indisposition destroy the pleasure I took in reading it, nor shall the hurry I am in at present hinder me from returning some answer, which I can do now with the greatest confidence, because I am at liberty to press the needless excuses you made for yourself into my own service, with this additional one too, that a man is as naturally dull when you expect a proof of his wit, as he is grave when you bid him be merry. So that for once you will pardon me if I confine myself entirely to the two venerable subjects you have coupled so happily together, priestcraft and For as orthodoxy is purely an effect of the former, I think it may very properly be ranged under the same head. Now if we take priestcraft in a larger sense, for that temper which engages the priests in most of their designs upon us poor laymen, I have met with a small instance of it, which concerns you pretty nearly, in our friend Chandler. He can neither allow you to doubt of his staying in town after he had so positively asserted it, nor to write the first letter to me, when you had reason to believe he was in the same house; and therefore as absolutely insists upon a letter from you to begin the correspondence, as one ambassador does on a notification of another's arrival, though he saw him enter with his own eyes. If I could have laughed him out of the fancy, you should have heard from us whilst I was ill; but as our friend has not yet carried his point at the lecture, a line from you, I suppose, will remove all scruple and adjust the ceremonial.

The Oxonians talk very much of an act this summer for celebrating the King's victories over the Rebels, which they design as an atonement for past miscarriage. But, as my friend, from whom I had the news, informs me, the majority of them have not loyalty enough to shew that respect to the King, and too much pride to pretend it: and though it were otherwise, he seems to question, with reason, whether his Majesty would accept of a compliment which, as coming from Oxford, would look so much more like burlesque. But the Universities serve very well to keep one another in countenance. Mr. Bowes has been at Cambridge lately, and, excepting their learning, nothing could be at a lower ebb than their loyalty. It may be some proof of both to know they have let the King's library lie in a damp room, neglected all this winter; and now some of them have the modesty to say, they know not of what service that present will be, unless his Majesty pleases to make them another of a house to put it in.

As for the remaining part of our present discourse it is a subject a

little out of my way, and therefore I have but little to say upon it.

The Jury at the Marshalsea, who had already acquitted two persons fully convicted of treason, have this afternoon, contrary to the Judge's direction, done the same favour to Mr. Townley; and as they have not yet, so I believe they are not likely for the future, to find one of them guilty, unless there be made a very great change in them. Mr. Reyner designs you a letter, for he sent to me for direction. Mr. Burroughs and Mr. Reed send their services.

Thus I have wrote you a letter long enough I am sure; if want of other good qualities make that a bad one, charitably believe the reason to be, that I was resolved to write by this post, and assure yourself that the ground of that resolution was, that I am, Sir,

Your very humble servant, T. SECKER. My stay in the country will not be many days.

Questions proposed to Candidates for Holy Orders, in the Diocese of Peterborough, so arranged under Heads or Chapters, that they may exhibit a connected View of God's Dealings with Man under the New Covenant.

[Taken from "A Vindication of the Questions," by the Rev. Wm. Jephson, A. M., an 8vo. pamphlet, 1821.]

CHAP. I.

Of Redemption by Jesus Christ. 1. Did Christ die for all men? or did he die only for a chosen few ?

2. If Christ died for all men, and the free gift of God therefore came upon all men to justification, may we thence conclude that all men will be actually saved?

3. Is not God himself willing that all men should be saved?

4. If then Christ died for all men, and God is willing that all men should be saved, must not they who fail of salvation fail through their own fault?

5. Does it not then behove us to inquire into the terms of our redemption, that we may learn to do what is necessary on our parts towards the obtaining of everlasting salvation?

6. Is it not necessary, in order to acquire a knowledge of those terms, to examine, first, the state in which we were left by the Fall of Adam;

and, secondly, our deliverance from that state, through the death of Christ? Consult Rom. viii. 32; 2 Cor. v. 15; 1 Tim. ii. 6; James ii. 2. See also the consecration prayer in the Communion Service, and the Church Catechism, in answer to the question, "What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy belief?" Rom. v. 18; 1 Tim. ii. 4.

