Mr. URBAN,

March 20.

S the tendency of your Constant

p. 1195, is to promote the work of piety recommended in my Letter, I will not stop to enquire what his motives were for re-publishing it in the manner he has done; but will thank him for the service he has rendered me. But when another writer, under the general designation of A PROTESTANT, upbraids me with "bigoted prejudice," and "a darkened understanding," p. 1215, I must beg your indulgence, to tell him that, whatever his pretensions may be in other respects (of which the incognito he observes does not permit me to judge) he is not warranted by the state of the controversy between us to hold such language.

The question at issue between your Correspondent and me is, whether the practice of praying to the Saints, as explained by me, p. 797, and as taught by our Church, not as he misrepresents it, is or is not idolatrous, For I have already protested, and I again solemnly protest, against the imputation of our making the Saints joint mediators with Christ: on the contrary, I have maintained that our prayers to the Saints in Heaven are of the same nature with those which Christians of all communions are in the habit of making to their friends here upon earth, purporting nothing more than a request that they would pray for us. This will appear upon examining our doctrinal expositions*, and General Councils t. By way of illustrating this doctrine, I supposed

*See Catechismus ad Parochos; the Doday Catechism; Abridgement of Christian

Doctrine.

† Concil. Trid. Sess. XXV. De Invoc.

A

gin

miraculous supply of wine which we know she actually procured for them and I called upon my antagonist to as sign a reason why it should be idolatry to make such a petition to that holy Personage now she is in Heaven, if it was not idolatry to make it to her here upon earth. What now is the answer of my adversary? He admits that "had such a request been made (by the people of Cana) it would not have subjected them to the charge of idolatry" but, instead of shewing the disparity between this and the former case, namely, between praying to the Mother of Christ on earth, and praying to her in Heaven, he enters into a dissertation to make it probable that the people of Cana made no such request to her. But what, in the name of common sense, does this signify to the present argument, whilst he admits that they might have prayed to her, if they would," without the imputation of idolatry?" But, adds he, shifting his ground, we are expressly commanded to pray in the name of Christ, as the Reformed Church does; whereas there is no command to pray to Saints, as the Church of Rome does. I answer, that we are as averse from praying in the name of any Saint, according to the sense of the passage of St. John xvi. as our Protestant brethren are; on the contrary, we acknowledge that there is no other name given to men in which salvation is to be found but the name of Christ. cordingly, the Collects and other Prayers in our Missal are addressed to God, through Christ, in the same manner as they are in the Common Prayer Book, the latter in general being literally translated from the former.

Ac

But

:

I am next called upon to redeem my pledge, by quitting a Church, which my antagonist supposes he can prove has "set aside a Divine Command ment." Could this be demonstrated, I should certainly fulfil my engagement. But to whom, I ask, did Christ address those words concerning the sacramental cup, which are quoted against me; Drink ye all of it, Doubtless to those who were at table with him and who were those persons? The text informs us they were the Twelve Apostles, namely, the selfsame persons whom he then raised to the Christian Priesthood, with the power of consecrating the sacramental elements; a power which the Established Church, as well as ours, reserves to the order of Priesthood. In the performance of this solemn act then the Priest ever must essentially make use of and consume both species: but it clearly follows from our doctrine of the real presence, that it is a matter of no consequence as to the efficacy of the Sacrament, whether the faithful receive under one kind, or under the other kind, or under both kinds; nor should we dispute with our Protestant brethren about this matter, if we could only agree with them about the nature of the Sacrament itself. After all the sarcasms of my opponent upon Tradition, he himself must have recourse to it on several points, regarding the Sacraments as well as other matters. For without the aid of this, he will find himself bound to administer the Sacrament at supper-time, and after eating a lamb; and he will be obliged to close the ceremony with washing the feet of the company. Independently of tradition, no one precept in the Gospel appears more clear and express than this regarding the washing of feet. See John xiii. 14. Yours, &c.

J. MILNER.

ed to the subject. I wish your Correspondent had mentioned the newspaper in which the singular Advertisement was inserted. It is impossible to read it without calling to mind the humorous and severe lines of Cowper on a similar occasion :

But hark! the Doctor's voice, fast wedg'd between [cheeks Two Empirics he stands, and with swoln Inspires the news, his trumpet ; keener far Than all invective is his bold harangue, While thro' that public organ of report He hails the Clergy, and defying shame, Announces to the world his own, and theirs. He teaches those to read, whom Schools dismiss'd

And Colleges untaught; sells accent, tone,
And emphasis in score, and gives to prayer
Th' Adagio and Andante it demands;
He grinds Divinity of other days
Down into modern use; transforms old
print

To zigzag manuscript; and cheats the eyes
Of Gallery Critics by a thousand arts.
Are there who purchase of the Doctor's
ware?

Oh! name it not in Gath! it cannot be
That grave and learned Clerks should need

such aid;

He doubtless is in. sport, and does but droll, Assuming thus a rank unknown before, Grand Caterer and dry Nurse of the

Church!

TASK.

Though it appears by these lines of our much admired Poet, that the practice of advertising MS Sermons is not new, yet it is probably a very novel matter to see their Author announced as a 66 Dignitary of the Church of England."- That such an Advertisement should appear, is surely a most severe satire on the learning and abilities of the Clergy of that Church; but from the negligence and want of discipline in our Universities, too many young men, it is apparent, enter into Orders far more in need of instruction, than qualified to teach others; and hence in a great measure arises the swarm of illiterate Metho dist teachers with which we are infested, weak and ignorant minds being easily induced to believe a man inspired who can make comments on the Scriptures extempore; and prefer attending his Conventicle to the Church or Chapel, where a regular Clergyman reads a Sermon of another's writing with the utmost indifference, devoid of emphasis, or any thing that can make an impression on the congre gation.

Yours, &c.

ANIMADVERTOR.

Mr.