she yet retained and acknowledged (as the Racovian or Socinian Church in Poland did) would have been awful heresy; to renounce things indifferent, for the sake of opposition, and any thing that might well be improved for edification and the purposes of devotion, would have been schismatical. For to differ for the sake of difference and opposition, is surely one of the clearest indications of pride, perverseness, and unsubdued self-will-the unchristian dispositions which lie at the root of all schism. This, I think, none of the other Reformed Churches duly understood or considered; still less did the Puritans in our own country, who seemed to think, that the mere circumstance of any custom having been used by the Church of Rome was quite a sufficient reason for their unreserved opposition to it! And opposition to ceremonies and things indifferent was carried by many to such an extreme, that it may be fairly questioned whether they did not shew as much superstition in opposing and rejecting, as the Church of Rome itself in maintaining and defending them. The furious opposition still made by some to the use of the organ in

Churches, may serve to illustrate this. And yet it is very important that we should be very careful not to appear even to differ for the sake of differing; not (in separating from that which is evil) to reject any thing good, profitable, or even indifferent; in order that we may mark more clearly the true nature and importance of those points, on which Christian Truth and Godliness compel us to differ. Let it be evident to all that we are not yielding to the needless scruples of a diseased conscience; and our stand against Falsehood and Error will be proportionably more firm, decided, and triumphant; the line which separates Error from Truth will thus be more distinctly drawn ; and error will thereby be branded with the marks of darker and deeper condemnation. Therefore the Church of England, in separating from the mystic Babylon, was not only careful to retain the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, and the fullest acknowledgement of the great and fundamental Truths which they contain (as did indeed all the other Reformed Churches); but also the Episcopal Ordination and Government, which had been

transmitted from the primitive Churches, through the Church of Rome, and which I am satisfied is truly Scriptural and Apostolic— (for I go whole lengths with Bishop Hall, in his book on the Divine Right of Episcopacy) -and the use of a Liturgy, which was evidently derived from the primitive Churches too. This, when duly purged from Popish Idolatries, and translated into the vernacular tongue, was indeed admirably suited for the purpose of public devotion. Such festivals and holidays alsó, as had been handed down from the primitive Church, and could be made subservient to edification, and the setting forth of grand and important Truths, were also gladly retained: 1 not because the observance

In retaining many of these holidays, we do not stand alone. The Lutheran Church retains a large portion of them. Even the Dutch Churches (excepting those of Zeeland) which are strictly Calvinistic both in Doctrine and Discipline, observe two days at Christmas, two at Easter, and two at Whitsuntide. They also observe the festival of the Circumcision, Good-Friday, and Ascension-Day; and also the season of Lent, during which they preach constantly upon the History of the Passion,-beginning on the seventh Sunday before Easter. The accounts contained in the four Evangelists are harmonized, and then the whole is divided into as many texts as there are

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of such days is essential-but because it may be improved for most important instruction, and thus conduce to edification, and is therefore desirable and important. What then but the spirit of needless innovation would set them aside? It was sufficient to discard all those festivals and holidays which were superstitious and questionable, and surely the line was most judiciously drawn, when we commemorate with honour only those saints whom the Scriptures mention with honour,-the Virgin Mary, (Luke i. 48, 49,) the Apostles, and the first Martyr of the Christian Church: to which holidays are added, one day for the especial celebration of the Communion of Saints, and one for that of the Ministration of Angels ;important points of Christian truth assuredly; and worthy, one would think, of at least an annual contemplation.

Now in all these things our Church has not only been careful to retain all that was of

services during those seven weeks: and the Minister has no choice; he is obliged to preach on the text which comes in order. It is observable that the Churches are never so well attended as during that season.

Apostolic origin in the Church of Rome, and all the relics of pure antiquity, which could testify our desire to maintain (as far as possible,) the bonds of union and communion with the primitive Church; but in the manner of her separation, and in so carefully retaining everything that could be made subservient to spiritual edification, has abundantly testified that it was not in the spirit of schism and perverse opposition, nor in the affectation of needless singularity; but simply from love to the truth as it is in Jesus, from zeal for the honour and truth of God, and from reverential submission to the Supreme Authority of His blessed word, that she came out and separated herself from a corrupt, idolatrous, unscriptural, and Anti-christian Church.

And this leads me to observe, in the third place, that, truly calm and temperate as the Church of England has been in regard to exterior forms, Government, and Discipline; she has been firm, decided, and uncompromising in her separation from the Church of Rome, in all that regards Evangelical Doctrine. No one of the Reformed Churches is more clear,