CHAP. II,

Of Original Sin.

1. Did the Fall of Adam produce such an effect on his posterity, that mankind became thereby a mass of mere corruption, or of absolute and entire depravity? Or is the effect only such, that we are very far gone from original righteousness, and of our own nature inclined to evil?

2. Does the notion of man's total corruption, or absolute depravity, produce in general (what is considered its chief recommendation) a deep sense of humility?

3. Has not the frequent repetition of the doctrine, that we are not only far gone from righteousness, but are nothing better than a mass of mere corruption and depravity, a tendency to destroy all sense of virtue or moral goodness?

4. Is it possible, that a doctrine which tends to destroy all sense of virtue, or moral goodness, should be a doctrine that comes from God?

5. Do we exalt the Creator by de grading the creature?

6. What advantage, then, can we derive from a doctrine which converts mankind into a mass of absolute and entire depravity?-See Art. IX.

5. Is it not, then, contrary to our tenth Article, to declare, that man has no share in the work of his own salvation?

6. Though the power which we pos. sess is derived from God, yet when God has given us power, does it not rest with ourselves to exercise that power?

7. Does not St. Paul declare, that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty?2 Cor. iii, 17.

both to will and to do, are we not re8. Though it is God who enables us quired in Scripture to exert that ability, and to work out our salvation?--Philip. ii. 12.

9. Is it not, then, contrary to say, that man has no share in the work of his salvation?

from the doctrine that God is the sole 10. Are any advantages to be derived agent in the work of man's salvation? 11. Is not the power of God equally manifested, whether he operates on man immediately, as in a mere passive object, or whether he acts mediately through the agency of man himself, and by means which, as Creator of all things, he must have previously imparted?

12. Is it necessary, then, to deny the glory of God? the agency of man, in order to promote

13. Has not the doctrine, that man himself has no share in the work of him indifferent in regard to his moral his own salvation, a tendency to make

conduct?

14. Can a doctrine, which renders moral conduct, be a doctrine that men indifferent with respect to their comes from God?

CHAP, IV.

Of Justification.

Sect. I.-Of Justification in reference to everlasting Salvation.

1. Does not the Church of England distinguish justification from everlast. ing salvation?

2. Do not our Articles represent

In the very first Homily, and in the very wording of that Homily, we find the expression," justification and everlasting salvation." If the disjunctive particle had been employed, the terms might have been considered as of similar import. But in such a case it would be tautology to employ the conjunctive particle.

1. Does not the Eleventh Article de clare, that we are "justified by faith only"?

2. Does not the expression faith only derive additional strength from the negative expression in the same Article, and not for our own works?

3. Does not, therefore, the Eleventh Article exclude good works from all share in the office of justification? Or, can we so construe the term faith, in that Article, as to make it include good works?

4. Do not the Twelfth and Thirteenth Articles further exclude them; the one, by asserting that good works follow after justification; the other, by maintaining that they cannot pre cede it?

5. Can that which precedes an effect be reckoned among the causes of that effect?

6. Can we, then, consistently with our Articles, reckon the performance of good works among the causes of justification, whatever qualifying epithet be connected with the term cause?

Sect. III.---Of Justification in refer ence to the Time when it takes place.

1. When we are justified, are we not, in the words of the Eleventh Article, accounted righteous before God?

2. When we are accounted righteous before God, and so accounted for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, are we not then admitted to

According to Art. XII. good works follow after justification; and according to Art. XIII. we are even incapable of doing good works before we are justified. It is used also in the same sense by St. Paul.

the benefit of the Christian covenant ? ---Art. XI.

3. Is not, therefore, our justification our admission to the Christian covenant?

CHAP. V.

Of Everlasting Salvation.

