Similarly, we are prepared to argue, the strong terms gratuitously adopted by Mr. D. from the Confirmation Service, would, for any other purpose and in any other sense, be indefensible. Their use in the Confirmation Service is a distinct question; but we sincerely hope Mr. D. will see the propriety of expunging them from his Daily Services as adapted to domestic use. We are the more free in adverting to this point, because Mr. D. appears to us, so far as

ور

our recollection serves, to steer clear in his "Family Chaplain of any objectionable statement on the subject of Baptismal Regeneration and we beg to submit to him whether his own language as employed in the Sermon for the first Sunday after the Epiphany might not have suggested the necessity of the same wise caution which the framers of our Liturgy have shown, in forming devotional offices for promiscuous use. Mr. D. justly observes,

"Those.... are not 'faithful men,' whose profession is in words alone : and it will not suffice that sacraments are duly administered,' unless they are duly received. Only those who rightly receive them, are faithful men: only those who having been as infants' baptized into Christ,' in after years put on Christ' only those who eating of that bread, and drinking of that cup, which set forth the sacrifice of Christ, bear about with them in the body the marks of the Lord Jesus,' and thus shew forth the Lord's death till He come!'...." Those constitute the Church who receive both her sacraments, and who, in so doing, combine the outward visible sign' with the inward and spiritual grace.' Those who, admitted by baptism within the pale of the Church, realize in the heart that faith, and exhibit in the life that repentance, or forsaking of sin, which are required of persons to be baptized; and who, from a persuasion, that it is their bounden duty, and from an expectation that it will be for their lasting benefit, commemorate, as He hath himself ordained, the sacrifice of the death of Christ.' Those who neither cleave to the sins which they are thus pledged to renounce, nor shrink from the duties they are thus bound to perform, but who have settled in their hearts to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,' and to count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord,'-of those who are such, we declare, without hesitation, that they are the Church."-(pp. 46, 47.)

Our only fear is, that the language of Mr. D.'s adopted prayer might lead some to a wider and less safe conclusion; though we are quite sure the pious author would as sincerely deprecate this as ourselves. We could not conscientiously say less on the subject, but are happy to believe that mutual explanation would shew an essential agreement between ourselves and the excellent Vicar of St. Pancras.

Onr readers need not be informed that Mr. Dale's Sermons will well repay attention. Let us conclude this somewhat critical notice with a single extract. We quote from the Sermons already alluded to on church membership, and are glad, in Mr. D.'s beautiful and expressive language, to recal attention to the great principle of vital Christianity," the soul, spirit, and substance of-religion," whether considered as personal or social-the constraining love of Christ, and the oneness of all who truly believe in Him -and are thus "heirs together of the grace of life," and partakers of" the common salvation."

"Since, then," Mr. D. concludes, "the principle of action, common to all true believers, is the constraining influence of the love of Christ, we shall not be long detained in considering the practical results of such a principle. 1846. 5 Ꮓ

