Whoever will be at the trouble of casting an eye over the former of the works referred to, will see without difficulty, that the very idea of a union between Papists and Protestants, though under their mildest and most reconcileable forms, did not occur to Archbishop Wake but upon suggestion from the Papists, or rather the Gallican Catholics, themselves. It was, in its first suggestion, a charitable dream of some well-meaning anticonstitutionists, as they were called, of the Gallican Church, for reconciling and receiving back the lost sheep of the English fold to the pastures of Catholicism; and was only entertained by Archbishop Wake, as every charitable Christian would have entertained it, with a hope of drawing off those from their dangerous errors, who were willing to do him the same service. Throughout the whole correspondence which ensued, there is not a single hint at compromise or concession on the part of the Archbishop; and he distinctly disavows the first attempt, by Dupin and other doctors of the Sorbonne, to draw him into an acknowledgment of inferiority or secession on the part of the English Church. When Dupin, the real, and, I doubt not, the sincerely intentioned, author of this scheme, lays down his own view of our English Articles, our great Archbishop and Protestant champion declines giving any opinion upon the strictures of the Gallican; nor does he, from first to last, propose, in compliance with popish prejudices, the surrender of any one principle, or even one expression, in our Articles or our Liturgy. With the death of Dupin, which happened very shortly after the

all hope of reconciliation was extinguished; and whilst the very attempt of that charitable Catholic was made the subject of an ouicry from the Jesuits and orthodox constitutioners of the day, all hope of favour to the plan on the part of the court was frustrated by the very good and sufficient motive of the Abbè de Bois wanting a cardinal's cap from the pope as the price of his orthodoxy, and the court itself being obliged to seek the favour of the Spanish party and the Jesuits. Upon this occasion the good Archbishop's letters were all seized, subjected to inquisitorial inspection, and found to contain matter, I question not, as little to the mind of the Jesuit inquisitors, as they would be to the mind of any person courting an union with the Church of Rome on the principles of Mr. Wix. In short, the whole correspondence of the Archbishop is little else than a very civil invitation to one portion of the papal hierarchy to throw off its grievous chains, and its abject anti-christian subjection; and to follow manfully the example of the Anglican Church, which had obtained innumerable advantages by her separation from the pope, and saw nothing she could willingly consent to part with, in order to gain the honour of a return to filial submission and obedience under the primacy of Rome.

"The surest way," says our truly Protestant Archbishop, in No. XII. of this correspondence," will be to begin as well and to go as far as we can in settling a friendly correspondence; to agree to own each other as true brethren, and members of the Catholic Christian Church; to agree to communicate in every thing we can with one another (which on their side is very easy, there being nothing in our offices in any degree contrary to their own principles); and would they purge out of theirs, what is

as

contrary to ours, we might join in the public service with them, and vet leave one another in the free liberty of believing transubstantiation or not, so long as nothing was done in pursuance of that opinion."-There is really something almost to excite a smile, in this good natured hope of the Archbishop, so to obtain reconciliation with the proud, unbending, infallible Papacy; particularly, coupled with his answer, No. XXV., to Mr. Jablonski, on the question, "whether the Union of the Evangelical Churches with the Romish could be treated of." A few lines of this, which is written in his own pure and classical Latin, I will translate. "What, then! are any of us so little versed or so inexperienced in the pride and tyranny of Rome, as to believe that they would stoop from their pinnacle of dominion and infallibility for our sake, or to think on our own part of returning voluntarily to a servitude so long rejected by us, for their sake? May God avert from the minds of all, and far avert, this act of atrocity so destructive and so disgraceful! Yea rather let us quit goods, country, parents, all, than be found thus unequally yoked withunbelievers,ETEPOVÝ BYTES AR15015 (for why are we not here to use the words of the Apostle?) I would not indeed be understood to mean that we should renounce all treating for peace with the Papists. Let us treat, if you will have it so, but, as we ought, on a footing of equality. Are they Christians? so are we. Are they Catholics? so are Can we err? so may they,"

we.

&c. &c.

One further quotation also I will translate from this correspondence, which will, I doubt not, be for the edification of those who would place Archbishop Wake foremost in the battle of exclusive Episcopalianism, whether Anglican or Gallican, against the Presbyterian form of church government.

The Reformed Churches," says

Own

the Archbishop, in No. XIX., to Mr. Le Clerc," although in some respects different from our English one, I willingly embrace. I could wish indeed for a well-tempered episcopal government, free from all undue dominion; such a one as obtains amongst ourselves, and is, if I have any wisdom in such matters, derived from the apostolic age, and has been retained in all those churches down to the present day: nor do I despair, if I live not to see its restoration, that posterity will see it. In the mean time, far from me be the iron heart, that for such a defect (let me call it so without offence) I should think any one of them to be cut off from our communion, or, with certain raving [furiosis] writers among us, think them to possess no valid sacraments, and so pronounce them scarcely Christian. I would at any price obtain a closer union amongst all the Reformed. And if this might be obtained in ecclesiastical polity, and a common church service, I am much deceived if it would not shortly conduce to an union of mind and heart, and pave the way for a full agreement in all the greater points of fundamental doctrine. Certainly he must be blind indeed, who does not see how much it would promote our own security, and tend to the conversion of the Roman pseudo-Catholics."