1. Though we are justified or admitted into covenant with God, through the merits of Christ, if we have but faith in these merits, and though we are thus admitted even before our not the performance of good works, faith has produced good works, does when we are admitted into covenant, become thenceforth a bounden duty?

2. Do all men, who have been admitted into covenant with God, perform that bounden duty?

3. Does not, then, experience shew, that faith, which had been sufficient for our admission to the Christian covenant, is not always productive of that fruit which is wanted in order to remain there?

4. Though the Twelfth Article declares, that good works spring out necessarily of a lively faith, are they a necessary consequence of faith in general?

5. Is there not a dead faith as well as a lively faith? And does not St. James give the former appellation to the faith which remaineth unproductive of good works?

6. Though good works, then, are the natural fruits of faith, are they the necessary fruits of faith, or fruits which follow of necessity?

7. If our faith should not be productive of good works, will our admission to the Christian covenant ensure

our arrival at the completion of it? In other words, will the justification which takes place in the present life ensure our everlasting salvation or happiness in the life to come?

8. Does not the Sixteenth Article declare that we may depart from grace and fall into sin?

9. Does the same Article say more than that "we may arise again and amend our lives"? And does it not thus imply that we may not arise again and amend our lives?

10. Does it not then follow from

the Sixteenth Article, that justification leads not of necessity to everlasting salvation?

11. Is not then the performance of

accordingly declare that we are regenerated at our baptism?

6. Does it make any exception or reservation on that head?

7. Is not our new or spiritual birth, as well as our first or natural birth, an event which happens only once in our lives?

8. If, then, we believe in the doctrine of our Church, that the new birth takes place at baptism, can we believe that they who have been baptized according to the rites of our Church will be regenerated at any other period?

CHAP. VIII.

Of Renovation.

1. Though at our baptism we become regenerate, and were made the children" of God by adoption and grace," does not the infirmity of our nature still require that we should daily be renewed by the same Spirit? -See the Collect for Christmas Day.

2. Docs the assistance which we thus receive from the Holy Spirit display itself by sensible impulses, or do we discover this assistance only from the effects which it produces?

3. Does not St. Paul describe the fruits of the Holy Spirit? And do not those fruits consist in goodness and righteousness and truth ?-Ephesians

v. 9.

the Holy Trinity, equal in power, though different in office?

2. What is the office of God the Father?

3. What is the office of God the Son?

4. What is the office of God the Holy Ghost?

Introduction to the Study of the Old Testament, by J. G. Eichhorn, 3 vols. 8vo.

Summary of Contents of Vol. I.

pp. 734.

HAP. I. On Hebrew Literature generally-Mode of publishing, preserving and collecting the Scriptures of the Old Testament-their genuineness and canonical authority considered. § 1-57, pp. 139.

General observations on Hebrew literature.-Importance of Hebrew literature.-Usual mode of publishing new works or writings among the Hebrews.

Manner in which such Hebrew Scriptures as are now extant were preserved.

Collection of the Hebrew Scriptures after the Babylonian exile.-Names of different collections.-Order of the Scriptures so collected.-Mode of division.-On the propriety of distinguishing the writers of the Old Testament by the appellation of prophets.-General remarks on the language in which the Old Testament is written.-Of the various dialects of the Hebrew language.

The genuineness of the Scriptures of the Old Testament considered, proving that they are the productions neither of a single impostor nor of several

criteria of their genuineness.-Of the canonical authority of the Scriptures of the Old Testament as divided into canonical and apocryphal books. Definition of the term kavov.-Explanation of the epithet apocryphal.Reasons examined for dividing the Scriptures of the Old Testament into canonical and apocryphal books.-Of the idea attached to the canon of the Old Testament throughout the present work. Of the canonical Scriptures of the Jews in Egypt and Palestine.-The Egyptian and Palestine Jews possessed the same canonical Scriptures between them.-Reasons assigned for this asser

1. Are not there Three Persons in

the Jews in Egypt-their sources to be traced in the Alexandrian Version