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shaken fidelity to the Church not only in the season of her prosperity, but also in the dark days of her adversity, an intellect holding in vigorous grasp the great principles of Catholic Truth, a moral energy realising these principles deep in the inner man and exhibiting them in outward con

BISHOP WILSON has furnished us with what he calls "A short Account of the Author of the Following Devotions," and in his letter to the Printer, (page 17,) he gives us the reason of its brevity. As this reason still holds, no attempt has been made to enlarge his account, though some additional particulars, duct "beautiful exceedingly," gathered chiefly from works-such are some of the most already published, have been prominent features of his chaannexed to it, in the shape of racter, as drawn in life-like form by the pen of his Episcopal biographer.

notes.

The Bishop's "short account," however, is amply sufficient to impress us with a wondrous idea of the singular excellency of Dr. Sherlock's character. Pure and unaffected piety, charity at once comprehensive and discriminating, a daily self-denial and bearing of the cross, a noble superiority to the world, an ever-burning and ever-active zeal for his Master's glory, and un

Almost all Dr. Sherlock's published works find a brief notice in the account of his life. Those left unnoticed are, A Visitation Sermon preached at Warrington, A.D. 1669, from Acts xx. 28, and published in London the same year; and a volume of " Short Discourses touching Common and Private Prayer, relating to the Public Offices of the

Church," published at Ox- | discrimination. Of this latter

ford, 1684.

class, appear to have been the persons alluded to in Dr. Sherlock's Life, who, having themselves joined the Romish Communion, seem to have been honestly desirous of inducing him to follow their example, and wrote to him accordingly. His answers however shewed them, that he "no favourer of their errors." A Catholic he was, a Papist he could not be. It is much to be regretted that no trace of his answers to them now remain. They would doubtless have afforded a refreshing contrast to those sweeping, uncourteous, not to say unchristian, modes of at

was

At page 31 of the Life, we find his biographer alluding to the "excellent answers' returned by the author, to certain persons of note in the Church of Rome, who had written to him "after they had been perverted to that Communion." It was the lot of Dr. Sherlock, as it has been and still is the lot of many others, who like him have imbibed the Catholic spirit that pervades our Church Liturgy, to be accused of being "a Papist in disguise." This was said of him, as Bishop Wilson tells us, "by both Papists and Dissenters, and," he adds, "both had the same end in propagat-tack, with which it has been ing the calumny, the disser- of late the fashion to assail the vice of that Church, which he members of the Romish adorned by his most exemplary | Church. life. One would charitably hope, that only a few of those who allowed themselves to propagate this calumny, did so knowingly: the majority most probably, as in our day, were unwittingly deceived into it, either from ignorance, or prejudice -some one or more of the idola specus, or, which is more generally the case, from a want of the habit of" strictly observing himself,

"The Practical Christian," the eighth edition of which is now submitted to the reader, is by far the most important of all Dr. Sherlock's works. It was a work of gradual growth and progressive enlargement; and as we have his biographer's testimony to the fact, that he made it the model of his own Devotions

what he so earnestly recommended to others," its history becomes at once interesting and instructive.

Among the many miseries attending the Great Rebellion, when the Church had become the prey of her enemies-"riven and strewn abroad, under the rude and wasteful sky," not the least was the neglect it occasioned of systematically inculcating the principles of our holy religion. No sooner however was the Church restored, than Dr. Sherlock, who was now a partaker of her prosperity, as before he had been of her sufferings, set himself diligently to remedy this evil. For this purpose he composed and published a short and plain Paraphrase upon the Church Catechism, being convinced that this excellent formula, "though" (to quote his own words) "by a strange fanatic humour it be slighted, and by self-conceited persons derided, yet contains all things both of faith and fact necessary to salvation, being rightly, clearly, and fully understood." This Tract carries with it the

a "The Principles of Holy Catholic Religion: or, The Catechism of the Church of England Paraphrased; the Objections against it answered; with Short Prayers for

written recommendation of Dr. Hammond, as being a work "of use and profit;" and so popular did it become, that in a few years it ran through nineteen editions".

Having in this little work furnished his people with what he calls "A Summary of Christian Doctrine," feeling that the knowledge of high and holy doctrines unless accompanied by a corresponding high and holy practice, would he likely to prove a curse rather than a blessing, his next step was to compose for them "A Summary of Christian Practice," and his labours herein ended not until all the four parts of his "Practical Christian" had successively appeared. The first edition of this work appeared in 1673, under the title "Mercurius Christianus, or the Practical Christian, a Treatise explaining the Duty of Self-examination, &c." His primary intention in it, "being chiefly to direct his parishioners for the worthy receiving the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, whereunto a the Morning and Evening annexed." The 18th edition was printed at London, 1699, and was reprinted at Oxford, 1841.

thorough self-examination is | teachings, in the rites, above

66

absolutely necessary." Afterwards, being desired to enlarge his meditations upon that blessed Sacrament," he divided the first edition into two parts, the first treating of self-examination, and the second, of the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Though his "Summary" was thus enlarged, he still felt it to be deficient and imperfect. As we have said, he made it the model of his own devotions, and this led him to discover its deficiencies. found that his soul "gasping unto God as a thirsty land," needed refreshments it contained not, "green pastures" which it told not of.

He

And

thus he becomes to us another remarkable instance of the truth, that when once the soul becomes "athirst for God," its cravings cannot be satisfied, until it has embraced the Catholic system in the whole length and breadth of it. To borrow from St. Austin", "God made us for Himself, and our heart is restless until it repose in Him." In the

all, in the Holy Sacraments of the Church Catholic, heaventaught souls may realize" the Presence of an eternal loveliness," even the all-pervading Spirit of Him in Whom "dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Here may those who have implicitly yielded themselves to the Church's teaching, thrown themselves confidingly upon her, here may they see 66 Him Who is invisible," and find "Him Whom their soul longeth after." So at least was it with Dr. Sherlock. Self-denial, the rigid practice of selfexamination, and even the devout receiving of the Holy Eucharist, that highest and best of all the means appointed for making us "partakers of the divine nature," left him still restless and unsatisfied. And why? An important element in the Catholic system had not yet been acted out, -the Church's "hours of prayer" had not been kept. He had been taught however in the spirit of obedience, to enquire after "the old paths;" and led on by the same spirit,

b"Fecisti nos ad Te, et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in Te." Confess. lib. i. c. 1.

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