The above quotation, as applicable to the present question, to present days, and present controversies, I cannot but consider as invaluable. It will serve as a proper introduction to a quotation or two from the second reference with which I have troubled you in the commencement of this letter; namely, to the sermon of Archbishop Wake, recommending "mutual charity, or union among Protestants." In this remarkable sermon, which I should be glad to see separately in print, with a particular application to the present times, two or three points are most prominent. 1. In reference expressly to our own

dissenting countrymen, their departure from ourselves is conceded and assumed to be in matters of indifference. 2. The Papists alone are excepted as holding opinions irreconcileable with that union and charity which is so very desirable amongst Christians. 3. This union and charity, if attained at all, must, according to the Archbishop, be attained upon the ground of a direct toleration and mutual concession, amongst PROTESTANTS, of those points in which they differ. 4. Such a blessed and truly Christian harmony is predicted, as within the reach of hope, and perhaps at no very great distance as to time.

In illustration of these several points, the quotations which follow are deserving of mature consideration. 1. In regard to Protestants: "For us," says the Archbishop, "whom it has pleased God, by delivering us from the errors and superstitions of the Church of Rome, to unite together in the common name of Protestant Reformed Christians, were we but as heartily to labour after peace, as we are all of us very highly exhorted to it; I cannot see why we, who are so happily joined together in a common profession of the same faith--at least, I am sure, in all the necessary points of it, and I hope, amidst all our lesser differences, in a common love and charity to one another should not also be united in the same common worship of God too."

Then, after alluding to those scruples which the Dissenters entertain (of all of which he hints at the utter inconclusiveness), and after addressing a strong argumentum ad hominem to occasional conform ists, he proceeds as follows: "But yet, since men's scruples are unaccountable, and after all that can be said, they will still differ even about indifferent things, and be afraid many times, where no fear is;' and a too long experience has already shewn us, that if ever we

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mean to accomplish that union, so much recommended to us by our Apostle, so advantageous to the church at all times, but especially at this time so necessary to our peace and our establishment, that it seems to be the only way that yet remains to settle and to secure us, and upon all these accounts so much to be desired by all good men; we must seek it by that rule which St. Paul bere proposed to the Dissenting Christians of my text. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.* I cannot but think it a reflection becoming every good Christian..... whether somewhat may not yet be done for the sake of peace, and to bring things to such a temper, that both order and decency may still be preserved, and yet our unity no longer be broken."

2. Let us now hear what the Archbishop says relative to our almost brethren the Papists.

"But here I must desire not to be misunderstood. For when I say that Christians may without any danger to themselves, or disparagement to the truth of their religion, differ with one another; I mean only, as the terms of my proposition expressly shew, in lesser matters, such as do not concern the fundamentals of faith, nor destroy the worship of God, nor are otherwise so clearly revealed but that wise and good men, after all their inquiries, may still continue to differ in their opinions concerning them. For otherwise, if inte rest and prejudice blind men's eyes, and they err because they resolve they will not be convinced, and so by their own fault continue in mis takes, contrary to the foundation of faith and destructive of piety;if, for instance, men will profess to believe but in one God, and yet worship thousands;-if they will read over the Second Commandment, and nevertheless both make and bow down before graven images in despite of it;-if, whilst

God, though they could not unite either in opinion or affection with one another."

4. The sermon concludes with an animating description which I cannot but consider as happily ominous of some possibly approaching time when, by such a charity as is here described, we shall "indeed render both ourselves and our religion glorious to the world, and afford a happy augury that the blessed time so long wrapped up in sacred prophecy is indeed now ready to be revealed; when the church of Christ, being purged from those corruptions that have so long defaced its beauty, shall again appear in its primitive purity; when all heresy and schism being every where abolished, and the mystery of iniquity laid fully open, and the man of sin destroyed, true religion and sincere piety shall again reign throughout the world: God himself shall pitch his tabernacle among us and dwell with us, and we shall be his people and he shall be our God. O blessed state of the church militant here on earth! the glorious antepast of that peace and piety which God hath prepared for his church triumphant in heaven!" "And who can tell but such a change as this, and which we have otherwise some reason to believe is nigh at hand, may even now break forth from the midst of us, would we but all seriously labour to perfect the great work which the providence of God has so gloriously begun among us, and establish that love and unity among ourselves, which may after wards diffuse itself from us, into all the other parts of the Christianworld besides?

Your readers, Mr. Editor, will not, I am sure, regret that I have lengthened such quotations as these at no other expense than the necessary curtailment of any concluding observations of my own upon them. One or two thoughts, however, have struck me, both on Mr. Wix's use of the sentiments,

or at least of the authority, of Archbishop Wake in the recommendation of his own newly projected union, and also on the tenor of those sentiments themselves as expressed above.

I cannot, sir, in the first place, understand on what grounds, or to what ends, the authority of great and good men is adduced, as it very frequently is in modern controversies, to prove the very reverse of that which it was the labour of their life to establish. Which is the alternative that such controversialists choose to accept? Is it this, that they have never read or deeply studied the sentiments of those great authorities which they press into their service; or this, that they have read and attentively weighed the bearing of such authorities on the cause they are anxious to promote? For my own part, I cannot in common charity push one step forward the conclusions which appear inevitably to result from the acceptance of either alternative. But this I must say, that such a wrong use of wellknown authorities, is a very unsafe expedient to be adopted by any one in these times of general inquiry, information, and investigation. In no enlightened age can they redound to the fame of a writer, and in none ought they to conduce to his interest and advantage. At the same time, whilst every allowance ought in fairness to be made for imperfect views of established authorities, caught in the moment of controversial ardour, so would I not wish to discourage any reasonable efforts for an appeal to those great luminaries which shine through the vista of past days, undimmed by age, and undisturbed by the agitations of modern controversy. This is an appeal which you, sir, have never declined; and, when conducted in that spirit of candid and patient investigation which characterizes every sincere lover of truth, cannot fail of the most important