6

We shall see, both what its results would be, on an extended scale, were the Church in deed and in truth commensurate with the Church in name and in word-did all who have been baptised into Christ' seek to put on Christ,' and desire to be found in him; and what is its influence, so far as it does operate, and so far as it does extend. Once, and for a short space of time, the Church in name, and the Church in truth, were one and the same thing. "There was a paradise; as in the creation of the world, so in the commencement of the Church of Christ. For a period-alas! of too brief duration-the withering, benumbing, paralyzing corruption of a divided, dismembered disjointed Christianity-the modern fiction of the Christianity of a single sacrament—did not intrude within the sacred precincts of the Church. All-though they were thousands-all who had been baptized with the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,' were together, continuing stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer; and when their numbers had been doubled, by the very means which had been employed to extirpate and destroy them, their condition was, in things temporal, that neither was there among them any that lacked:' their condition in spiritual things, that 'great grace was upon them all!' And such would be the state of our own Church at this hour, were her own principles fully carried out; were her members such as all her services have a tendency to make them; were every churchman a communicant, and every communicant one who should truly and earnestly repent him of his sins,' cherish a faithful remembrance of the death of Christ,' stedfastly purpose to amend his former life, and determine, even if it involved the sacrifice of interest, or pleasure, or convenience, to live in charity with all men.' Our attention, however, is drawn most especially to the result in respect of individuals, for we are every one members one of another,' as well as all members of Christ. Now it must be familiar to every observer of mankind, that, both in communities and in families, in the wide sphere of the world, and within the sacred circle of the Church, the most frequent and fertile source of dissension and disorder, and therefore discomfort, is the overweening estimate of self. Against the setting up of this idol in the heart Christianity not only protests, but provides also the means of excluding it. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Bearing one another's burden, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' Nor is the application of this rule in the slightest degree affected or impeded by the diversity of condition which exists among mankind. As all the members, though they have not the same office or the same properties, yet stand in the same close relation to the body, and are essential to its just proportion and perfection, so there is the same relationship among all those who are 'children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.' The monarch is Christ's subject; the master is Christ's servant; while the servant-the slave it was when the apostle wrote the meanest in outward things, amidst the millions who owe fealty to an earthly sovereign, are, if rich in faith, a royal generation 'heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him; next in succession to a crown of righteousness; and destined to reign with Christ, as kings and priests for ever and ever. The soul, and spirit, and substance, then, of domestic religion, is the recognition, on the part of all who compose the community or household of this common membership, that there is no respect of persons with God;' but that all who believe, high or low, rich or poor, one with another, are heirs together of the grace of life,' and shall be partakers of the common salvation.' Each, therefore, in that state of life, to which God hath called him, is bound to render unto all their dues;' and to prove himself, by patience, by long-suffering, by love unfeigned, by controul of passion and command of temper, by forbearance and forgiveness, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, a disciple not in name only, and in word, but in deed and in truth.' With such masters and such servants, with such

parents and such children, with such to bear rule and such to yield obedience, -Christian families would again be one brotherhood of love; the voice of joy and peace would be in the dwellings of the righteous;' and the happiness and harmony of such households would win even the ungodly to emulate the life of the true believer; as well as to breathe the often-uttered, but too often soon forgotten, prayer-' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!"

"Let it be ever remembered, however, in the last place, that the chief result must be sought in personal religion. As every one must give account of himself to God,' so should every one seek to present himself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.' The portraiture of such a disciple is drawn at full length in the concluding part of this chapter, which forms the epistle of the next Sunday. We would only dwell for a few moments on the expression of the apostle, a LIVING sacrifice,' which is evidently intended as a contrast to the dead sacrifices, which were offered under the law, as the symbols and shadows of better things to come; aud which is equally opposed to the unnatural and unscriptural austerities of those who desert the sphere of active duty, for contemplative and cloistered solitude. A LIVING sacrifice is not that which is estranged from the ordinary intercourse of social life; but that which mingles with it, purifies it, and adorns it. The precept in the next verse, Be not conformed to this world,' would evidently be quite superfluous, if men were commanded to 'go out of the world.' And how can it be argued for a moment that when the Lord said to his disciples, Ye are the light of the world,' he designed them to hide their light under a bushel, or to retire with it into the wilderness? How could that be termed a LIVING sacrifice,' which, in order to avoid arduous and self-denying duties, should consign itself to the social death of the monastery or the hermitage? The tendency of the whole exhortation is, that in that sphere, and in those relations of life, to which the Providence of God hath called us, we are to set our bodies nigh to Him, first, in that offering of prayer, which, regarded as an outward offering alone, is a recognition of our dependence, an acknowledgment of our need, an entreaty for God's help; and then, in those acts of uprightness, fidelity, generosity, forbearance, social charity, and public spirit which are proper to the condition allotted to us in this probationary state of being. Thus regarding, thus reflecting, the principle of membership with Christ, and the profession of membership with each other, we may prefer, with confidence of a favourable answer, the supplication of our most impressive and scriptural collect, O Lord, we beseech Thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people that call upon Thee; and grant, that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."""

*** We have been glad to observe, since the above was written, that there has just appeared another Devotional Work, under the title of "The Book of Family Prayer," &c., by Clergymen of the United Church of England and Ireland; with an Introductory Essay on Family Worship by the Rev. Charles Bridges, edited by the Rev. C. J. Goodhart and Rev. C. Holloway. We have not seen this work, but should expect it will prove a valuable contribution to Christian families. Mr. Dale's work, we need not repeat, is principally for Sunday use.