UPON SOME OF THE DOCTRINAL ARTICLES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. LATE BY THE REV. HENRY BLUNT, A.M., RECTOR OF STREATHAM, SURREY; FELLOW OF PEMBROKE COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE; AND CHAPLAIN "Our Church is not Lutheran-it is not Calvinistic-it is not Armi- Sixth Edition. LONDON: J. HATCHARD & SON, 187, PICCADILLY; 1837. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. It was long since observed by an eminent Author, that he lived in an age in which it was "criminal to be moderate." The writer of the following pages, would fain believe, that his lot has been cast in an age, when the virtue of moderation, is beginning to be more justly appreciated; when there is, among the members of the Church of England at least, an increasing desire, to merge their common differences, and to draw more closely together, in the defence, and in the practice, of their common Christianity. While, therefore, he feels the greatest diffidence, in venturing to publish upon such a subject as that of the present work, he feels also the greatest confidence, that the attempt will be received in the same spirit of candour and moderation, with which he trusts it was undertaken. It is impossible, in treating upon subjects so diverse, and so difficult, as those embraced by the Articles of our Church, not in some instances at least, to cross the prejudices, and to contravene the opinions, probably of all his readers. When this is the case, the Author hopes that he shall be found, speaking with the modesty which becomes him, and never expecting the acquiescence of the reader, one syllable beyond the point, to which he is accompanied, by the plain, and undeniable statements, of the Word of God. So far as the Author knows himself, he believes, that he is not entrammeled, by any human system, but that he has endeavoured to bear in mind continually, the injunction of our Church, that, "No man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain, and full meaning thereof, and shall not put his own sense, or comment, to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense." That this has been his constant endeavour, he is certain; that he has never failed in fulfilling it, he will not say; but of this he is sure, that, should it appear to others, that he has been mistaken, he will carefully re-consider any disputable point, and without hesitation retract, what he has here advanced, if convinced, that he has, however undesignedly, put a false gloss upon the Article, or substituted "his own sense or comment," for the opinion of the Church. After having for years, most cordially 1 Rubric prefixed to the Articles. |